am not yet lorde of one This worme without faile was the deuil who not contented that kinges the ministers of God should serue God in their vocation to haue them the soner fall from God and ser ue him putteth them in hope they shalbe lordes of all the worlde if they will take him for their chief lorde and soueraigne But bicause he seeth the inconstauncie of kinges that they no loÌ„ger abyde by their othes and promises than they maie therby haue profit gayne and their desire he dothe not furthewith put them in possession but to trye their fidelitie he sheweth them bi what meanes they shall come to it putting to their good will helpe and industrie He doubteth not but if he maye bring them ones in to the puddle ouer the shoen they will through thicke aÌ„d thine whatsoe â—…er cometh of it to come to that thei loked for These waies of the Deuil pâ—…de out of his schole of practices and they be in a generalitie two that is opeÌ„ force and secret subtiltie the one wherof that is force and manhood hauing ofte tried and most tymes it hathe not succeded after their minde they haue not so muche put in vse but haue rather trusted on thother that is subtiltie aÌ„d crafte wherby they worke a great deale more mischief than by open force and streinght of men and with lesse peril of them selues For whan they goo about it by force the deuil their maister is not hable to warraunt them the successe For all victorie and good successe cometh of God who whan he seeth the people against whom the deuil and his kinges worke fall to repentaunce for their sinnes he ouerthroweth his and their enemies with a fillip as he did prowde Olofernes aÌ„d SeÌ„nacherib the one being slaine by the good and faithfull woman to God and her countrey Iudith all his power being an hundred and twentie thousaunt fotemen and twelue thousauÌ„t archers on horsebacke destroied by a fewe And the others armie being an hundred foure score and fiue thousaunt personnes was destroied by the angel of God without the worke of man and he forced to flie and at his returne home was killed of his owne two sonnes But the other meanes that is subtiltie and crafte which the world calleth policie they more practice and therin daily do so procede that within short time many of them haue beÌ„ doctours And they haue a priciple of this arte which is that to come by a kingdome to com by that they desire they maye breake all mennes lawes all othes all promises yea the lawes of God and honestie This arte of subtiltie of princes otherwise called policie consisteth chiefly in this for a maÌ„ to appeare outwardly that he is not inwardly to saye one thing with the mouthe and thinke an other in the hart to smyle vpon him whose throte he wolde gladly see cutte and so pretende to the eie all amitie beneuolence and loue wher they beare greatest hatred enuye aÌ„d malice till conuenient tyme maie be had with least daungier to execute their conceaued mischief And bicause they be not hable alone to doo their feates loke wher they can vnderstande of any of their nature them they reteyne to them geue they great chaynes of golde fede them with great pensions aÌ„d fees promised And yet they be not ignoraunt that such vile men as will for money betraye their owne countreye and serue their wicked purposes are like vnto common souldiours and launce knightes who serue him that geueth a peny more and will whan they maie haue greater bribes of an other sone buye and sell their present maister For how is it possible for any man to thinke that he whom he hathe corrupted with rewardes to serue his purpose â–ª will or can be faithfull to hi that is a strauÌ„ger that so well knoweth what they be and findeth them false to their natiue countrey in the defense wherof all he nest men be bounden and be content to bestowe their life their blood their goodes and what so euer they haue Doo not princes vse traitours as men vse Coloquintes Turbith Elleborum and such like poisones that is to serue their purpose whan they haue nede of them and after can not abyde their sight no not their sauour but cast them out on the dong hill Yes doubtles it is most certain Whan one had betrayed in to Cesars handes certain townes what saied Cesar I loue treason sayeth he but traitours I doo abhorre So saied also king Antigonus I loue trai tours sayeth he whilest they betraye but whan they haue betrayed and serued my purpose I vtterly hate and abhorre them Aurelianus themperour hauing long besieged the citie of Tiana in Asia and being without hope to get it by force practiced with one Heracleo a great riche man aÌ„d citezin of the citie than