greuous labours for god and honestie She is called Fortitude StreÌ„gth In defendinge the societye and felowship of men and Fortitudâ— in makinge of bargaynes and in gyuinge accomptes and in retayninge the ioyninge to gether of god and man she is called Iusticie gyuinge to euery man that whiche is his owne In the moderation of the mynde and in refranyng of discordes lest Iustyce any thinge myght be owte of his ryght course or not agreing with the dignytye of the person / with the place and tyme / and lest any thinge sholde be to moche or to lyttle ather in ower lyuynge / eatinge / drinkinge / apparell / wordes / speche and communicatioÌ„ and in any other thynges Temperance She is called TeÌ„perance and Medestye The whiche priÌ„cipall firste or cheyfe kyndes of true and honeste dealynge are deuided yet agayne in to certen speciall or inferior partes subiect to the same / like as there is a greate plentye and diuersitye of thinges whiche are vsed and ocupyed in the lyffe of men And here is to be noted that all thinges laudable haue euermore somewhat hurtefull and agenste them In all which thinges the greate pleÌ„tye of the testimonyes both of God and man may suffyce to make declaration / eueÌ„ as do the examples also of the Saracens and Turkes warres yea and of euerye historye By the whiche it is manifeste to se and beholde how greate wayght or effecte vertu hath in batayle But because the moste parte of the holy scriptures is occupyed in the commaundynge of good offices and workes / and seynge that euerye maÌ„ which by wrytynge or as they saye with a lyuely voyce showeth the waye to liue honestly godly and blissedly doth for his power expresse the diffinition of vertu Dertu is most necessary in the Christen war far and vyce I seme vnto my self fe to haue done my office and dutye very largely in that I haue admonisshed and gyuen warnynge that vertu is aboue all thinges necessarye in the Christen warfare Vnto the whiche vertu nature hathe instructed vs meruelously by the lawes gryffed in to vs by the fynger of god / so that we be not greued or that it doth not yrke vs to looke vpon the rules how we sholde lyue aÌ„d gouerne owerselues well by all the partes of ower liffe Furthermore as the trwe relygion not fayned / false / and deade as Iames .ij. Iames calleth it occasion beynge offred / declareth hir power and effectuously worketh some good worke / so that in vaine those men may glorye and bragge of the As the true religioÌ„ can not be withowte good workes so are not all those workes good that appere fayer in an owtwarde shewe Christen fayth whiche by theyer vertu dedes do not expresse the same euen so do many with owte any religioÌ„ at all bringe forth workes apperynge good in an owteward glitteringe showe and counterfaytynge vertu / / whiche neuer the lesse do yet obtayne theyer owne painted bryghtnes for a tyme / makynge men to woÌ„der aÌ„d meruell at them and yet are they of lyttle or none effecte as certen herbes flowers of whiche there is one called lauender spyke in figure / sauoure and taste counterfaytyng other herbes that are far Lauender spyke better Yea and in some parte they represent and gyue forth the vertu and strength of the trwe herbes / god dowtles prouokynge his worshippers vnto the studye of the trwe and perfecte vertue by the emulation or enuye conceyued of the false worshippers / for euen the shadowes of vertu are of soche valure and greate strength that in dede Sibilla sayde to Eneas Sybylla Eneas vnto vertu there is no waye shyt vp but that she wyll luckely ouercome all thinges be they neuer so harde hygh Now after concorde whyche lyke a sure stronge cyttye defendeth publyke weales / whyles one brother frende is holpen of an other and after vertu whyche tameth all thynges in the thyrde place it is conueuient and semely to put the arte and science of Chiualrie and warre fare / all be it thys scyence may be conteyned vnder prudence or polycye For as the preceptes of Physyk / Rethoryke / and tillage must be teÌ„perated to the present thynges by the counsell and iugement of a good artificer euen so the institutioÌ„ of