all thyse wyckyd spirittes aboute vs for all these calamites vexationes for the wret chednes and miseries for all these euyls displeasures that we haue God can skarsly dryue vs to call vpon hym to flee vnto hym and to crye for succoure O father of heauen Come helpe vs and deliuer vs than what wold we doo yf there were no deuylle at all Therfore principally and fyrste of all we must vnderstād and knowe that we syt not here in the myddle of roses or in a gardē that is saffe and suer from all perilles and deceytes of our ennemies If the deuyll dyd seduce Adam and Eue in paradise also yf he trobled so many other good men and childrē of god Moreouer yf he dyd not spare to tempte Christe himselfe both god and the sonne of god thynke not thy selfe so suer nor so well defensed that he wyll be affrayd of the. Therefore lett vs pray vnto god diligently and feruently that he wyll gyue vs grace to be ware and to take hede of oure selues agaynst the craftie assaltes suggestion of the deuill that he cast vs not in disperation or incredulite At the generall counsell kepte in the cetie Angusta how he went about all that he myght possiblely to with drawe vs agayne from oure true fayth to bryng vs agayn in to our olde errors So yf hys purpose had prospered and gone forward he wold also haue wrought more myscheyf in styrring vp battaylles and bloodshed tumultes among the people But we must knowe thys moreouer that thoughe there be neuer so many euyll spirittes agaynste vs that worke vs sorow yet be there many moo good Angels agayne which stoppe and lett the pourpose of these wycked fyndes kepynge and defendynge vs agaynst them The wycked spirites do nother slepe nyght nor daye euer watchynge and studyenge howe to brynge in Idolatrie so to cast oure soules into perpetuall distruccion and then after to do sum vylany to our bodyes to oure goodes or good name So vnles that God agayn had other rulers an other kyngdome in the whiche were other more valiant spirites than these truely the deuyll wolde neyther leue vs wyfe chyldren nor house standynge not the momente of an hower but wolde dystroye wolde ouerturne confoūde and abolishe all together suche malyce and hatred he hath agaynst mankynde that by his good wyll thou shuldest not haue one foote of ground to stande vpon And it greueth hī euyll that thou haste thyne eyes thyne armes thy legges and other of thy lymmes / that yf he myght haue his wyll and God wolde so permytte hym he wold denumme the of al yea and not leaue the one cowe or an oxe or a horse to helpe the with fynally yf that he were suffered to worke his pleasure he wolde not suffer not so moche as a stafe to stande in his place neyther any man to continue his lyfe the space of halfe an howre Therfore where as these thinges do not so com to passe and where as thou seest kyngdomes and common wealthes to remayne and stande whole in theyr ryghte forme and state with out any suche perturbacion where as thou seest any cattell shepe or oxen to lyue or any suche thynge whiche doth seruyce to man whiche thynge greueth the deuyll sore for he cā not abyde any thynge to be safe that perteyneth to man be that mayst thou well perceyue that there is a more strong and more valiant a power ordeyned of God for to preserue defēde vs agaynst so wycked and furious maladies of our enmies Also where thou seest any good man to lyue in fayth and feare of God whiche fauer and loue the gospell by that thou mayst well perceyue and knowe that there is an other power ordayned and set vp of God agaynst the deuyll to withstand and resiste to brynge to nought his workes and his subtylties For marke well the wordes of saynt Peter / he calleth hym our aduersarie so infuse and vexed agaynst vs sekynge about lyke a roryng lyon whom he may deuoure Then howe can he with his good wyll suffre any thynge to remayne whole or safe Wherfore seynge the deuyll is so promt and so redy to hurte vs by all the meanes and occasions he can and yet is put so ofte besyde his purpose by reason that God doth so stoppe hym through his holy Angels thou oughtest therfore euer to gyne thankes to God that thy wyfe and chyldren do lyue that thyne house is not plucked ouer thyne heade For our defēce oure strength were nothyng