by a liuely working of the inwarde vertues the other in the tongue by outwarde behauiour onely the one in all things is diuine and heauenly inspired into the soule by grace the other is prophane and earthly layde as heauie burdens vppon the consciences of men by force Now then sith wee are in ours as in a large field of libertie hauing freedome to performe all things without scruple doubt or danger onely in Christ how farre should wee excell in sincere practise those that flatter themselues wyth the outward action of superstitious zeale wherein they are restrayned to wade anie further in knowledge than may keepe them in obedience not vnto God whom they ought to knowe first and then to honour him in spirite as hee is spirit but vnto the pretended church Catholike whose honouring God who is a spirite is by the traditions of men that are meerely carnall God forbidde therefore that wee who assuredlye in the franke mercie of Almightie God inioye this admirable treasure the Gospell whence proceedeth the true religion propounded by Christ Iesus himselfe and practised by doctrine and example of the Apostles shoulde so lagger in our liues that Pharisies and meritours shoulde goe so farre before vs that wee shoulde bee censured not onely of GOD himselfe who seeth the heartes but of men who see onelye our workes to deserue punishment in his iudgement by our vnholye liues at theyr handes whome wee knowe most assuredly are enemies vnto the crosse of Christ Iesus who pretend in themselues so much the more holynesse of lyfe by howe much the more they see vs come short of them in zeale And the greatest and assuredst hope which they haue of their conquest is grounded vppon theyr owne deseruinges whereby they seeme to challenge a speciall assistance of God vpon our fruitlesse profession whereby they seeme to coniure the high power to conforme it selfe to their wills and thereupon they build strong hope to bee reuenged vppon vs. And surely if wee reforme vs not and conforme our liues more aunswerable vnto our profession it is much to bee feared that as for sinne and disobedience hee suffered his owne peculiar people to be destroied the citie which he chose vnto himselfe to bee sacked and the house wherein hee seemed himselfe to dwell to bee burned by the barbarous nations hee wyll deliuer vs vp to the will of this vncircumcised people whose heartes are highly inflamed against vs and whose hands tingle to bee in our bloud The Lord of hoasts bee on our side whome they blasphemed in their last frustrate expedition affirming that hee was become a Lutheran in regard of his helping vs and confounding them But howsoeuer they blasphemed then and howsoeuer they consult agaynst God himselfe and agaynst his chosen now there is no doubt but it is to some wonderfull end in the secrete wisedome of God and for our partes let vs forecast the worst against our selues and say that for our sinnes for our neglygence and for our disobedience God may iustly delyuer vs into theyr handes so shall God turne his purpose which although it were to consume vs as it was towardes Niniue hee will spare vs if we repent lyke Niniue and let vs incourage our selues in the renewing of our affections so shall that God drawe them on euen vnto the redde sea of theyr owne confusion as hee dyd Pharaoh and his hoast that his glorie may appeare both in the force of his Gospell which we professe and whereby we reforme vs vnto his will by casting awaie sinne and apprehending true righteousnesse as also by confounding them that seeke to persecute him in vs. Now it is expedient that there be some examination of the especiall euills which seeme aboue the rest to call this nation in the iustice of God agaynst vs for it is plaine that sinne is the cause in generall which both preuenteth well dooing and arraigneth vs before the tribunall seat of God in regard of it selfe But to make rehearsall of all the euills which are growen strong amongst vs were a tedious labor and beyond my purpose and therefore I will briefely call to our consideration some particular sinnes that seeme to bee as nurseries to all the rest and such as glide thorough our thoughts as oyle thorough our throates without seeling and yet more lyke Elephants than gnats Who seeth not and yet who considereth the most capitall sinne of blaspheming GOD Where is there anie lawe to punish swearers cursers abusers of the person the maiestie the sanctitie and the sacred worde and name of God How freely doo the lewde Atheistes in this lande such as by theyr liues argue there is no God behaue themselues in most vnreuerent taking into theyr vncircumcised lippes the name of God How doo they rent him as much as in them lyeth in peeces his heart feete nayles soule bodie flesh and euerie parte and member of him is abused and dishonoured taking therein delight as in a feast And this sinne is not without