doth threaten lasting payne To those which plentie had on earth and yet for scarcitie sought their furious rage with Chimera a lasting place hath bought And for as much as we do doubt of ioyes for to inshew we will conitinue as wée are lo this is certayn trew Not leauing now our wontid lore each one of vs in kinde proceading so as we began in this you know our mynde When goods we haue all men vs loue as kings among the rest if naught at all then Begger like in ragges must be adrest For Gospels predicacion preach still who that will wée sée therin none other grace we will not come their till For who that will the Scriptures feare shall euer bée in doubt when Skie doeth fall then Larks shall haue a place to sore about Thou Hidra fell deuoyd of grace reforne and that with spéed els lasting payn shalbe thy gayn the Lawe hath so decréed Thalia Plenteusnes PLentifull are the works of the Lord in wisdom hath he made theÌ„ all for with the Lorde ther is mercy and with him is plenteouse redemption for as by the plentifull gracis proceading from God the children of Israell wer delyuerid so shall euery such nacion likewise that seeketh by obedience obtayn the lyke haue due consideracion then of the plentifull gracis proceading froÌ„ God héere on earth to féede not only our corporall bodies with the fruits growing on the same for the tearm of our natural liues but also the vnspeakable vertues which doo as mighty riuers so plentifully ouerwhelme in manner the whole face of the earth that scharcely or not at all any one is able to say he neuer haue passid by or through them or being at one tyme or other mould so that not one of the séeds of mankind is able to excuse him selfe for the not knowing of so plentifull gracis proceding from so mercifull and heauenly father in what damnable state case or being are those meÌ„ who lasciuiously liuing in this vate of misery do séeke to escape from that which séeks to saue them and to imbrace that whiâ—h vtterly if continuance remayne in ill to consume and destroy theÌ„ Tantaleum poculum libernus the very heatheÌ„ Philosophers hath not ceasid to depict out dyuers and sundry warnings and all to that ende that vertues might be imbraced and vice subuertid ouerthrowen because that like as some festcrid vlcer being once rootyd in the flesh and toucheth the bone seaceth not by littel and litle till it haue by such infection masterid the whole body and brought it to subiection forcing it to geue place vnto death the first ende of corporall life Therefore as corrupt infections be the cause of the bodyly death so the wicked thoughts ingendering contempt of godlines hastens the soules distruction who would not therfore seyng so great daungers to inshew by meanes of disobedience séeke to please so excellent a Lorde and protector that so mercifully and so plentifully powrith forth before vs so many seueral gracis therby to plucâ— vs yea as it wer by force from so many euils which for sinne is left to possesse vs for as gold is tried in the fornace so that good men be tried in tyme of aduercite which aduercite is the dayly resisting of the flesh agaynst the spirit The awayting of our aduersary Leo rugens to none other end is but to destroy not the bodies of men only but also their soules And in getting inordinat goods through the desier therof maketh such most miserable Beggers from the knowledge of God And the vayne hope in this life maketh them think to be frée froÌ„ such sinne when in very déed they are most bond imppes of that infernall fuery Such is the sufferance of our iuste Judge when he seeth whervnto man is inclined in that his felicite is wholy set on those things which his fleshy eyes beholdeth regarding it more better assurance then the promised place to come what followeth but a flat distrust of gods promises to this ende therfore is Satan sufferid to be amoÌ„g the sonnes of men to styre vp strife to vere and molest them for which disobedience first of all the great Dragon that olde Serpent was cast out no more to be among the Juste for enuy wherof as a roring â—ioÌ„ he séeketh to deuour the whole race posterite of mankind notwithstanding his power recheth no further then the Lord permitteth as manifestly apperith by that pacient Iob whom the Lord of Ostes sufferid for a tyme to be molestid saying vnto Satan al that he hath be it in thy power only sée that thou spare his life the constancy of that iust moueth euery true Christian to hope that after dark and stormy tempest of tribulacions in this life for the hauen of feliciâ—e or triumphant glory not by due desert but by grace only in Christ and none but he a sufficient warning is this to those that haue â—yes to sée mouths to speak ears to heare hearts to conceue with a continuall wisshing for the coming of our only Lord and sauiour Christ Jesu But to those that haue eyes sée not ears and heare not because they loue not mouth to speake and doo not harts to conceaue and regard not in such the Gospell abides not Because God hath geuen them ouer to