batayle and warfar requyreth the moderation of polytyke and prudeÌ„t Captaynes For many engyns and weapens whych some tyme paste were profytable and vsed / shulde now be to none effect And the subtyle counsels and crafty engyns in bataile wherwith auncieÌ„t captayns dyd dysapoynt and put their enemyes to flyght / not vsed in place and tyme may soner destroy then now saue the hoste Notwythstandynge yet is the doctryne belongyng to warre very profytable / as the thinge it self playnly declareth For seurely in euery thinge thowgh nature be right good aÌ„d excercise very proffitable / yet desyre they arte and scyeÌ„ce to helpe theÌ„ that maÌ„ might be perfit in euerycoÌ„diâ—ion to do effectuously any excelleÌ„t dede Nether shall the soldier be made excelleÌ„t with owte some connynge informatioÌ„ / al beit a naturall aptnes disposytion be requyred / as some lande will more pleÌ„tuously bringe forth men apte to betaile / some soyle more abundantly corne / some grounde metall c. Wherefore in the tentes of the Romans / and also at home there were the moste cunnynge masters of fence or men of armes the whiche myght teache them the arte of fyghtinge or as they be called the feates of warre When batayle was firste to be holden or kepte with a multitude of shyppes called a Nauie agenste the CarthagiueÌ„ses which had bene longe excercysed vpon the waters Neptunus the God of the see and possessed the sees as the lordes therof the Romans whiche had neuersayled in the salte fome amonge the raginge waues of Neptunus dominioÌ„ wolde neuer haue set one fote owte of Italye agenste theyr sayde aduersaries oneles they had firste lerned the seates knowlege how to dryue on theyer Gallyes with ores / how to gouerne the sterne / when to staie theyer course / to attende to the voyce of theyr captaine and gouernoure / when to inuade theyr enemyes shippes and to do other thinges whiche batayle requyreth that is waged and fowghten vpon the waters Also Pyrrhus kynge of the Epirotes Pyrrhus requyred for hym self fe those souldioures whiche had lerned to obeye their wise captayne / for soche men he sayde that with in a fewe dayes he wolde make them warriours muicte or vnable to be ouercome The people of Lydia had some tyme the greateste fame of moste noble chiuallrie and of moste goodly victoryes â–ª but when they dyd on s fall awaye from armour to marchaundise and other vayne craftes anon after theyr hole streÌ„gth waxed faynte and vanisshed awaye And except ther were a certen suer maner to exercyse batayle and the same also retayuinge greate power and strength
that Iuliane was slayne / the blyndenes of the heathen was compelled to know the truthe in so moche that a certen man in the title and name of wysdome moste famous amonge them / sayde How do the Christianes affirme theyer god to be full of pacience and a sufferer of iniuryes Ther is no thing more angrye / no thinge more present then his wrathe / for whyche coulde not differ his indignation and vengeaunce no not a lytle space vpoÌ„ Iuliane the emperoure The iiij Chapt. NOw my oratioÌ„ purpose maketh haste vnto the false AntichristeÌ„ shadowe of religion / for why as there is one god / one wisdome / one truthe one goodnes / eueÌ„ so lykewyse there is but one onely true religion / that is to saye the Christen Neuerthelesse thorow the craft of the deuyll the folysshenes of Diuersite of religion is the cause of greate stryfe men / as there be many lordes and gods noumbred and counted eueÌ„ so is there also many religions / and that very diuerse amonge them self fe Nether do the lerned men and also the vnlerned dyffer more in any thinge then in religion / so that well nere a monge an infinite sorte of fourmes and fasshyons of fayned religion / euerye nation supposeth his owne to be beste / yea surely and alone by it self laughinge all other to scorne as vayne folysshe / despise the as false / hateth abhorrethe as wicked damnable / and wyssheth that they were destroyed vtterly abolysshed / so that theyer owne religion might haue the vpper haÌ„d be spred abrode on euery side far nere / by the meanes where of there is greate