some colour of a vertue Heere is great magnanimitie pretended to bee seene in these lustie fellowes nay vngodlye wretches and cowardlye I would it were free from great persons And this is as farre from being punished amongst vs that he is counted too foolish and too precise that will argue the same to bee a fault God reforme it for the faulte is greater than that which wee account fellonie which robbeth but man of his goods and is hanged and this robbeth God of his glorie and our selues of all shewe of the feare and reuerence of God yet is vnpunished May not the lyke bee sayde of vnpunished dronkennesse which is a most pernitious vice and the more intollerable because it hath no shew of vertue as other vices haue and yet of late it hath gotten a coate but a beastly coate yet the best it hath and that forsooth in drinking carouse it must bee to the health of some greate man and sometime great men will vse the name of greater persons in this swinish sinne vnder colour of wishing health to them as if health could bee maintained by so grosse a sinne It is intollerable yet tollerated to the high dishonour of God who of Christians requireth Christian sobrietie Doth not this helpe to pull on the Spaniardes Yes surely And is this all that is amisse Nay let pride come into the ranke of vnpunished vices But by your leaue this is a neate vice it is a comely vice it is a courtly vice and it is a vice that aboue all the rest may challenge place with vertue if vice maye bee so bolde as nowe a daies it is and it is so plausible that they that should seeke to kill it by spirituall disswasion haue taken it by the hand also and walke as courtly as the best the verie clowne will snatch at it too and euerie man exceedeth so farre as if it were one of the cardinall vertues And although many lawes
victorious vertue a hidden power whereby God himselfe is as it were ouercome yea when he hath determined the destruction of a rebellious people he is wonne by praier to repent him as it were of his decree as appeareth by Nineueh who ioyning repentance with prayer appeased God And because praier in faith is of such a force with him he saith vnto Ieremie Pray not for this people as though hee should haue said though I haue decreed to destroy thē yet I may bee ouercome by prayer to spare them and therefore pray not for them that will not pray for themselues It appeareth then that the prayer of one preuaileth with God to preserue a multitude as amonge many other examples is seene by Iudith who praied for the deliuerance of the people of Bethuliah and obtained not that alone but a mighty destruction of the enemie Hereby was the counsell of Achitophel made void and tooke no effect against Dauid and if we therein repare vnto our God all these threats great prouision and huge hoast of Antichrist shall be made likewise frustrate as it hath beene once fresh in our memories whē he fought for vs by his windes and brake their power by his prouidence Therefore let vs set not onely this his late mercie before our eies wherein hee defended vs and confounded them but applie the example of Hezekiah who prayed against the inuasion of his enemies with their inuincible armies at whose petition GOD slue of the Assyrians 185000. men 2. Chron. 32. 25. So did Iehosaphat obtaine against his enemies a mightie and memorable victorie how shall we then dismay at this foolish Hoobub whereby onley the weake are daunted such as know not the power of the highest are afraide But let vs aboue the multitude of our men the furniture of our munition take holde of this assured anchor and pray to God who will heare euen before we speake he considereth the thoughts and will giue eare to our sighes And let vs thinke that if one haue preuailed for many surely he will heare many for England wherein there are many godly that pray continually for the preseruation thereof not vnto the helples Saints but to the helping God to the God alsufficient To whom let vs onely runne in a liuely confidence not omitting the necessary implements of warre which by faith God will so blesse in euery mans hand that we shall haue the victorie and God the glorie Let vs begin to hate sinne and continue constant in righteousnesse and let vs not doubt but that he which hath freely imbraced vs with so great fauour alreadie will defend vs also most mightilie and to our great comfort deliuer vs from the wicked Now my louing countrimen why should wee feare the force and threatnings of these men seeing wee haue the Lord himselfe to be our king Let vs not be afrayd but trust vpon the sure protection of this our alsufficient God Let vs magnifie his mightie name which is most terrible to our aduersaries it is holie and therefore all honour power mercie praise and thankes bee giuen to him by whom we are onely saued An humble petition to God for the preseruation of Queene Elizabeth and