vnclennes through the lusts of their own herts to defile their own bodies among them selues which chaunged his truth for a lye and worshipped and seruid the things that bée made more then him that made them which is to be praysed for euer and euer Amen And as they regardid not to know God euen so God delyuerid them vp vnto a lewd mynd that they should do those things that were not comely being full of all vnrighteousnes fornicacion wickednesse couitousnes maliciousnes full of enuy murther debate dicept euil conditioned whisperers bakebiterâ— haters of God disdaynfull proud bosters bringers vp of euyll thinges disobedient to father and mother without vnderstanding couenant breakers vnlouing truce-breakers vnmercifull which men though they knew the righteusnesse of God consider not how that they which commit such things are worthy of death not only they that do y e same but also they which haue pleasure in them that do them What plentiousnes can be more then this wher such store of ensamples are to bring vs from vyce to vertue from being in bondage to perfect fréedom froÌ„ sorow to ioye from pouerty to riches from werines to ease from sicknes to health from corruptible thoughts to selestial mocions praysing and lawding God for his so plentious gracis worthy deseruing thanks to him which liueth for euer and euer The obstinate for all this will not be reclaymed and therefore voyde of all hope by this my warning without the greater grace mercy of God in Christ Jesus The very heathen are to be preferrid before such whose words remayne to the vtter ruen of all vnthankfull Christians When a resonable
¶ THE NEW ARIVAL OF the three Gracis into Anglia Lamenting the abusis of this present Age. ¶ Esay 58.34.24 ¶ Cry now as lowde as thou canst leaue not of list vp thy voyce like a Trumpet and show my people their offencis and the house of Iacob their sinnes To his moste Louing and frendly Father V. Villiam Beeston Brewer S.B. wisheth continuall health with end-lesse felicitie WHen and at such time beloued Father I had called to my remembrance the great good wil and wished benefites proceeding from you towardes me and on my part very slenderly deserued in comparison the acquiting of suche curtesie After many inuentions had by what meanes to shew forth some such occasion howe to gratifie you as a sure shewe of obedience thereby to occasion no lesse good will to folowe then formally by you was begon And calling to ininde one of the graue sentences of Seneca which sayeth That the remembrance of benefites ought not to be forgotten and that a smal thing geuen willingly is more acceptable then great riches with euell will And that the will of the geuer and not the value of the gift is to be regarded rhese documentes and such like vrged me to deuise some thing whereby you might perceiue in me not only my obedience to fatherly parentage but also to proue such a sonne good will being first preferred to be more worthy a benefite then to haue geuen which benefite that I looke for is your continuall societye and fatherly affection to abide wyth no lesse good will then hitherto it hath bene To that end therfore I haue taken vpon me to write this worke folowing for you to loke vpon And although it seeme barren for lacke of a more furniture and altogether pore like vnto the wryter Neuertheles I hope you wil except it with no les good wil in comparison of mortall fieshe then Iesus the sauioure of mankinde who excepted the two mites put into the treasury by a pore widow being all the substance that shee had so this small worke of mine being all the substance that I possesse as touching good will haue with no les imparted the same vnto you which woorke beareth the name of the three graces Thankfulnes Plenteousnes and Liberalitie which if you peruse thorowly I doubt not but it wil content your minde so as occasion may serue to further remembrance considering that to attain vertues we haue good desire but to obtaine vices we put to all oure workes such is our corruption for the which cause euery desiring minde to obtaine knowledge oughte to take heede where vertue is to be learned for the les time man hath to liue which may be perceiued from the day of birth to the houre of death with what spede it hasteneth and the time stayeth for none to be ready prepared to the hauen of peace to the ende our mortal enemy raigne not ouer vs the more earnestly ought man in vertues study to be proceding in my louing Father therfore ler this my worke be so accepted as good wil in his continuaunce may further a greater And as concerning this already finished there can nothing be amended or rightly corrected but by that which surmouÌ„teth and is better then it as vice by vertue falshode by truthe wrong by iustice folly by wisdome ignorance by learning and such like For the which cause euery perticular being considered I doute not but that you wil as fauourably receiue this my trauaile with no les good wil then I in presuming to dedicate the same vnto you whome I account moste