to the deuyll If there were nothīg in him but only hys malice and hys wyll to hurt vs yet were not we able to resiste the same But now bysyds this malicious set wyll agaynst vs in this also he preualyth and passyth vs in wyt craft policie and subtilte wherei all the saynctes be nothyng to be compared with him He hath the scriptures at his fyngars ende He knowyth all the bible better than all Paris or Colonie Whosoeuer dothe enter in disputation with him is quycly ouercome there is none in the world able to holde argumētation with hym Besydes thys suche is hys myght and power that all myght of men and power of all the world is nothyng in cōparyson Set all the turkes all the emperours all the rulers kynges and princes in all the whole worlde to gether he is able to distroy them blow them downe with turnynge of an hande The cause nowe why he doth not so that he doth not dystroy all thinges after his mynd wyll yt is through the benefyte and the preseruation of good Angelles which do resist and withstād hym that he can not so exercise hys tyranny as he wold And so for this purpose be the Angelles ordened to withstande the deuyll to kepe hym short Euen lyke as a good prince hathe hys officers vnder him such whom as he apoyntyth and settyth ouer his countres and cities agaynste theues and murderers And yet though the same officers take neuer so muche hede ouer the kynges subiectes yet can they not chose do best they cā but sūme thefe or other wyll come in and do some robry / whereby we may wel perceiue that the theues mynd and good wyll is to do more yf he myght be suffered And so is it here in lyke maner God some tymes doth gyue some permission to euyll spirittes but yet he hathe hys good Angelles agayn for to kepe vs and defende vs agaynste fury and violence Thus euery prynce euery citesyn euery housholder brefuely euery christen mā hathe hys good Angelles assined vnto hym for to saue hym and to preserue him as Christ testyfyeth in the gospell saynge Theire Angelles in heauen do see the face of my father which is in heauen These wordes verely do well declare the great and meruelous regard loue tendernes that god hath vpon vs. And these wordes shulde diligently be shewed betten in to childrē that they myght learne
and know the office of Angelles and accept theyr benefite and gyue god thankes therfore The deuyll is a greate enimy to all children and yt greuyth hym much whā he seyth them be borne in to the world to grow vp and to prosper And for this cause dothe he many tymes frey women great with child and doth caste them in to feare How be yt good Angelles be present and redy to succore and kepe them that they take no harme These thynges be preuie and preuely done that we can not see them with our eys In lyke maner as he possessyth men preuely and after asecret fashyon as whā he bryngyth a mans mynd to couytusnes he putteth in to his hart this persuasion that he makyth hym beleue he doth it for an honest purpose for the necessyte of hys lyfe to prouyde for hym selfe for hys housholde so thynkyth he doth very well and the deuyll to be ferre from hym Thus doth the deuyll possesse these couytus persons so preuely that they can scarsly perceiue him in theyr mynd much les can they see him with theyr bodely eys And so doth he also blynd and wyche oure prynces hartes puttyng in to them this persuasion thought that they wage battayle agaynst other prynces nother for hatred nor enuye nor for any reuēgans or hastynes of theyr mynde but only for a ryght quarell for Iustice and peace This is theyr pretence where with they cloke theyr tyranny grefe or grouge of theyr mynde And these suggestions of the deuyll yet seme to them to be honest and very Iust quarelles They thynke nothig les thē these cogitations to come of the deuyll And lyke as the euyll spirit dothe preuely inwardly possesse a mā so do the good Angelles also preuely secretly minister their helpe and succore And lyke as the euyll spirit castyth in hys furye dartes preuely in to the hart of man so lykewyse haue the good Angelles agayn theyr good holsum dartes to cūfort vs with And whan so euer the euyl angell doth tempt vs they be euer redy to stope him defende vs speakyng thus vnto vs in our hartes Not so Not so