the protection of the Church of Christ not vnfit to be daily vsed of euery Christian but also in euery Christian familie OH most high mightie and inuincible God king of all the kings kingdomes of the earth wee fall downe before thy maiestie not as though wee would dispute with thee why the heathen doe rage against vs and why the Antichristian crue do mutter within themselues as if we were ready to become a pray vnto them we come not to charge thee with iniustice in that thou sufferest the kings of the earth and the multitudes of malitious men to band themselues against vs the sheepe of thy pasture and against our Queene thine annoynted No father mercifull and louing we come vnto thee as wretches deseruing thy heauie displeasure wherin thou maist without doing vs any iniurie bring vpon vs this vnciuill people by whom if thou wilt thou maist iustly punish vs for our sinnes yea thou maist doe with vs what thou wilt who haue not done in our callings to thee as thou hast commanded Yet Lord for thine owne names sake cast not out of thy mercifull remembrance thy sweete promises annexed vnto thy Gospell which thou hast giuen vs long time to enjoy The fruits wherof we doe acknowledge haue not so fully appeared in vs as is required at our hands and therefore are we the lesse assured of thy protection But Lord sith thy mercie exceedeth thy iustice consider that we are but flesh and therefore prone to fall as were our fathers Looke not so narrowly oh Lord into our corruptions neither take thou such vengeance against vs as that wee should become captiues to such as seeke to persecute vs not for our faults but euen thy Sonne in the truth of his sacred Gospell in vs although thou only knowest vs them Thou searchest aswell their imaginations as our sinnes wherein as we haue offended thee so Lord let vs by thy mercie reforme vs or at least receiue punishment from thee in loue and not in their futies whose harts are bent against thy true Catholike Church and who couet to bereaue vs of our Queene whom thou hast in meere loue to thy chosen children placed as a mother in thy Church of England whose life they haue by many wicked and rebellious practises sought to take away shewing thereby oh Lord that there is no true religion in their proceedings no true faith in their workes nor true zeale in their desires but all that they doe is by the power of sinne as if they should openly vow to preuent thy prouidence by their power to pull downe and set vp whom they list when they list and inioyne them to doe what they list pretending in all their deuises be they neuer so bloudie and sterched with open massacres with dispoyling of thy people eating vp euen innocents as if they did eate bread to doe thee great seruice Oh high and louing father consider this and look into their thirstines wherein they will neuer be satisfied with bloud if thou giue them scope yea but a little to preuaile And therefore giue them not the power to worke what they haue imagined least that thine elect bee turned through the bitternes of their tyrannies to doubt of thy mercies But for asmuch as thou broughtest vs out of that cruell bondage wherein wee were tyed and fettered with humane precepts which are contrary to thy word by the hands of our Queene Elizabeth thine annointed as were thy children of Israel from Egypt by the hands of Moses and Aaron so Lord giue her long life to gouerne vs and power vnder thee to protect vs from these cruell men whose hearts are hardened and whose consciences are seared as appeareth that they wil not be pacified but if thou preuent not will seeke to
or driuen out by man What naturall reason flesh bloud will argue in this daÌ„gerous time The conceyts of the worldly Our duties to God carry with it a great traine of virtues The repeatance Nineueh The practise of Nineueh an example for vs to follow What wil follow vs in our following the reformation of Niniueh How we must reforme vs. Gods peculiar loue to England England not the 200. parte of the earth The Turkes possesse the places where Christ was borne first preached England is more to be charged for breach of our league then any other nation How we kill Christ againe We must call to minde Gods blessings which will giue vs cause to reforme out liues God chose vs when wee thought not on him Euery one hath a court in his owne conscience Now is the time for the Magistrate to shew himselfe zealous in the Lords good The worde and the swor must concur Euery man must begin his dutie at the feare of God God wil keepe our aduersaries blinde if we feare God and desire to see What is required of the Magistrate A good song for a Magistrate if he sung it truely Moses and Aaron the Magistrate and Minister are to be Martialed together in a christian common wealth All things are written for our instructioÌ„ The Spaniards in strength are not like the sonnes of Anake Which