pleÌ„ty of hatred soweÌ„ amongst men moste greuous contentioÌ„s / with warres in conclusion and slaughters of men and other all maner of persequtions Whyles euery man stryueth with greteste studye to vpholde auaunce his owne god / faythe and religion Wherefore sathan the moste spytefull enemye of godes glorye and mannes healthe / lyethe in wayte to destroye nothinge more vehemently then the vncorrupted and syncere healthe or preseruation of religion / whiche beynge saffe hole and sounde / the kyngedome of god dothe what proffitcometh of religion beyng kepte and disproffit beynge broken growe and floryshe and mannes felicite is greatly amplyfyed and encreaced / but contrarywyse beynge appayred or made weake / it can not be but the blissed name of god muste nedes be derkened and men wrapped aboute with innumerable euylls Therfore the wicked spryte stirreth vp euery meischeuous corner of his wit / and proueth all the wayes to the woode to corrupt religioÌ„ / being corrupted by his suggestioÌ„ and the fayned Imagynatyon of men whyche wythoute any respect to the worde of god do make them an ydole in theyr hart giue th 〈…〉 vnto pleasante or acceptable worship aâ—ter theyr owne affections to restrayne / suppresse kepe it vnder For that I may passeouer with silence set a syde the superstitioÌ„s of the heitheÌ„ How ofteÌ„ did the Israelytes beynge vnder the administration of the Iudges and kinges departe awaye from the religioÌ„ deeliuered them of god confirmed with woÌ„derfull workes What monsterous worshippings of Cyâ— xâ—â— Iere. â—ij god did they receyue whiche truly didnot abstayne from the slaughter of theyr owne children to offer them vnto ydolles yea truly the princes them self fe the heades of religion and all the people a fewe beynge except did coÌ„spyre to gyther in to Iere. â— strauÌ„ge rites customes of worshippinge false godes / that the prophetes shold prophecye a lye / and the prestes shuld clapps with their handes / reioyse therat / all the people shulde be wel pleased and haue greate pleasure delectation in thee thinges Therfore were not godly meÌ„ so greatly obeyed which went about to call them back agayne into the waye of health to renewe or restore relygioÌ„ being loste but they were takeÌ„ for seditious wicked persons for men starke madde outof theyr wyttes vntyll soche tyme as the people being plaged withsome greate calamyte were brought backe agayne by the scourges and whippes of the lorde from theyr false gods and dumme ydolls vnto the true god whiche lyueth for euer and dyd chaunge theyr wickednes with godlynes / theyer mischeffe with vertu / theyer ignoraunce with knowlege c. How many heresyes dyd inuade the churche of Christe with in a few yeres after the lordes ascensioÌ„ vnto the heaueÌ„s And yet for There is no heresye but it seduceth some men all that there was no heresie that euer came abrode brought forth it self fe so weake and vnresonable whiche did not drawe awaye parte of the churchis flocke far of from the truthe / so that they coulde scantly be brought agayne into the waye of helthe with the great labor of those men whiche in lernynge and lyuynge were menne Apostolyke moste holy messengers sente from the lorde What is more abhorringe not onely from the holye scriptures but also from all good reason then the doctryne of the heretyke called The heretyke Manicheus Manicheus whiche dyd knowlege one-while some infernal furye / an other while Messias / and somtyme the holy goste to be the Author of his secte / and he taught that there was an other God of the olde people before the incarnation of oure lorde / and an other of the Christianes synse he was / incarnate and in holy thinges he mixed soche abhominations as is not to be spoken But what busynes / what vexation / what troble dyd he make vnto the churche whiche certen yeres dyd houlde Aurelius Augustinus wrapped and tayed as it were in a net / beynge easely the prince of all diuines Truly there was neuer any superstition or heresye so vtterly peruerse whiche had not some thinge All heresies agre in some pointes wyth the Christen doctryne coÌ„mon or agreable