Muche lyke as yf a mā shuld falle in to a depe water and be in the ioperdy of drounīg a other shuld runne to take by the hande and to drawe him out of the water Euē so do good Angelles to vs pluckyng vs bake and callyng vs agay◅ sayng thus inwardly in our hartes Thou must take heede of that In no casse thou must do so It is not meet nor laufull so to do And thus do the good Angelles helpe vs stope the deuyll that he take not our fayth from vs nor haue his purpose of vs. Therfore we vse to say and it is well sayd Thou haddyst a good a trusty Angell to kepe the this day / where by is sygnified that no wytt nor powre of man could turne awaye that euyll and myschefe vnlesse the good Angelles had ben redy with theyr ayde and custodie / vnlesse that they had espyed out and throwne downe the ingyns deceytes and craftes of the deuyll thou shuldest other peryshe myserable or elles shuldest be brought in to sum great calamite And this is that we meane whā we say Thou was blessed this day and kepte of a good Angell and so it is trewe for vnlesse the good Angelles shuld preserue vs all kīdes of wretchednes in the world shuld lyght vpō vs throught the procurement of the deuyl wherfore let vs lerne to know and thankfully to accepte this hye office and benefytt of the holly Angelles Also lett vs lerne this that the wycked angelles do worke and go about nothyng els but only howe to hurt vs to vexe vs to bryng vs in to all trobles he can But lyke as these euyll angelles be allways redy to harme vs so be the good Angelles agayn euer redy to helpe vs that we forsake not the truyth but cōstantly stycke to yt and that we haue and kepe our lyues oure bodys oure wyffes and children breuely all that we haue sayffe whole from the hurtyng of the deuyll Thus the cause then why all the worlde is not sett on fyere all is not caste in heepes that any cities any cōmen weithes any realmes any vyllages be not destroyed caste downe and ouer thrown all thys comyth through the helpe and kepyng of the holly Angelles These good Angelles be much more prudent polityke and wittie thā the wycked spirittes bee by reasō that thei haue a glasse to loke in which the wycked spirites haue not This glasse is the face and the fruition of the father almyghtie Forthermore the good Angelles be much more of power thā other angelles be For they be euer in presence in seruice with hī that is almyghtie Wherfore let vs gyue euerlasting thankes vnto God for these tutors suche ministers and potestates which he hath ordened for vs to kepe vs and to preserue vs in all places which thinge they doo bothe diligently and gladly Furthermore we muste vnderstande also that these angelles be not to be worshypped nor muste we put oure truste in them as we haue done in tymes paste for we fynde in scryptures that they neuer wolde suffre them selues to be worshypped but euermore haue gyuen that honour onely to God They prayse and laude God and thancke him that they were made for vs. For as I sayde they be spirites made and created of God on ly for this to serue vs and to helpe vs Lyke the same maner we prayse and thanke God that he made this comfortable sunne for vs the moone wyne bread and all other maner of thinges Euen lykewyse ought we to offer vp to hym immortall thankes for his good Angelles and sumtymes amonge to brust out with some suche prayer / thankes and prayse to the heauenly father for that thou doest defend vs kepe vs and gouerne vs so diligētly throughe thy holly angelles that thou hayst ordened such pouers and so myghtie princes ouer vs. .c. So whan thou gyuyst god thankys after this maner I thynke thou doyst prayse worshipe the Angelles sufficiētly Nowe to proue that the Angelles be suche maner of spirittes as we haue shewed it is euedēt in many places of the scripture as in Luc. the xii where the Angelles apering to the shepperds shewyng them the byrth of Christe dyd syng the goodly songe Gloria in excelsis deo et in terra pax hominibus bona voluntas That is glory be to God aboue peace in earth good wyll amonge men It is a prouerbe amongst vs. As the hart thynkyth so the tonge speakyth And so here the Angelles speake and desyre the honour and prayse of god then that we may see theyr hart and good wyl to vs ward they pray next that peace be in earth for yt greuyth them nothyng more whan they see suche warres battayles among men whē thei se any calamite or distruction among vs when