parte God taketh hath the victorie Warre offered by inuasion is fully furnished with militarie necessaries William the Norman took from his men hope of retire Wisdome and trueth beare away the victorie God will defend vs for his Gospels sake Queene Elizabeth goeth forth in person to incourage her people Our secrete Papists discourage our people Whence we are fallen In regarde of the truth imbraced notwithstanding our sins God is with vs. The true catholicke religion is with vs an argument of Gods presence Poore vnlearned Christians haue stopt the mouthes of Romish doctrine The truth will confound Antechrist The enemie standeth on his owne strength we on the blessing of God they on the popes power we on Christs merrits Queene Elizabeth shall cut off the power of Antechrist The romish hope al in outward things They are strong inough and neede not God God is strong in weakenes Few ouercoÌ„e many They feare the weake in diminishing our munition Queene Elizabeth a chosen woman to confound Romish Ihericho by the protection of the word God will assist such as war either to defend his truth professed or to winne anye thereunto Agencourt fielde The Spaniard hath tasted English power and policie to his paine The Spaniards no doubt would not admit the tryall of the contrauersie to equal multitudes Inward desire of the Princes danger or subuersioÌ„ of your country is before God high treason The Spaniard abhorreth traytors though he make much of theÌ„ for a time The course entertaynement of the best of our English runnagates The cause in policie why the Syaniards hangeth not traytors presently The best end of our traytors if the Spaniards should preuaile If God haue wrought a meane beyond reason to dicouer a murder much more will he discouer treasoÌ„ There is in al subiects loue or hate which will show it selfe by the fruits The difference betweene plaine dealing and dissimulation The end of blinde zeale The thirst of papists is the drought of treason A glasse for traytors The Spaniard thinke them neuer true to him that are false to your anoynted prince The spaniards are rude like the Macedonians to call a traytor a traytor The state of a trayor Distinguish the spirits The pope is like the serpent that commandeth forbiddeÌ„ thinges with promise of rewarde A wonder that Papists wonder not at their blindnes Beasts loue the place of their education shewing better loyaltie theÌ„ papists The pope fawneth on papists like a Crocadile who sheds teares when he will destroy Benefits receiued in our natural countrey is an obligation to bind vs to be true vnto it Antechrist the head corner stone of blind zeale The waye to finde out the cause of blindnes is to repaire to the truth The daye which the papists wish to see will be to themselues most fearefull The waye of the foole is right in his owne conceit We ought all to pray for the peace of our countrey How our papists might become happie Euery magistrate ought to know what duty belongeth to his charge Euery commonwealth is a bodie pollytique As euery part of the bodie hath a necessarie place in his place steadeth the body so euery man in a common wealth Sundrie pettie bodies within the whole body of the commonwealth Diuers inferior heads of diuers inferior bodies Peace dangerous without carâ—in Magistrates Officers as also euery subiect ought to discouer a daÌ„gerous person Inferior Magistrates haue their power froÌ„ the higher power Ciuill iustice is the commoÌ„ wealths publike benefite Warre appreueth or reproueth the faith all men towards their country Premeditation of euery mans dutie is necessary before the run to far vnder a good intent The Magistrats ought to foresee things to come The English alwaies valorous Rashnes to be auoyded A subtil practise of the enemie to moue tumults amongst our selues Pryuate men must not stirre before the Magistrate Her Maiestie her counsell the first mouers Suddayne newes dangerous Three things to be auoyded in followers Weapons and pollicie nothing vnles God blesse the vse of them God giueth the victorie in a combate betwene two sparrowes The force of prayer more then the force of weapons God is moued by prayer to alter his decree The prayer of one preuaileth with God to preserue a multitude Prayer a sure anker in danger