being in the citie to betraye the citie to him This Heracleo fearing least if the citie should be wonne by force he should also lose his riches and hoping of great gayne by this bargayn consented to themperour and did that he required Themperour assone as he came into the citie caused this traitour Heracleo to be killed albeit he had done alone that for themperour that all themperours power was not habie to obteyne for thèperour bicause he could not abyde his sight that had betraied his countrey the deâ—…e was so horrible and against nature Yet bicause he wold not seme to haue done it for desire of his riches he gaue them to his children whom he preserued And writing to his frende the mater as it was done sheweth that he could not loue nor abyde Traitours nor that he could kepe promise with suche as should not be faithfull and louing to their countrey It is written of one called Cacanus king in BaiÌ„erland in Germanie that he inuaded a countrey som tyme called Carnia now called Frioly in Italie and other places belonging to the Venecianes with a great power and at the furst meting of him and thenemies he ouercame and killed one Gisulfus a Lombarde Duke of that countrey After that he besieged a citie wherin Romilda the Dukes wife was She desiring to see this king what maner man he was neded not to haue his ymage pourtred vnto her but loked ouer the walles aduisedly vpon him Whan she sawe he was a goodly aÌ„d faire persone she was by and by in loue with him She whisheth that she might fele him entre in to her owne holde Meat nor drin ke could do her good she could not sleape she sobbeth she howleth she souÌ„deth she teareth her heare and is more thaÌ„ halfe madde for lacke of her lust To be shorte contrary to all honestie and womanly shamefastenesse she woeth him to be her husbande and hauing no regarde of the loue that eueri honest creature ought to beare to his coun trey she promiseth to geue him citie countrey iewelles goodes and what so euer she could polle of her subiectes and make for him so that he wolde marie her
the tēple a burning sweorde almost the space of a hole yeare In the time of cruel Nero ther was a Comete that continued sixe monethes After that folowed great sedicion and alteracion in thempire and the kingdome of the Iewes marke well was vtterly destroied Before the deathe of our countrey man Constantine the great who was the furst professour of the Gospell of Christ among all themperours and no doubt a special fauourour and promotour of it For he did not prohibite laie men to reade Goddes worde as som princes doo at this tyme but he caused examples of the Bible to be written at his owne charges and sent in to all countreyes ther was a great Comete and afterwarde folowed a wonderfull and cruel warre which who so deliteth in histories maie perceaue Before the dissension and deadly warres that was betwene the brethren of Lotarius themperour sonne of Lodouicus Piu◅ ▪ for the diuision of thinheritaunce whereby suche slaughter grewe in Fraunce that the Frenchemen were neuer after hable to recouer perfitly their force ther were many Cometes sene About the yeare of Christ M. I. ther was an horrible Comete sene and than folowed wonderfull famines and pestilence In the yeare MLXI. before thinuasion of Williā Conquer our in to England and the conquest of the same and in which Heralde king of England with twentie thousaunt true Englishemen in the defense of their countrey against the tiranne were slaine◅ther was sene a wonderfull Comete which euery man thought as in dede it folowed to be muche mischief and thalteracion of the state as herafter ye shall heare A litle before the great warres in Normandie wherof ye haue hearde before ther was sene in Normandie a great Comet and two full mones at one time shyning thone in the easte thother in the west In the yeare MCCXXI whilest the warres were in Asia betwene the christen men and the vnchristen wher vnto king Henry the thrid sent a power of Englishemen vnder therle of Chestre for the maintenaūce wherof the nobilitie furst graū ted the king the wardeship of their children as Polidore writeth before the Christen men lost the citie of Damiata and a great ouerthrowe of them was in Egipt many wonders were sene in diuerse places and also in Englande a very great Comete a wonderfull great earthequake all the wynter horrible thonders which in Englande seldome in Somer be hearde suche great raines and tempestes of windes that it ouerthrewe many houses and the sea drowned mani places which euery man saied betokened the hurt that folowed on christen men In the yeare