with owre ChristeÌ„ true and catholyke religion and whiche lenethe to the sure foundatioÌ„ of the euerlastynge verite Nether is there any nation so vntaughte ether ells so wylde whiche hathe not giuen some euident token All natioÌ„s know that ther is a God of it selfe that it perceyueth there is a god and a supreme and prepotent nature / by whose power cheffely the worlde is gouuerned and to whome they studye to do acceptable seruyse and to pacifye the dyspleasure of the godhed with theyr owne institutions and ceremonyes / and so to wynne his fauor For why god loueth all men with oute the respecte of persons is indifferent to them all / willinge them all to come to the knowlege of his truthe and to receyue healthe / and for that cause dothe he graunte in the respect of Christe his sonne by the same Christe his wisdome and vertu the vse of a thinge most necessarye vnto a blissed lyffe / and he soweth the sedes of religion and wisdome in
of wages truly deseruid counterfaytyng of monye / robrye of the comon treasure Stealyng of all thinges bothe holy vnholy Fayth is no where sure not betwene companyōs and prynces confederate Not betwene felowes and frendes / not betwene man and wyfe The lawes of nature betwene them that be kynsfolke and of alyaunce by maryage are vanysshed awaye in to a beastelyke / wylde ād cruell Polypu◠is a fisshe with many fete / which turneth hym selfe into many colours Vertumnus atumbler or a turner in to many shapes similitudes madnes To showe a fayre face to turne the cat in the pan / as it were Polypus Vertumnus to fayne and dyssemble all thynges whyth fayer promyses to make foles fayne and to deceyne by any maner a meanes That is in conclusion the wysdome of owre worlde those thynges be the defensys and moste sure councelles of owre lyffe all ower delyte is set in lying And to be smered about the mouth with the swete venome of flaterye we gyue greate rewardes nether is there any man better accepted or more in fauor in the haules of greate prynces then flatterers / the whyche at all tymes hath bene theyr moste greuous and vtter destruction / but why do I speake of Prynces haules / whā in the chayers or pulpetes of churches where the gospell is or owght to be preched / men are founde / whyche tycle ycheynge eares with swete wordes / and wyl not scrape the lyttle tendre ones / or rubbe them harde with the bytynge truthe In those places to submytte them self fe to the iudgemente or opynyons of the the dyuyll vnto the lybertye of the chyldren of God / vnto the light of the trueth / vnto the worshyppynge of vertu and holynes vnto euerlastyng lyfe and the perfruition of Godly felicite And he hath commaunded vs for to be holy as he is holy Leuit. xix for to be perfyt as he is perfyt for to Matthe v. be salte wherewyth the worlde myght be powdered for to be lyghtes shynynge be fore other men in the purenes of lyuyng that they myght therby be prouoked / entysed / retayned / and brought vnto the felowshyp of Christe And by what waye that thinge maye be obtaynyd he hathe largely and planely expressed in his euerlastynge worde And that we might lede a lyffe agreable to so greate and soche an excellent profession he replenisshed owre myndes with his spryte sanctifyenge Nether dyd he orden vs to be gyuen to beastelye luste / as the bondmen of the fleshe Nether dyd he bynde vs to the powers of the planetes Nether made he vs subiecte to the dyuylles instigations Nether wolde he haue vs adicte to the conspyrations of the wicked But that we beyng Luke 1. delyuered from all ower enemyes / might serue hym the lorde in holynes and righteousnes Actuo i. he gaue vs his worde and spryte to be the master and guyde of owre lyuynge And that it sholde not greue vs to walke in the waye of helth he moueth / prycketh forwarde / and prouoketh vs ther vnto wyth many greate and godly promises / those not vaine For why God forbyd that the supreme and onely veryte sholde make a lye And he laboureth to dryue awaye cowardnes and sluggysshnes wyth horrible thretes prepared euermore not for the louers / but the dispysers of god / lest we shulde at any tyme