A CHRISTIAN FAMILIAR COMFORT AND INCOVRAGEMENT vnto all English Subiects not to dismaie at the Spanish threats Whereunto is added an admonition to all English Papists who openly or couertly couet a change With requisite praiers to almightie God for the preseruation of our Queene and Countrie By the most vnworthie I. N. Printed at London for J. B. 1596. TO THE HIGH AND MOST VERTVOVS PRINCESSE Elizabeth by the especial prouidence of the Almighty Queene of England France and Ireland chiefe protector of the right Catholike Religion ALbeit I may be iustly censured most gracious Queen to haue committed a two folde fault in this mine enterprise first in vndertaking it being most vnworthie next in exhibiting it to your Highnes beeing most worthie I beseech your roiall patience to heare mine excuse and as it may sound with your knowen clemencie I may receiue pardon for my boldnes To commit the first I had a two folde incouragement the occasion of the time and a continuall secret instinct vrging mee to doo mine indeuor in this kinde not intending thereby to preuent anie better able To aduenture the second I was moued by discretion namely to commend the consideration of it silly as it is vnto your high Maiestie aboue all others and that for two causes the one in regard none hath better power to protect it beeing in anie measure worthie next none hath like authoritie to pardon it being faultie And in these regards especially my most gracious Soueraigne dutie and loue being witnesses of mine inward zeale I humbly presume to leaue this my poore offering at the feet of your most prudent censure Your Maiesties loyall poore Subiect IOHN NORDEN To my Christian countrymen faith in God loue to her Maiestie constancie in Religion watchfulnesse magnanimitie bee for euer more and more increased continued SAint Ierome beeing in Bethleem at the time when the Turkes inuaded and most cruelly wasted Asia the lesse Arabia Aegypt and part of Syria declared that the sins of the Christians there were the cause of all that miserie and of the feare which possessed their hearts gaue courage victorie to the enemie And that there was no assurance of the mittigation of that fierce furie of the one or restitution of comfort to the other before there were in the Christians humiliation and a true returning vnto vertue and righteousnes Which ancient counsel of that famous father may be renewed now amongest vs when the professed enemie of the true Catholique religion hath stirred vp an apparant indignation in the pretended King Catholique against England and many other partes where the Gospell is sincerely preached and that surely for the sinnes of Christians in the iudgement of God who looking vppon the greene leaued figge tree of our profession desiring to tast of the fruit which it should beare findeth it not answerable to his expectation And therfore vnlesse we will returne from our hypocrisie and bring forth with our leaues good fruit it is to bee doubted that our God powerfull and iust will permit this professed aduersarie to rouze vs out of our secure thoughts and either winne vs to more sinceritie or giue vs into the handes of our aduersarie And to the end we may all find out our selues to bee faultie that seeme now to bee shrouded with securitie it is fit that we should examine euery one himselfe and amend what the word of the liuing God willeth to be amended in euerie particular person so howsoeuer the causes of this Spanish Hoobub may appeare to be in the man of sinne in malice in his chiefe agent the pretended king Catholik in ambition we shall preuent theÌ„ both of their vaine purposes being strongly shrouded with hope of the performance of the promises of our God who will vppon our reconciliation become againe on our side howsoeuer yet our sins may deserue to haue the shield of his protection taken from vs and to drawe the enemie to inuade vs. And therefore it is now required and that with speed that we should denie our selues acknowledg him forsake our selues and cleaue vnto him disclaime the confidence of our owne strength and depend wholy vppon his vnâ—anquishable power who shall be to vs all in all and who shall strengthen vs weaken them fight for vs against them And to this end haue I though most vnworthie sent vnto you this simple Eccho to that subtill Hoobub not that it should sound to mine owne vainglorie but to incourage vs all â—o shape a new course in our liues and such prouidence in our â—roceedings that we all may answere our duties to God loialty to Queene Elizabeth and loue to our countrie And so may euerie man rest truly resolute in a good conscience to withstand the practises of this roring beast of Rome and all the power of his professed adherents the enemies of God and vs with an assured hope neuer to bee ouercome Yours in Christian good will I. N. A CHRISTIAN COMfort and encouragement vnto all English subiects not to dismay at the Antichristian threates Cap. 1. Wee must examine the speciall causes why God hath stirred vp the Nation of the Spanyards to pursue England THough in the iudgement of God there be many causes that maie moue him to take displesure against vs the people of England yet before I proceede to examine them as behooueth to the ende they may be reformed I will briefely as necessarie it is shew the chiefe causes that meerely mooue the Spaniardes to this loud hoobub without regarde of the occasions why God would make them the executioners of his wrath against vs and