MCCXLI a little before wales was brought to the subiection of the king of Englande ther appeared in England a terrible Comete by the space of xxx daies In the yeare M. D. XXXI ther was an horrible Comete And what folowed of it The Turke occupied a great parte of Vngarie the kig of Denmarke Christierne inuading his coūtrey with a great armie and so minding to recouer his kingdome was taken and his sonne And why should not ye of England t◅ike that these signes be only or at the least chiefly for you Compare your selues and your liues and doinges with the Iewes or the worst nacion if any can be worse ād see whether ye be not hable to matche them yea to ouermatche them and to droppe vie three for one In what nacion vnder the cope of heauen hathe God shewed greater tokens of his sauour and it so litle set by as in Englande What contempt of him his worde and ministers hathe bē ther What dissimulacion with God what hipocrisie What swearing and soreswearing What traiterye to their countreye What disobedience to the gouernours in good godly and necessary thinges What ready obedience to their rulers in wicked and euil thiges What vnnatural bitcherie vsed betwene the father and daughter brother and sister What abominable hooredome suffred vnpunished yea in many and the chiefest places the greatest hooremongers the impudentest ribauldes the peltingest bribers and the lewdest persones made Iustices of the peace and correctours of vice What railing and reuiling of the worthy pure preachers of Goddes gospell for only rebuking of vice What horrible murdres secret and open not only of priuate persones but also of the most honourable peeres and reuerende ministers of God What bochering and burning of true Englishe christianes yong and olde hole and lame seing and blynde man woman and childe without respecte of age sexe or astate What pillig and polling taking and snatching stealing and robbing not only among the meane sorte but among the greatest Wher is so great hatred and malice so litle loue and charitie as in Englande ▪ I should neuer make an ende if I should tell but that I haue my self sene and knowē muche lesse if I should declare all that other credible persones of their owne knowlage report to be most certain and true But to retourne to the mater Loke well England loke well whether this Comete past and eclipses to come touche the Art thou not all ready plaged with famin Yes and with suche a famin as thou neuer before heardest of It is true ye had darthes in the time of kinges Henry and Edwarde but those were dearthes without nede only they were occasioned by the gredinesse and malice of naughtie men without scarcitie or lacke of thinges ād for lacke of diligēt ouerseing and good gouernement and not by the directe plage of God But these two yeares since kīg Edwardes deathe from the restitucion of your cursed popishe masse ye haue had scarcitie by the directe plage of God The earthe not brought furthe suche plaintie as it customably did before Wher before time the countrey fedde London London contrary wise was and is forced of her former prouision to fede the countreie Wher Dantis◅e ād other the northe east partes were the barnes and garners of corne for they had the prouision of corne for many yeares before hande ād nourished all the lowe partes of Germanie Denmarke Friselande holande Zelande Brabaunt Flanders Hispaine and many other now by reason of their bringing so muche to releue Englande onles a staie be made in time they them selues will perishe of famin Whan were euer thinges so deare in Englande as in this time of the popish masse ād other Idolatrie restored Who euer hearde or redde before that a pounde of beefe was at iiij d. A shepe xx s. A poūde of Candelles at iiij d. A poūde of Buttur at iiij d. ob A poūde of Chese at iiij d. two egges a penie a quarter of wheat lxiiij s. A quartre of malt at l. s. or aboue the people driuen of hongre to grinde accornes for bread meale and to drinke water in stede of ale And what Shall this famin awaie before his walkīg mate and felowe pestilence come No surely without your earnest spedy repentaunce and Goddes exceding miraculous mercie it is not possible for hitherto the one went neuer before but the other cam either arme in arme