Truth it is that the good Angels be moch more redy and glad to helpe and further vs theÌ„ the wicked spyrites be to hurt and hyndre vs. Besyds that there be many moo good Angelles than there be yll the good Angelles be euer suer diligent to do that which is commaunded them that is they kepe defende vs both truly carefully wherfore though the deuyll be neuer so sert to hurt or to destroy vs though he rore neuer so sore agaynst vs yet be the good angelles muche more diligent to assiste and defende vs breuely be euer more tender and carefull ouer vs with theyr redy seruice to do vs good Thys we ought to lerne and know / for that shall cause vs that we shall not be so secure and so slogyshe in oure selues but be more circumspect and better loke about vs and that we shall lerne the better to beleue and trust in god whan we knowe that we haue many moo good Angelles of our syde theÌ„ deuylles agaynst vs and be always of good chere and comfort in all our affayers in all oure afflictions trobles and aduersytes sayng with the prophet Elezeus we haue many mo warryers on our part than enemyes agaynst vs. And so shall we ouercome the deuyll as Elezeus dyd ouercome his enemies beyng blided in the darknes of theyr mynd and we hauyng oure eys seyght shall bryng in oure sowdiers in to the citie of theyr aduersaris / as we rede that Elezeus dyd in the same chapiter These examples be written for vs that we shuld prayse god and gyue hym thankes for that that he hath so appoynted for vs suche an host and an armie of hys holly angelles for oure defeÌ„ce and saffete so that yf one angell be not ynoughe there shulde thowsands be redy by and by so as we se here in Elizeus for whose only cause so many thousands of holy angelles dyd shew themselfes dyd mustre before hym redy at all tymes to succour him whan nede shuld be The very same thiÌ„g wese in Luke where fyrste one angell came and shewed the byrthe of Christe but sone after there was a multitude of the armye of angelles syngyng with that one angell et c. Suche a multitude and a whole armie of good Angells there be that God hathe apoynted for oure soccoure and sauegarde Wherfore yf we vse to thanke god for temporall peace for good magistrates officers and for suche other worldly comodites Than how muche more ought we to gyue god prayse and thankes for his good angelles whyche he sendyth to helpe vs not only in bodely external thiges but also in al our spirituall affayres For why they do both coÌ„firme our fayth in god and also kepe vs in the feare of god so theyr kepyng and goodnesse it is that where we see one man dysstroyed by the craft and teÌ„ptation of the deuyll we see a thousand and a thousande sayued agayne Truly moo men there be always that lyue then that dye Therfore where thou seest any Cytie any towne any house sayffe or staÌ„dig there mayst thou perceiue the good angelles be there to stoppe the euyl spirites that they distroy them not Thus allways we see and proue by experience more goodnes thaÌ„ euylls to be sent vnto vs As we see in a bryghte daye / the sonne to shynne much more cleare and lyghtsome thaÌ„ the blackenes of the nyght tyme is darke Thus doth god make vs to see his benefytes and good turnes which he bestowyth vpon vs through hys holly angelles for to comforte vs and confyrme vs with all that we may vnderstand by that meanes the wonderous deceyts subteltes and damages of the deuyll to the entent that we all ways shuld staÌ„d in feare and awe and neuer to be secure and negligeÌ„t in our selues Therfore lett vs lerne thys well and bett in also to oure children that they may lerne thus to coÌ„fort and strenghthen them selues with the ayde of theyr good aÌ„gelles so that they may lerne to feare the deuyll And in thys maner they owght to be brought vp with lyke information as this or such other lyke My child thou must not take the name af thy lord in vayn thou must not backbytte thy neyg boure thou must not name the deuyll nor muche haue hym in thy mouthe for he is att hand in euery place and is hard by about the wher soeuer thou goest