slepe in death Moreouer he hath paynted before owre eyes the condytyon bothe of the good people and lykewyse of the wycked / with many greate and noble examples in the monumentes of holy scryptures / that I may speake no thynge of other hystoryes / and that I maye passe ouer wyth sylence those dedes whych be done / we lokynge vpon them But what is done with vs o yow Christen men How doth owre maners / lyuinge and dedes agre wyth the beste approued lernynge of Christe What frute or proffyt doth owre celestiall father receyue of the fylde of hys peculiare people What thankes do we rendre vnto hym for hys infynyte and inestimable benefytes If we wolde knowlege the truthe we do all thynges wyckedly For why those men whych ought not in any wyse to be made lyke to the worlde in euyll thynges / nor to drawe a yoke wyth the ◠Cor. vi wycked / doth so greatly degenerate and falle owte of kynde from all godly dysposytyon that they are fownde to be moche warse then the manyfeste enemyes of the Christen religion Loke I praye yow vpō all the maners and dedes of the common sorte of the Christen people In what obstynacye of mynde / hardenes of harte / dulnes of vertu / and wylfull blyndnes and ignorance of the truthe / lyue they Consyder all the partes of their lyfe Beholde all the owtwarde orders of the churche / Bysshopes / Preystes / deacons / kynges / prynces / Lordes / Gentlemen / elders / cytezynnes / merchauntes / yemen / husband men / masters / seruanntes And how moche do yow se of Christen Godlynes For Baal was an idole ▪ whereof meutiō is made .iij. Reg. xix therfor to bowe knees vnto Baal is to honoure worshipfalse godes I speake nothinge of them that kepe thēselues secrete and be pryuely good men / hath not bowed theyr knees vnto Baal And I wolde to God that they beinge armed wyth dyuyne power wolde ones come abrode / and set vp agayne the Lordes glorye greatly darkened wyth ower vyces / and repayre the moste extreme greuous ruyne of the churche I truste also that amonge the Tu 〈…〉 they be not all so greatly inwrapped and addicte vnto the superstitiō of Mahumet But that some of them are pertaynynge vnto the holy catholyke church / whych is the communion of sayntes / for as moche as Abdias dyd serue in the palace of Achab that iiii Reg. xviii wonderfull wycked kynge / and yet was he a moste faythfull seruaunt vnto hys Prynce / and a noble patrone of the Prophetes of God / from whose indignation Helyas flyinge supposed hym selfe to be lefte alone whych truly myght worshyp the God of Israel / but he is tawght by an oracle and diuine answere that there was reserued by the helpe of God seuen thousand faythfull worshyppers of the Lordes holy woste reuerende Maiestye / whych neuer had bowed theyr knees to ydoles / nor dyd consent to the veneratiō or worshyppynge of creatures Vnder a lyke maner iiii Reg. v Naaman the Syryane was a faythful taptayne / dyd trweseruyce to the kyng hys master / a cruell enemye to the Israelytes / and yet dyd he worshyp call vpon the name of the trwe God of Israel / that Christ myght preferre his fayth vnto the disceytfull / coloured / paynted holynes of the Iewes But the churche doth not iudge of thinges that be secrete Where fore I muste speake of the lyffe and maners bothe of the Christianes and of the Turkes / as far forth
/ that the parson taketh hede of Whyle euery man gaseth one vpoÌ„ another religion lyeth in the duste no man recheth owre his hande for to helpe hyr vp the Metropolitane The Metropolitane behouldeth the Archebyshop The Archebishop the patriarch or vniuersal Puppet when neuer the lesse there is equall power gyuen vnto them all to edyfye and not to destroye / that after the rule of godes worde / and not mannes pleasure / a spirituall buyldinge might be made And many do suppose that with owte the Authorite of a generall councell no thinge can be brought to passe But there be many reasons at hande where with all this opinion sholde be proued false yf I weare dysposed to applye my mynde Neuerthelesse by the moste euident examples of ower tyme / faythe can not be taken awaye at no hande For why how many