I pray you geue him so muche more again I haue spokeÌ„ euil of suche a maÌ„ God forgeue it me I haue ben a hooremoÌ„gre a bawde God perdone me Dyuide this bagge among the poore carie this to the hospital pray for me for Goddes sake Good lord forgeue me I haue dissembled with thee I pretended to loue thy worde with my lippes but I thought it not with my hart but now I see thou knowest the secretest secretes aÌ„d wilt not leaue euil vnpunished Haue mercie on me and forgeue me good lord I beseche thee from the botome of my harte This was the dissimulacioÌ„ of the people for three or foure daies whiles thexecucion was but after whaÌ„ the rage was somwhat swaged than returne they to their vomite worse than euer they were Than that they had before caused to be restored and geuen in almose they seke to recouer by more euil fauoured Cheuisaunses But God is not blynde nother is his hande shortened he hathe begonne to mete with you and will paye you that he oweth you to thuttermost But whether thou requirest me vnfaynedly to knowe how to auoide the plage to come or doest disseÌ„ble with me I hade rather thou shouldest be founde in fault than I not to doo that I before promised thee Goddes worde requireth and coÌ„ maundeth euery man to helpe his neighbour in worde and dede as muche as in him lieth I will therfore tell thee my best aduise and hartily pray God thou maiest earnestly folowe it All these plages that before thou hast hearde rehearced famyn pestilence sedicioÌ„ warres destructiones of countrayes captiuitie of people â–ª and alteraciones of states are the instrumentes of God sent aÌ„d powred on the people for their synnes that they should be sorie aÌ„d repeÌ„t theÌ„ of their former wicked life call to God for mercie aÌ„d leade a newe life in holynesse and righteousnesse al the dayes of their life Which if ye will earnestly doo no doubt but as God is mercifull so will he vse mercie towards you For God that neuer deceaued any but abhorreth all practices all deceit and all practicers the workers of deceipt promiseth it by the mouthe of his prophet Ezechiel If sayeth he the vngodly will turne awaye from all his sinnes that he hathe done and will kepe all my coÌ„maundementes and doo the thing that is iust aÌ„d right doubtles he shal lyue aÌ„d not dye For al the sines that he did before shall not be thought vpoÌ„ any more but in his righteousnesse that he hathe done he shall lyue For I haue no pleasur in the deathe of a synner saieth God but that he should repent him of his wicked lyfe aÌ„d lyue c. It foloweth in the prophet thus â–ª wher fore repeÌ„t and returne froÌ„ your wickednesse aÌ„d your wickednesse shal not be your destructioÌ„ Caste froÌ„ you all your vngodlynesse make you a newe hart aÌ„d a new spirite wherfore will ye dye O you house of Israel that is all such as trust to be saued by christ seing I hare no pleasur in the deathe of him that dieth sayeth the lorde God Turne therfore and ye shall lyue This is not holy water of the court bare wordes of course as the princes of the worlde vse whiles they goo about to deceaue the poore people with their practices but he saieth no lesse than hewil doo he pro miseth no more than he will iustly and fully perfourme Scripture is full of exaÌ„ples to proue it After thâ—… deathe of Gedeon the children of Israel fell from the worshipping of the true God became Idolaters and worshipped Baalim and Astaroth and other Goddes as the Ethnikes did wherfore God plaged them wonderfully with inuasiones and ouerrunning of the Philistines by the space of xviij yeares they semed in wordes to doo penauÌ„ce but god sawe they did but dissemble with him and therfore he wold not heare theÌ„ But after they hade done penaunce in dede that is destroyed the Idoles and cast them out of their countreye than God sent theÌ„ the noble captain Iepte who defended them and reuenged the malice of the philistines Likewise wher the children of Israel had in the tyme of Hely the priest receaued by the Philistines many slaughters of the people and had lost many cities and townes for the Idolatrie thei had committed yet whan by thadmonicion of Samuel they repented as ye heard before and turned to God God turned to them and was mercifull And whan the philistines had prepared a wonderfull great force against the children of Israel God sent sodaynly such a terrible thondre and lightenyng that they were dispersed and raÌ„â—…e awaye The childreÌ„ of Israel ê‘secuted theÌ„ aÌ„d slewe theÌ„ aÌ„d recouered their cities aÌ„d all that they had lost WhaÌ„ the moabites aÌ„monites aÌ„d Idumites thought to haue ouerruÌ„ne Iuda in the tyme of king Iosaphat yet whan the king aÌ„d his people lamented to God and called for mercie God turned awaie his wrathe and poured â–ª it on their enemies and made them to fal out among them selues and so to kil one an other Whan Benadab the king of Siria besieged Samaria ther was so great a fami in the citie that womeÌ„ eâ—…e their owne