worthiest not for affection but for your godly life and christian religion in the which the almighty father sonne and holy ghost strengthen with continuance that bothe father and sonne by the holy ghost with father sonne and holy ghost may praise the almight in the celestial heauens worlde without end Amen Your obedient sonne Steuen Batman THE EPISTLE TO THE READER WHen and at such tyme belouid as the miserable state and maners of men were espied the vntruthes the craftie imaginacions and wicked practises of peruersse and frowarde persons TheÌ„ by diuine sufferaÌ„ce diuers learned and auncient Fathers began no soner the euils perceiued to set foorth against such their abusis with the threatnings of gods vengance for y e same diuers and sundry ensamples to the withdrawinge of such as much as in them lay from the infernall pit prepared for offence to that ende that as carefull Parents perceuing their children to wander from the line of obedience mought in time by mesurid correction bring theÌ„ from such their disorder to a better passe In which so doing although some children by ouermuch sufferance in the beginning of their enterance through induranci hardnesse of heart not only neglect theyr tymes from such obedience but also as froward Imps continew in their vngodlynesse shall for their so doing reape no lesse infamy then the Zodomits dyd who refusing the intreaty of that auncient Father Lot were consumid with Fyer or as when Moyses rebuked him that wrongid y e Hebrwe very charitably but he tooke it ill and spake iniuriustye saying bout thou kill me as thou dyddest the Egiptian c. Not far unlike are the aunswers of sundry Scctarians in these dayes who for brotherly repprehensions geueth the like answers Note hâ—w discreetly Nathan y e prophet rebuked Dauid after he had committed adoultery murder he said not angerly thou hast don wickedly but with an apt â— meete â—militude he intrappid him by the wordz of his owne mouth Steuen being with the Iewes in couÌ„sail dyd boldly reprehende them sayinge among other things Dye stiffenecked and of vnuÌ„â—â—umcised heartes and eares ye haue alwayes resisted the holy ghost as your forefathers did so do ye a worthy note to such as will enter into iudgment in matters of religion before they know what it meaneth and although that among many some may haue iudgment yet after the maner of meÌ„ it is not iustice therfore most metest to be reformed when the Thessalonians walked vnquietly y e Apostle Paul with brotherly reprehension saide vnto them why walk ye in ordinaâ—ly working not at all but being curius and busibodies and therfore he rebuked them Many diuerz and sundry ensamples ther are which moueth brotherly affection to consider such substaunce for the which cause after many auctorities vewid and diuers historis redd being moâ—id not with a few griefes to see this present tyme so alterid from kinde deuised this slender and vnfurnished woork to the profit of my Countrey yet not altogither so vnfurnished but that by diligent perusing some good thing may be founde It was good will that forced me to write according to my skill yet considering w t my selfe how far vnable I was to frame that which affection monid after good will had inforcid In remembring the Bee with the same affection went forwarde For among the Bees such
the beginning from the first token or appered show vnto Noah the Rayne bow the fier from heauen the prophising by the Prophets the starre at Christ his birth the prophises sence the innumerable CoÌ„mets Hailes ThuÌ„derings Earthquakes strange deaths prodigius birthes as well of creatures as beastes famins hungers sedicions false religions sectes opinions fantasies with an innumerable inormities all these suffiseth not to be forewarninges to y â— most part of the world for the which cause as the end of these few insamples so shalbe the end of such insolent persons be SIbilla Albunea or Tiburtina one of the tenne Sibelles prophised of the ruen of Romae which came to passe in that tyme when Iulius Caesar came with sword to race the same the Ancient figures weare these R.R.R. F.F.F. which signified Regna Romae Ruet IN thrée thinges twise told showes Romes destruction Sword fyer and hunger concludes the subuersion THe raigne of y e Romans or this ruinate shalbe by sword fier and hunger the gods so decrée IN Anno. 315. Constantine the great contended against Maxencius for shewing shameful crueltie against the Christians about which tyme was great persecusion in the church there appeared in the aier a banner or â—isplaied ensigne wheron was figured y e figure of Christ on the crosse after which figure cusued great persecution CElestinus same time Pope of Romae prophised of Bonifacius the eight which came to passe accordingly he came to his Popeâ—â—m by crafte like a Foxe he raigned by force like a Lyon And for his crueltie was put to death like a dogge IN Anno. 1046. as histories relate Benedictus the ninth Pope after his buriall he was or the deuil in his likenesse séen in an