thinges within these fewe yeres be there correctid both in many places / and not in one tyme nether by any couenauÌ„te or promyse made before but onely by the prescription of the holy scriptures / whiche the superior magistrates wente abowte to kepe backe very obstinately And can not all other matteres that are behynde be redressed vnder a like maner May not other cyttyes beynge also wrapped in papisticall trifles do the same thinge whyche we se to be done of theÌ„ all redy / which beynge inferiour in riches and lenynge to the helpe of god hathe proued to set vpon a thinge very excellent and holye necessarye Dothe not the Romishe puppet lye wounded slayne in the conscience of men / so that nether his wares can fynde marchaÌ„tes to bye them / nor yet his thonderclappes feared and his blyssinges his cursynges are taken bothe a lyke / which vnto all men but a lytle a whyle ago was a very fearefull beaste The Israelytes in the boke of the Iudges are Iudges ij sayde that they cowlde not put awaye the resydue of the ChanaÌ„ites But why so verely because they wolde not But they myght haue abolyshed with very lytle busynes all the Chananites / yf they despysynge the commaundement of god had not preferred cowardely idlenes before the moste holy busynes / that with the greateste losse of theyer owne goodes as they dyd shortely after proue it in dede And leste that ether euerye man or elles euerye cyttye sholde couer the difficultye of theyr cowardenes in renewinge of religioÌ„ and righteousnes the lorde hath set forthe Niniue the cheyffe cyttye Niniue of the AssyriaÌ„s kingedome / where vnto there was no thinge waÌ„tynge at all / that myght make repentaunce I say not very hard â–ª but playnly iÌ„possible For why first of all this very greate moste riche cyttye dyd flowe swyme whith many and greate abhominations / with ydolatrye / vnfaythfulnes / vnrightousnes / crueltye murders / ambition / excesse / that I mayons tell alltogyther in fewe wordes it was a worlde with all hyr malice brought with in the precincte or bridgemeÌ„t of one wall And those mycheffes had continued by the space of a thowsande and .ij. hondereth yeres more / and they were turned by moste longe custome into nature Also The Ninâ—uites waÌ„ted no thâ—ge which might withdrawe them froÌ„ repentauÌ„ce and kepe and retayne thâ— in vycyous liuinâ— theyer victoryes and successe of fortune and the inerpugnable defence of the place and theryches of the cyttye and the greate plentye of men mete to gouuerne all maner of matters / whither strenghte or pollicye were to be vsed / dyd commaunde them to be in saffegarde and to go on forwarde as they had begonne wyth theyer formar mischeffe Or elles yf the Niniuites dyd thynke to turne awaye from the wrathe of the godhed by the amendment of theyr maners / the longe continuans of theyer moste vngratious dedes dyd caste agaynste theyer shynnes the desperation of health For who may suppose that the dyuyll dyd not moue his instrumentes / that he myght posses for euer the cheiffe heade of his kyngedom Or who can denye that god was not angrie and displeased with the Niniuites for soche greate abhominations / namely seynge he thretened vtter destruction vnto them with in fourtye dayes Neuer thelesse the Niniuites â–ª at the onely prechinge of Ionas the prophet a strauÌ„ge an vnknowne man / and the whiche had lyttle preuayled in longe prechinge amongste his contrey meÌ„ the Iewes / as a runagate was lately brought in to the office of a prophet dyd sodenly turne vnto the onely true God / so that euery maÌ„ departynge from his iniquite dyd call for Ionas iii the mercye of the Lorde Nether dyd the people tarye for the decreis of theyr most mightye kynge that they myght referre so greate a busynes vnto the kynges councell and then in conclusion to set vpon the renewynge of a better lyffe yf yt sholde be his pleasure The kynge also beynge The king of Niniuâ— had not the people nor the people the kynge to be the author of thir repentauÌ„ce but both the people aÌ„d the kyng had God for theyr Author ignorant of the will of his people / decreyd with him selfe to