children but whan king Ioram aÌ„d the people fel to re pentauÌ„ce aÌ„d called to God for mercie they had in one daie pleiÌ„tie of al thinges For God sent such a terrour among the Sirianes with the noise of armour that they fled aÌ„d lefte all their vitaile bagge and baggage behinde them for those of Samaria Ye haue hearde before also how Olofernes and SeÌ„nacherib that inuaded Israel were with their hole armies destroied of God after the people repeÌ„ted theÌ„ of their sinnes and called for mercie And so ye haue iÌ„numerable exaÌ„ples of the great mercie of God towarde al that repented truly and called for mercie As of the citie of Niniue whom albeit God had threatened vtterly to destroie theÌ„ yet whaÌ„ God sawe they were peniteÌ„t for their for mer wicked life â–ª aÌ„d called vnto hiÌ„ for mercie he withdrewe his plage aÌ„d held out his mercifull hande ouer theÌ„ eueÌ„ so ye good couÌ„trey meÌ„ aÌ„n true englishe hartes if ye wil in time earnestly repeÌ„t you of your sinnes leaue your Idolatrie aÌ„d honour and worship God truly as ye were taught â–ª iÌ„ blessed kiÌ„g Edwardes time abhorre the fonde phaÌ„tasies and folishe tradiciones of meÌ„ â–ª aÌ„d cleaue to the sincere worde of God aÌ„d be desirous of the knowlage of it leaue your blasphemie and vaine swearing aÌ„d horrible for swearing aÌ„d periurie no loÌ„ger hate your countreie but be true and faithfull to it aÌ„d by all godly meanes seke the wealthe and sauegarde of it if ye wil obey Goddes coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„tes before your gouernours aÌ„d your gouernours in that is godly honest and iust and not â—…lles â—…f ye will leaue your bawdrie horedome aÌ„d bitcherye aÌ„d driue out of al places al hoores hooremoÌ„gers aÌ„d stuehouses â–ª aÌ„d all suche as fauour aÌ„d maiÌ„tene theÌ„ â—…f ye will absteine froÌ„ cruel murthering of the Saintes of God aÌ„d innoceÌ„tes aÌ„d rather your selues be coÌ„teÌ„t to suffre all martirdome thaÌ„ ye wil embrewe your fingres iÌ„ their blood or coÌ„sent to it if ye wil leaue oppressing of your neighbours your subtiltie crafte and deceat aÌ„d your selues leaue to loue gredinesse and inordinate desire of the trashe of this worlde if you leaue your inwarde hat reed grudge aÌ„d malice one to an other if the nobilitie will loue aÌ„d chearishe the coÌ„monaltie aÌ„d the coÌ„mones honour aÌ„d loue the nobilitie if one wil shewe him self a brother and neighbour in dede to an other thaÌ„ no doubt if ye doo these shiÌ„ges froÌ„ the botome of the har te that the mouthe aÌ„d harte agree together your saienges aÌ„d doinges be al one than shall ye ê‘ceaue that God wilbe easily intreated to turne ThaÌ„ maie ye boldly aske of God in Christes name aÌ„d your desires shal be hearde aÌ„d grauÌ„ted But ye maie iÌ„ no wise dissemble with hiÌ„ as the Israelites did whaÌ„ they saied thei wold coÌ„mitte no more Idolatrie aÌ„d yet kept their Idoles as you pulled downe your ymages but yet kept them secretly in your chaÌ„bres nor yet as Iudas Iscarioth did who lamented his sinnes aÌ„d repeÌ„ted but returned not to God nor yet as your selues did dissemble in the last sweat whiles Goddes whippe was in your neckes but ye must cleane doo awaie the olde maÌ„ and put on the newe ye must refuse aÌ„d cast awaie all euilles and doo that is good aÌ„d euer studie to do that shal please God aÌ„d in no wise loke as lottes wiâ—…e did backwarde but still goo forewarde And thaÌ„ if ye call to God for mercie putting your ful aÌ„d onely trust in him he wil heare you aÌ„d take froÌ„ you those plages that lie on you aÌ„d the other which most certainly if ye repeÌ„t not hang ouer you and wil come vpon you Than will he sende you his benedictioÌ„ for maledictioÌ„ pleiÌ„tie for famiÌ„ heal the for pestileÌ„ce peace for warres quietnes for trouble for cruel tiraÌ„nie a godly aÌ„d iuste gouernemeÌ„t for sedicioÌ„ suche force aÌ„d power that you beiÌ„g a fewe shalbe hable to withstaÌ„de all the tirannes of the worlde and enemies of God aÌ„d our couÌ„trey aÌ„d vtterly coÌ„fouÌ„de theÌ„ aÌ„d destroie theÌ„ Ye shall auoide the eternal paines of hel prepared for sinners and at leinght ye shalbe sure also to make a chauÌ„ge froÌ„ your earthly couÌ„trey to the heaueÌ„ly Paradise froÌ„ variable EnglaÌ„d to the coÌ„staunt Ierusalem froÌ„ the coÌ„pany of men to the feloweship of Angelles from mutable and frowning couÌ„tenauÌ„ces of worldely powers to the vnchauÌ„geable aÌ„d most coÌ„fortable sight of the kiÌ„g of all kinges our most merciful eternal heaueÌ„ly father To whoÌ„ with the sonne aÌ„d the holy goost be all honour praise and glory now and euer Amen