Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n
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A19439
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An armor of proofe brought from the tower of Dauid, to fight against Spannyardes, and all enimies of the trueth, by R.C.
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Cotton, Roger.
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1596
(1596)
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STC 5865; ESTC S108854
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18,101
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34
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was such as no scoffes of wicked contemners could stay him from preferring of the same but by how much more he seemed as a foole and vaine in the sight of such for so doing by so much more cared not he to become more vile low in his owne eyes if by such meanes he might do good thereto Therefore if it might please your honor to follow him in this as you haue in the other you shall be sure that honour which he there speaketh off will follow you with great increase And moreouer then shall that speech which good Abygall vsed vnto him your noble patterne take full effect in you For the Lord hath not onely promised to make my Lord a sure house because he is ready to helpe his noble Deborah to fight the Lords battels and because he is so faithfull towards his annoynted that no euill can be found in him but also for the third point that which is much more euen the soule of my Lord shall be bound vp in the bundle of life with the Lord your God and the soule of your enemies shall God cast out as out of the middle of a Sling Thus being euery way ouer bould with your honorable patience I craue pardon I am no Scholler but a Draper therefore not able to contriue my speaches in such sort as willingly I would My trust is your honor will the rather pardon me and accept the affection of my hart and not weigh the rudenesse of my pen. I was borne in Whitchurch which as I thinke is one of your honors principall Lordships where my Ancestors haue of long time beene poore well willers vnto your noble Progenitors as at this present my eldest brother there and we the rest of his bretheren here in London are to your honorable selfe These things considered together with your honorable inclination towards good things made me bolde to make choise of you to be the patron of this my smal worke of meditation against the enemy I beseech your honor accept thereof according as the matter requireth and not as the skill of the writer deserueth The matter is good though rudely handeled That God who is able to do both for your Honorable selfe and that vertuous Lady the Countice your wife far exceeding abundantly aboue al that I can aske or thinke giue vnto you both all honour with increase thereof heere in this lyfe and in the life to come that crowne of glory which he hath prepared for all those that loue and honoure him in Christ Iesus Amen Your honors to command R. COTTON To the christian Reader FOr as much deare Christian as many weake ones are often terrified with rumors of troubles more then they should and many others lesse regarde them then they ought I thought good to put foorth a fewe rude verses of my poore Meditation therevpon partly to incourage the weake and feeble in faith towards God and partly to call the rashe hardy to learne better the cause thereof if any such befall vs. As some times God reuengeth sinnes where men little looke for punishment yea and full often and many wayes God striketh when sildome the strocken consider whose hand it is or for what cause it is Therefore my small worke tendeth to shew vnto such who it is that striketh and the cause why so many and sundry wayes we are strocken I trust none of right modestie can dispise my good meaning herein And as I would gladly accept the like incouragement from others so I trust this of mine shall be taken in good part and somewhat mooue some vnto meditation vpon Gods word which is an helpe ready to all that come with care to seeke saluation to which worde I pray God giue you grace to flie vnto in all distresse as vnto your chiefest hould and Tower Amen Yours in the Lord R. C. An Armour of proofe brought from the Tower of Dauid to fight agaynst Spannyardes WHen God of hosts in eighty eight had brought an host of men our Countrey to annoy in that distresse the Lord by vs was sought whereby our woes were turned then to ioy But yet full true to vs may this be sayde in your distresse you onely seeke my ayde For then in deede and only then we seeke when troubles great and greeuous plagues aryse But those once past no promise made we keepe nor yet by them can learne to be more wyse But as the Sow in fylth agayne doth wallow so we our sinnes of former tymes do swallow For great and small no sinnes of olde forbeare No rich no poore can say in hart I ioy For garment whyte which I now dayly weare but steede thereof we faigne and frame each toy each toy yea toyes and tayles such to behold with wyer and heare that monsters be we would Yet few there be whose hartes consider well what sinnes are wrought each day by men of might No one there is that thinkes how God doth tell his owne misdeedes he worketh day and nyght yet doth the Lord the least of them regarde and will in time giue each his full rewarde But how to whip by Spayne as some men deeme Not so be sure those Rods would proue to sore For neuer yet the Lord his solde I weene to sworde of foe vnles Gods they had store But rather with his owne most gentle hand he hath and will still beat a sinfull land But wilt thou know what is the sinne of sinnes It is contempt of Gods most holy worde for that cast off Idolatrie begins false Gods then sought God draweth out his sword his sword yea all his plagues therewith are sent when on false Gods the mindes of his are bent Alas how then can we escape his hand Haue not all sortes his holy worde off cast Not so for then nought els but plagues in land and it to ly both desolate and wast Wast nay worse for Ohim therein then should dwel yea Zim and Iem in stead of men to tell For wilt thou see for this what God once wrought on his owne seate Ierusalem of fame In dust she lyeth by Babel first so brought once buylt agayne yet Rome hath spoylde the same Too greeuous were her harmes all to be tolde she lyeth in dust that glittered so with golde Euen shee whose beautie shone so cleare and bryght that all the worlde Perfection did her call Yea shee the ioy of all that were vpright none such there was nor neuer like there shall yet downe she is and neuer shall be buylt thou mayest so see in Gods booke if thou wylt And so Aholah sister hers lykewyse before her long with Asshurs rod was whypt for that new goddes amongst them did aryse Gods worde cast off and Omries lawes well kept from Ahabs house their manners still they sought wherfore to dust their glorious crowne was brought And so