the instruments to put vs in minde of the breach of our league with him who hath so long preserued vs in peace and giuen vs freely the vse of his Gospell the neglect whereof and our contrarie fruites no doubt is the principall cause that God hath called this nation from farre to inuade vs who yet of themselues are drawen thereunto as rauished by two blinde deuotions the first and principall is in that hee is the Popes vizeroy lieutenant and chiefe martiall man and hath the title generall of the Catholike King In regard whereof hee is to stand as the Popes champion to aunswere anie challenge that his holynesse shall vndertake for defence and preseruation of his vsurped title and Empire And in that respect this mightie Goliah this blasphemous Rabsakeh pretendeth a sufficient warrant from Senacherib of Rome to pursue Hezechia of England with this hoobub that our God shall not deliuer vs out of his hands but that he onely as the chieftaine Catholike of that man of sinne hath the sole power from him to conquere kingdomes and therefore soundes vp this hoo and crie Am I now come vp without the Lord to England to destroie it As if hee should saie My Lord and master Christs vicar hath commanded mee and therefore howe dare English Hezechiah or anie other that trusteth not in the power of my
Philistines amongst the children of Israel to whom they were as prickes in their eyes and thornes in their sides because they preferred humane policie in preseruing them to Gods commandements in extirping them They argue against our trust in God euen to our faces affirming vs to haue no such cause of hope of our deliuerie as Israel had and yet say they and it is true Israel was plagued with sword and captiuitie for their sinnes being the peculiar people of God and how can we escape that are as they say fallen from the Catholike Church Which is false but from Rome which is Babell from papistrie which is bondage and from the traditions of men meere idolatrie and idolatrie worshipping strange gods was the cause why Israel was within the space of 339. yeares six times oppressed by their enemies when they went a whoring after straunge gods then and not else were they oppressed And although no doubt wee cannot excuse vs of offending our good God by our manifolde sins which doth deserue correction yet assuredly God is amongst vs and by many true Christians of England sincerely honoured his Gospell truly preached his word freely imbraced and thereunto the liues of many truely conformed And on the contrary let these Locusts that are flowen abroad out of the bottomles pit into this land not onely the wicked Iesuits but also obdurate papists who so much obrayd vs with our euill liuing learne this that they only in their idolatrie blasphemie spiritual whoredome are aptly compared to Israel in their falling from God and not in the weakenes of flesh only falling as did Dauid Salomon and many other whose kingdomes in the best seruice of the liuing God were not free from sinne wherein no flesh can be cleered But holding the maine point the Christian and true Catholike religion sincerely preached amonst vs and generally imbraced of the most vnles it bee of such as like subtile serpents stoppe their eates confirmeth strongly that the presence of God himselfe is still with vs assuring vs also that his hand for their rebellion against his trueth is turned against them And therefore let no man beleeue them howsoeuer they dispute to defend their owne holines which is onely outward their hearts being inwarldly seared with the yron of obstinacie the marke of the beast of Rome deprauing vs by reason of our frailtie But it is necessarie such prickes should be amongst vs to the ende our liues but especially our religion should bee the better approued for trueth appeareth then most plaine when it is opposed by error How is the Romish religion discouered by the sincere writings of sundrie learned and deuout men to bee a spirituall bondage who seeking the sincere trueth in the light of the sacred word haue left testimonie vnto all posterities thereof which the most learned of the aduersarie can neuer confute but in striuing to maintaine their darknes they haue vndermined themselues are readie to fal by their wonderful stumble at the view of the heauenly light which glimmereth in their eyes as a candle farre off in the darke How many sillie men whose hearts haue been inwardly taught by the holie Ghost without learning haue stopt the mouthes of these Catholike Doctors approuing their faith by the fire which they haue imbraced without feare or fainting not as desperate Seminaries suffering as Iudas did for treason but as patient Christians testifying their faith builded vpon the vnresistable trueth by martyrdome as Stephen did This truth hath broken the neck of Papisme and this trueth will put him from his glorie and his glorie from him