horrible figure hauing the body of a Beare the tayle of an Asse clothed in his pontificall vesture And being asked why he was so deformed should answer bicause without lawe he gouerned and as a cruel tirant vsed oppression In this straunge figured apperance should séeme some aduised interpretacion the appering of the Pope in y e shape of a beare séemeth contempsious and wilful and as the Beare aboue all thinges loueth honey so the popes for the most part hateth not money And where as to such a monstrous body was ioyned the tayle of an Asse by the tayle may be signified the whole rable of papistical prelates which as concerning the true acknowledging of the Gospell are but Asses for y â— some knowes wil not others not knowing regards not the rich and costly garments or vesture may signify the golden copes and costly ornamentes where with suche beares are clothed in the church esteming more such glittering attier with y e tradicioÌ„ of men then a plaine or comely garment with the gospel of Christ. IN the yere of the foundacion of Romae 720. and in the 42. yeres of Marcus Aurelius the xx day of August about the going down of the Sunne in the realme of Cicil in the Citie of Palermo a pert of y e sea ther chaunsed a meruelous and terrible tempest no lesse miraculous then wonderfull A hideous Monster sitting in a caudron fastened to fower whéeles like a Chariot or Waggon drawen of two Lions two beares be hind casting out fier with horrible stinck which sight amased not a fewe the feare was so great through out the Citie that women with childe were with great daunger deliuered and diuers being fainte harted died through feare After this Monster had bin in the most partes of the Citie he came to the Palace or place wher the pirates were or robbers on the sea being inhabitantes of the sayd Palerna who had robbid certain of the Numidians a people so named of their substance staying at the gate which being shut did cut of one of the Lions eares and with the blood therof wrote as foâ—â—weth R. A S.P.I.P. which carectes signified Redite Aliena Si vultis Propria in pace Possidere render to others that which is theirs if you in quiet will possesse your own Although this figure with diuers others did terrefy the people in time past and their conuersions likewise from their euiles an ensample to vs of our amendment Notwithstanding such is time present that neyther the Prodigious births the miracuculus signes nor dreadful threatned plagues withdraweth the world from contempt for the which such careles liuers shalbe plaged with F.S.H.P.D.D. Fier Sword Hunger PestileÌ„se Death DamnacioÌ„ A Saxon Monument Multi enim sunt vocati pauci Vero electi Math. 22. Witodlice manega zint gelathode featha gecorene Manega ga zurete halega featha heothan Many be called but fewe doth spéede As many be warned yet fewe take héede More head then wit more haire than wull Makes England thriftles and yong heads dul When neckes be long no hoe in the filling And pleasures preferred in lands small tilling When diuers fashions in apparell are worne And beggers being more pore so nearely are shorne When one won backe is shewed diuers countreys lore A monster must needes be so tolde before When Glandene will be the whole world it selfe A Spaniarde Italian French Flemmishe and elfe All shewed in apparell when this is at prime Then some place be heedefull for sure it is time This picture folowing on the other side of the leafe was made by Namtab a Saxon in Anno 3751. against the abuse of that present time Times past hath beene as nowe to be seeene Ezechiel 4. As wise as Serpents Esay 3. As suttle as Deuels Timothe 3. As craftie as Foxes Amos. 2. As rauening as Wolues The long schull betokeneth Craftie imagination The pleasant countenaunce Flattery The long necke Excesse in eating and drinking The right arme being shorter then the left betokeneth small Deuotion The bagge of money Couetousnesse The left arme Wilfulnesse The sworde Crueltie The straunge disguising in apparell Pride ¶ The prayse and commendacion of holy men to the end that such works may procead as may grow to the like commendacion of those which be liuing with a remembrance of certain wicked ones which do prognosticat that hole number BEhould euery one of you that professe Christ without decimulacion the substance of verite leaue of your halting betwéen two opinions if God be the trew creator follow him if the proud Antechristian be a deliuerer then follow him if the tradicions of men be to be preferrid before the lawe and testimony of Iesu Christ theÌ„ mark y e ensaÌ„ples as they folow Enoch walked right and acceptable before the Lord therefore was he translatid for an ensample for a mendement of the generacion NOah was a stedfast a righteous maÌ„ in the tyme of wraught he became a reconsiling therfore was he left a remnant vnto the earth when the flud came and an euerlasting couenant was made with him that all flesh should perish no more with the water ABraham was a great father of many nacions in glory was ther