amende his lyuinge / he perfourmed it with dedes / so that nether the kynge had the people to be the Author of his dede nor the people the kinge to be the Author of theyer dede But both the kynge and the people had god for theyer author / whome they beleued beynge warned by his prophet / whiche dyd reproue theyer wycked abhominations and did denounce the payne therof bi the righteous iudgemeÌ„t of god Wherfore ower cowardenes aÌ„d luskyshenes doth make at this daye that to renewe diuine honoures / the syncere doctrine of fayth / the ceremonyes deliuered of Christe aÌ„d truly obserued of the holy fathers / the syncere healthe or honestye of mynde / the innocentye of lyuynge / the estimation or the honouryng of iustyce / and of all vertues / semethe to be a warke very harde difficulte full of parell But this moste heauie slepe with owt wakynge which owr firste parent Adam hathe sente vnto vs / a thinge pertaynynge after the fleshe to ower inheritaunce dothe caste soche a myste before ower eyes and iudgement / that we desyer righteous thinges and we desyer them not we are vexed with the false fantastical images of greatest difficultyes lyke as it where the slouthful maÌ„ / which in the prouerbes of Salomon sayeth There is a lyoÌ„ Prouer. xxvi without / I shall be slayne in the mydest of the stretes And a lyones is in the waye Lyke as adore turneth abowte vpon the poste where vpon yt hangeth / euen so dothe a sluggarde welter hym selfe in his bedde The slowthfull luske putteth his handes vnder his harmeholes and it greueth hiÌ„ to put them agayne vnto his mowth Therfore that euyll vice of sluggysshenes is to be throwen of with vertue / and religion is to be styrred vp with godly zele / that ower
dyd tell before hande Iosephus that there sholde be sygnes in the sonne and the mone in the starres But Iosephus a writer of storyes / reherseth not a fewe of those wonders whiche the Iudgement of God had prophesyed before Abowte the descendynge of Iacob in to Egypt wheÌ„ the afflictioÌ„ of the Israelytes was now at hande of the whiche god had Gene. xv warned AbrahaÌ„ ij hoÌ„dereth yere before One man that is to â—â—ye Ioseph the sonne of Iacob Redâ— the storyâ— Genesis xxxvii aÌ„d xxxix The Lorde dyd ouerthrowe one man of moste excellent vertu wyth wonderfull mysery and calamytyes / that by the example of his pacience the people of god sholde be encouraged for to perseuer in afflictions whiche the Lorde had prohecyed to come And he also promised that ther sholde be an ende of all those trobles and that they sholde be delyuered with glory and greate riches from that nation / whiche with cruell tyrannye had oppressed them Also the children of Iob beynge destroyed with the fall of an house / his ryches taken Iob .i. ii from hym by the Sabees Chaldees Theues and Robbers / hys body tourmented with botches from the sole of his fote to the toppe of his heade / an vnkynde people contemnynge hym whome he had rewarded with infinyte benifytes / his freÌ„des accusynge him as a wycked creature / and his wiffe prouokynge hym for to curse god â–ª Iob had none other hope of healthe lefte him / then that he knewe his soule sholde be conserued in the hande of almyghty God / and hys bodye to be restored vnto glorye in the resurrection of the deade / and to optayne euerlastynge beatitude Wyth the whyche hope he stode inuyncible and full of corrage agaynste all the assautes of hys enemye the dyuylle / And that the Israelytes commynge afterwarde into the lande of Egypte for a lytle whyle to be straytely corrected and all other the true worshippers of god sholde beholde more clerer then the light that the hope of them is not vayne whyche permytt and gyue ouer theÌ„ selues all to gether to the goodnes of god Iob was not onely delyuered from all hys plages / but also he dyd optayne here in the erth greater felicite by doble so moche more then he dyd possesse Iob. xlij before And wheÌ„ the sayde Israelytes dyd eueÌ„ now grone vnder the yoke of Pharo or ells rather were baked in the ouen of Exo. ij ilj afflictions / whyles Moses a man sted awaye for the death of the Egyptian / dyd fede the cattel of Ietro the preiste of the Madianytes he dyd se a busshe burnyng which not wythstandynge was not with the fyer burnte or consumed And approchynge What the burnyng busshâ—â—yd portendâ— and signifie nere vnto it / he herde an angell / speakynge in the busshe with the wordes of God / that he dyd beholde the affliction of his people and had herde theyr crye / that he wolde lose or set them at libertye Which thinge being sene / the Lord showed to Moses the people of Israel / whych being vnto the Egyptians very odyous and as it were full of pryckes / and also rough with the thornes of vyces were therfore exercysed in greate calamytyes Neuerthelesse they were not yet all to gether destroyde / no nor sholde not be of the tyrannye of Pharao / God beinge present in the myddeste of them / whose prouydeÌ„ce dyd not fayle them / how soeuer they were troden vnder the fete / nether wolde he suffer any thynge to happen vnto theÌ„ that dyd not brynge moste greate proffyt But lest my oration sholde wander to farre of in the explication of wonders / I wyl be coÌ„teÌ„ted wyth these fewe before expressed / seinge that they proue sufficieÌ„tly monsters and wonders / and prodygyous signes and tokens and these stranÌ„ge warkes in the world not to be vayne / nether yet with conteÌ„pt for to be demitted For why they be as the tokens of God / which brefely and as it were with a short quicke senteÌ„ce do put before owre eyes the celestiall Iudgement of mennes affayres / and they coÌ„maunde vs to compare owre maners and this present lyffe with the disposicion and wyse sayynge of diuine scriptures and with the warkes of the lorde done before tyme. And so to pyke owte a sure senteÌ„ce what is to be looked for god or euyll For as godly and obedyent childerne when they se theyr father / to houlde vp his fynger / to becken with his heade / to wynke vpon them / or when they here him whistle are moued in their mynde to coÌ„sider diligeÌ„tly by the disposicioÌ„ maners of their pareÌ„t by soche thiÌ„ges as he hath done spoken before tyme what he wolde in that present for to be ameÌ„ded takeÌ„ hede of / so that they waÌ„der very seldom or ells truly not far of from the marke / all whiche thinges truly moueth not a frowarde and a stubberne childe any thiÌ„ge at all no not thus moch eueÌ„ so god striketh stirreth vp the myndes The miracles of nature are signes gyueÌ„ of God to make â—s citcâ—m â—pecte in the conspâ—eratioÌ„ of his diuine pleasure of good meÌ„ with the miracles of nature that firste they maye serche examine them self fe theÌ„ afterwarde the state of the publike weale so farforth as it may be manifeste or knowne and that they may compare it with the nature and worde dedes of god rehersed in the table of the holy scriptures other faythful histories By the which respect of the lyffe of men of gods will aÌ„d pleasure a more sure senteÌ„ce iudgemeÌ„t is gathered far awaye / theÌ„ Astronomers do pronosticate by the aspectes of the Planetes Where of studie spryngeth or rather is increased / of pleasynge god with vertu / with innoceÌ„cie of maners / with almous dedes / with prayers and other holy officis What may we therfor suppose the firie doue in the ayer for to haue signified / that I may passe ouer the defectioÌ„ of the sonne / the quakynge of the erth / the burninge of the elemeÌ„te and other thinges / wheÌ„ as Maximus Arbogastes / Eugenius / and certen other false desirers of tyraÌ„nie were the firste players of that fatall tragedie / which Ruffinus the caller forth of the Turkes Gildo and Stilico had moued Before the face of all the worlde there appereth a firie doue that euery maÌ„ myght â—e / whiche some time bereth the figure of the holy goste the gyftes of his grace / wherfore A declaratioÌ„ of the fyrye done what she myght portenoâ— and lignyâ—â—e it is wrytteÌ„ that the sayde holy spirite dyd reste vpoÌ„ owre Lorde beyng baptized of Ihon in the lykenes of a doue Also a doue sent owte of the Arke of â—oe brought gladde tydinges / the waters of the floodes fallynge awaye and the wrath of god remitting it self fe Sometyme a doue figureth