vnles thou take hede and feare god and employ thy selfe to goodnesse and vertue he wyll other cast the in the water to drowne the or els he wyl be suer to do the sum great myscheffe or other And agayn lest they shulde be brought in to to much feare of him or to weakharted in them selues thereby These wycked spirites My sonne as I tolde the be allways about the greattly desyrous to noy the some way or other but oure lorde god hath ordened good angels agayn an infinite nuÌ„bre and they be euer redy at hande yf thou be a good and an obidient child to kepe the and preserue the. what so euer the deuyll goyth about other to caste the in the water to drounde the or to fray the in thy slepe or to breke thy necke et c. Moreouer in so much as we must feyght and warre with the deuyll it is requisyt that we shuld know fyrst what he is and how myghty he is No man can campe well with the emnye whom he knowyth not Now what maner and sorte he is of I haue shewed you before Also I haue shewed you howe he is a spiritt whiche neuer restyth nor ceasyth whose labore and study is nothiÌ„g els but to disturbe the peace of the world to briÌ„g in bataylles to styre vp insurrections stryf and seditions to make tumultes and confusion amongste men he can not rest nether can he wyll well to no man It greuyth hym I dare say that I make this sermoÌ„ nowe and sore it goeth to hys hart nothyng more yea it greuyth hym that my lyfe induryth a quarter of an ower he hath conspired and leyed wayte for my death and at leÌ„ghth wyll dyspatche me But what shuld I doo Truly nothyng els but stycke only to the word of god and pray O father of heaueÌ„ thou seyst and perceiuyste what the deuyll goeth about send downe thy good Angell to stoppe hys wycked purpose that he haue no power in any thiÌ„g to hurt any body but to the health and euerlastyng saluation to my soule Amen Thas ought we in lyke maner to coÌ„meÌ„d our selues to god euery day thus we ought also to informe our childreÌ„ that they may lykwise lerne to coÌ„mend them selues to god after the same maner And so whan we do instruct our children thus styll accustomyng them to the same they may turne to good men and lerne to feare god Lykwise as children do hange of theyr parentes subtectes of their magistrates hauiÌ„g all theyr succoure and prouydyng by them so do we hange of the angelles to whom god hath apoynted all the promision and costody ouer vs. And so by that reason that god hathe so apoynted his angelles to see to vs and succoure vs we may well vnderstand that we haue a perilous enemie about vs euer redy and laboryng to distroy vs. For els what nede we the ayde and costodie of so many Angelles vnlesse we were in great daunger of strong myghtie aduersaries wherfore it is our ê‘tes euermore to gyue thaÌ„kes to god and to say O heaueÌ„ly father the father of all gentylnes thankes prayse and glory be to the for that that through the streÌ„ght and succour of thy Angelles I am able to withstand all the wicked spirites whiche notwithstanding of myne owne power am not able to withstande the weykest one of them no though I had an huÌ„dreth thousaÌ„d meÌ„ mo to helpe me Also that notwythstandynge myne enemy is so passyng crafty subtile that I haue not one drope of craft where that he hathe a whole seefull yet through the protection and custody of thy holy angelles he hathe no power to do me any wrong or vilany My poore wisedome thoughe it yet but very smalle and symple dothe confound the hye and great wisedome of his and all through thy mere grace the help of thy holy Angelles my Lord God Amen And so thys is the glory of oure Lord God that he declaryth and settyth forth his glory his wisdome his power in our vnablenes in oure foolyshnes and infirmite This honor is only dewe to him that he is a god of might power of heygh wisedome and infinite goodnesse And that thing he well declaryth in that that he sendyth vs hys helpe and defence by hys holy Angelles so that we be able to stand agynst al the mayne host armye all the proude garde of the wycked Angelles aboue to ouercome them to ouerthrowe them and gloriously to triumphe vpon them Christe Iesus voutch saue euermore to be with vs al with his helpe and powre Amen Prayse be to God for euer Amen