that seeketh to depriue vs of this trueth Why then should wee distrust God and thinke that hee will deliuer vs into the hands of this Romish nation Admit our sinnes do deserue puhishment and surely we cannot nor dare iustifie our selues as they that haue nothing but meere deseruings in them can of themselues atchieue hauen by their own works we only rely vpon Christs merits and disclaime our owne worthines wee stand to bee defended by the power of God and not by our owne strength like this inuincible nation whose trust is in themselues wee trust in God they stand dissolute by the delusions of Antichrist who pretendeth to coniure the seas to be calme the winds to be prosperous vnto his Catholike armie and we rely vpon the meere blessing of God that by the breath of his mouth did lately blow them from our coasts as hee did the swarmes of lice from the Egyptians at the praier of Moses and Aaron hee cast them into the sea as Christ did the swine And let vs assure vs that in the same his mercies hee will performe it in a greater measure that his glorie may more appeare in being the protector of his owne But what if wee please our aduersaries in his vaine hope a little confesse our weaknes as they pretend it saying our gouernour is a woman and therefore weake and the people in her not strong our Nobilitie are not many and our Martiall men fewe and therefore the kingdome weake But let them know withall that wee haue in her Maiestie vnder GOD whom she serueth absolute hope that she is the Iudith that GOD hath ordayned of cut off the head namely to dispoyle the man of sinne of all his glorie she is the Iael that shall pearce his stemples with the naile of consufion if at last he refuse to haue his hart pearced with the trueth of Christ whō now now he persecuteth And if weak Debora got such honor in deliuering Israel from Iabyn king of Canaan by Barake notwithstanding his 900. chariots of Iron will it not bee honourable to Queene Elizabeth to breake the force of the inuincible nauie of Spaine and if it pleased the mighty of mighties to assiste Deborah beeing a woman of no such reckoning for the shewe of her outwarde glorie dwelling but vnder a palme tree yet fearing God shall hee not assiste Queene Elizabeth his annoynted his chosen and her that hee of meere prouidence preserued and aduanced to that high calling the gouernour of his people of England whom by her as by the hands of Moses he brought out of most cruell bondage vnder that purple harlot of Rome and vnder her hath this 37. yeares preserued vs from all forraine inuasion affoording vs peace in his apparant truth But these Romists degenerate not from the ground of their religion which is al outward they relie only vpō flesh bloud arguing therein that God is exempted out of their companie that is full alreadie they are mighty enough and strong enough and need not his helpe They reason as Senacherib did that because he was strong God could not resist him and therefore shall they receiue as Senacherib did They forget how God chose Gideon a poore labourer to be a captaine of his people who also at the first began to reason with flesh and bloud as they do saying
seene constant in error or not dutifull to your Queene Gods annoynted in regarde of any secret vow made to be true to Antichrist To reason much of the controuersie of the religious I leaue to the learned But I will only speake of the danger whereinto you fall if you in the least degree harbor any desire liking or loue to the enemies of your countrie If your thoughts haue entertained but a willingnes to see the subuersion of your naturall countrie your prince people vnder whatsoeuer colour albeit you haue in shew kept your hands from armes your tongues from speech al your outward actions from suspition of being disloyall subiects you are ipso facto within the compasse of high treason to your Prince before God who knoweth aswell your harts to harbour it as he knew what Anna desired when she spake nothing In this short discourse I will not only cōfirme what I speake by approued exāples of sacred scripture but also of others witnessed elsewhere And by the way before I proceede further know this that the Spanyard who seemes to haue your hearts and to bee sure of the vse of your hands for his purpose although he finde you fit agents to sound vp this hoobub howsoeuer he may vse plausible and kind words by his ministers to draw you into this his societie as Achitophel secretly wonne Dauids people to affect Absolon and to rebell against Dauid their annoynted King bee you assured that you shall finde no more fauour in his faunnes or better wages for your wickednes then Baanah and Rechab had of Dauid for killing their master For howsoeuer euill this nation bee in most capitall offences els it of all other nations is noted to abhorre trytors and treasons No Chronicle reporteth of any such matter