in dayes of Iudges long before the Lord his solde to spoylers rounde about because their goddes they dayly did adore and praysed them whom God had bid thrust out but quite forgot the Lord who did redeeme their neckes from thrall him did they not esteeme And hath not this of vs yet taken holde Not full I hope for though great store therebe who make them Gods of wealth and wedge of gold of lustes of flesh and pleasures of the eye All those who loue their wealth or pleasure more then they do God to them Gods they are sure But yet this sinne on all hath not layde holde For though on some yet many more there bee who neuer sought to Gods yet made of mould or Sunne or Starres for such ne heare nor see To one they call who can their sute well heare and doth to them by worde and workes appeare To God alone we seeke in hope to finde by meanes of Christ eternall sonne of his who did our sinnes and foes to tree fast binde when he on earth Gods statutes none did mis yet death he tooke the wages due for sinne and so by death spoyld him that death brought in Who after death all glorie was to haue which earst he had with God before all time and there doth sit in shape of man to craue the lyke for all that are of him true vine Wherefore by him our prayers we present which are to God a sweete and pleasing scent We maruell much what foolysh doults do meane to fall to blockes or call to Saincts on hie since none on earth or heauen yet doth raigne but God alone who can our thoughtes espie For Abram knoweth vs not doth Esai say and Iacob wanteth eares to heare vs pray That Virgin pure most blessed was in deede in wose small wombe the Lord of lyfe did dwell yet for to know what time we stand in neede she hath no skill the Scripture playne doth tell for God alone our prayers all doth heare wherefore to him by Christ we still draw neare We holde them fooles that labour so in vayne to call on Paul or Peter or on Pope for had they eyes saint Iohn hath tolde them playne that who now sinnes Christ now must be his hope for he now only mediator is cause Arons trade our sinnes could not dismis We haue Gods worde to teach vs fayth and feare we learne by it all secrets meete to know No writ of man to vs yet is so deare or like esteemd Gods councels vs to shew We are most sure that God by it must gayne such wanderyng soules as must with Christ heere raine We haue the Sacramentes in perfect sort as Christ him selfe at first did them ordayne Our foes are false who giue vs this report that we holde not that Christ doth there remayne But how not Really as they do teach but there by fayth as learned heere do preach Yf this be true that all Gods trueth we holde what neede we then of Spayne to be afrayde For God I say hath neuer yet such solde to sworde of foe but still hath sent them ayde The trueth we haue yet therein walke not wee wherefore oft times God hisseth for a bee In deede Then must we all looke for the same for few there be that will of God do seeke but all degrees contemne his holy name Few rich or poore one Saboth true do keepe and all are bent their owne willes to obey but will of God we seeke it no one day For whereas we should spend our lyues and time in Gods owne Booke his will to see therein great store there be that neuer sought one lyne to write in hart that so they might know him And so Gods will of vs not being knowne he castes vs off to follow wayes our owne O Englande then consider well thy state oft reade Gods worde and let it beare chiefe sway within thy hart or els thou canst not scape the wrath of God for he will surely pay Yea diuers rods the Lord of Hostes doth vse to chasten such as do his worde refuse His sworde thou knowest he threatened sore to draw in eightie eight but then he did thee spare yet since that time in thee great sinnes he saw wherefore for thee great plagues he did prepare The Pestilence through out thy coastes hath bin and now with sworde to threat he doth begin Thy land as hard as Brasse hath oft bin made Thy heauens haue as Iron bin likewyse they both conspier to stay their wonted trade whereby to thee great darthes and famines ryse Thy corne fayre growen with blasting hath bin spoyld well gotten in yet meldeaw hath it soyld Thy Trees thy Vines thy Cow and clothing Sheepe all fruitefull thinges to thee oft fruiteles are because with God thou promise none dost keepe thy feeldes and fayth through barrennes are bare In steade of rayne much dust abrode doth fly for want of deaw thy ground doth burned ly Thy Oxe and Cow with blaynes and murrens mad thy Sheepe with rot destroyed oft haue bin Thy house with fire thy goodes thy foes haue had thy land and right the vile oft tymes do win Thy troubles great by law do dayly ryse because Gods worde can not yet make thee wyse And for this cause opprest thou art with wrong yea pylde and polde by tythes by toules by rent by Landlordes bad who thinke thy Lease too long by neighbours ill to mischiefe that are bent Thy owne bad minde to law oft moueth thee and wilt not cease tyll all be spent on fee. Thy foes and aduersaries dayly do aryse God styrreth them thy troubles to increase And all for this yet art thou not so wyse to know that he doth make them breake thy peace But rather thou the like for like dost lend whereas by them thou shouldst thy selfe amend Thy Seruantes they rebellious be and nought they fyltch they steale they rob seeke thy spoyle in goodes and name thy hinderance they haue sought they run range they daunce and keepe a quoyle Thy neighbours tongues by them are set on talke for prate and heare they must as they by walke And when a tale to some of them is tolde they can well add to bring thee in disgrace for thy deare name for nought by them is solde to many more that dwell in further place And by and by as ware that rots with them they make great hast to sell it other men And thus the land with wicked tongues is fraught whereby one may in maner playne descrne that Gods pure law by them is iudged naught for els by it to speake well they would learne Wherefore as men from flesh do wysedome take so fleshly rods do often times