among themselues not being done in their behoofe can endure it but to make vse of it only flattering the parties for a time but at last giues them what they deserue And therefore let this bee sufficient you shall haue the reward of traytors of them for your treasons done against your Queene It may be you take view of some English runnagates that haue thought themselues bound by their alleagiance to their holy father to break their sworne obedience to their naturall prince and to conuey themselues to these people with aduertisements against their countrey prince kinsfolke and friends and you haue a will to follow them in hope of large entertainement they haue been most coursly handled euen the best of them the Earle of Westmerland the Lord Paget and others of highest estimation who as your selues haue heard if you be not willingly deaffe haue and doe receiue hard measure at the hands not onely of such as were in calling their equals but of Spanish slaues who haue called them trayterous villaines to their faces and they kindly digest it making necessitie a vertue abiding that perforce that they can not amend You also know they liued there in poore estate for men of their place in England yea more base then an Artificer vnder Q. Elizabeth If these men had so colde comfort amongst them being great what thinke you to receiue It may bee you may thinke that if traytors were so odious vnto them they would giue them their condinge rewarde quickly and not foster them at all But their policies teach it otherwise and so doth cōmon reason As if you couet to take vp two dogs if whē you haue one you begin to beare it be assured the other wil flie you but if ye cherish the first the other will fawne vpon you and offer himself vnto you So it fareth with you traytors and their policy they make of thē that they already haue but stales to allure you when you are al in his net as your selues desire he then will make short worke with you hee will handle you like dogges and the stales too for then he shall haue no more vse of you therfore soone dispatch you If you beleeue not this but play about his allurements like a flye about the flame when you feele it it wil be too late to cry Solon Solon your end is miserie in the best sense if this good master should preuaile whose shamefull end and yours will first appeare In the meane time what shall become of you you will neuer be quieted in thought Will your desires be so smothered in the ashes of hypocrisie that you shall not appeare at all Truely either you will flame out at some narrow chink of your hot desires or els you wil consume within and burne as Iudas did For thinke that if God in iustice hating murther haue ordayned so admirable a meane to discouer the murtherer as your selues knowe by the bloud of the murthered how much more shall he discouer a traytor that seeketh to murther Gods annoynted whereof you haue seene proofe enough if you could beware If you say you goe not about it you belie your owne consciences for if you desire a stranger to come in to take the Crowne you cannot but acknowledge you desire the subuersion of the state and consequently the death of your gratious Queene for either you must loue or hate there is no third If you loue your loue will appeare in obedience which if it be not counterfeit and so no obedience it cannot but wish well to your Soueraigne and in that regard to none els If you hate your hate will be seene by the contrary and if your obedience be such as it ought you wil conforme you also to her proceedings which are most holie founded on the true Catholike religion If it otherwise appeare in your conceits referre you to the learned and godly of your owne countrey and if you can conuince them of error your worke is done and no doubt but Queene and Councell Ministers and people will shake hands with you and imbrace that which appeareth by the trueth to be palpable error But if they conuince you as you are conuinced become one and the same with them and flie from error Lye not in such secret wayes seeke no couert come foorth and appeare you haue the most merciful Prince that euer raigned vnder the Sunne therefore feare her not if you doe well and shew not your selues one thing without another within for Cicero that knew not God sayth that all they that speake one thing and meane another ought to be takē for faithles wicked and malitious men whereas a good man will neither faine nor dissemble in any sort either to buy the better cheape or to sell the dearer Therefore it is a great fault in you and a blemish to your wisedome that doe dissemble to buy your owne destruction deare and to sell your saluation cheape It is ill for you to aggrauate your fault by denying this sith your consciences bewray this And howsoeuer you flatter your selues that all your desire argueth your Catholike zeale the confusion of your countrie