haue but lyghtelye touched we maye perceiue that no teste can be founde for mannes soule in our own inuencions But the farther manne wadeth in hys fonde intentes and fantastical imaginacion the farther he slydeth from God vnsure that he hathe done any thing acceptable in the sight of God Therfore must we which are seruaunts and creatures learning our own weaknes by the fal of others turne to our master lord and creator to know what his word cōmaundeth in the agony of cōsciēce cōsidering that the turnīg frō the creator to creatures hath bene the groūd of al Idolatry euery mā chusing to hīself the Idol of his own hart Some the son some the Moone some the .vii. starres some Saturn some Iupiter some Mars some Venus some Marcurye And dotinge farther some haue worshypped Calfes some Cockes some Serpents some Dogges some Asses some Gotes And in oure Popyshe wickednesse wee oure selues haue worshypped stockes stones and geuen diuine honours almost to all manner of creatures a vyle wafer cake did we honour as our God in dede and when that was lifte vppe betwyxte the Priestes fingers we saide we dyd se oure maker and knocked and kneeled crowched and kyssed withoute all measure And the Priest when he did eate it thoughte he did receiue hys maker and made so manye fonde gestures ioyened with infinite supersticions that thereby we may marcke if we haue nothinge elsse too leade vs that the fayened and false worshyppe of God hathe no ende not staye can neuer tell where too consyste doothe alwaye disquiet and neuer satysfye nor quiet the conscience Therefore for the loue of our own souls of the quiettinge of oure owne conscyence let vs vnfainedlye repente of al oure falsed goddes and fayned worshyppe of God and knowledg that ther is but one God whyche broughte the children of Israel forthe of Egipte from the house of bondage and hath deliuered vs the spirituall Israell frome the Egypte of synne end erroures from the bondage of the deuyll Deathe and hel and broughte vs into the lybertye of hys chyldren by the deathe of his owne sonne And by his holye spyryte poured into our heartes doth teache vs to crye father father Let vs knowledge I saye that thys Lorde our God is but one God whome we muste loue with all oure hearte with all our soule with all oure strength him must we feare and hym onlye must we worshippe and in hys name onlye maye we sweare By the whiche woordes wee maye learne that ther◠is but one God only who onlye oughte to be worshypped feared loued trusted and hooped vpon which the wordes of swearing in his name importeth Thys oure God then whose worshyppe wee doo teache is that almyghtye power whyche made heauen and earthe by hys woorde and by the same throughe hys spyryte doothe gouerne al creatures therin Sauing Israel and drowning Pharao Sauyng hys chosen of free mercy and grace and condempnynge the wycked hypocrytes by iuste iudgement Thys our God is a spyrite as Christ our aldermaster teacheth vs they whych worshyp hym must worship in spirite and truthe Ihon .iiii. And seeyng he is a spirit pure from bodyly corrupcion and therfore hauyng no neede of our bodely seruice Hys true worshyp can not consist in bodely exercise whych lasteth but the tyme it is in doinge but in the inward holines of the hart which euermore encreaseth spryngeth forth into life euerlasting Such a worshyppe therfore our Prophet teacheth whyche ariseth and springeth forth of the secret reuerence and feare of God hys sacrate magesty whych is not seruyse but child lyke wherby we are not onlye affrayed to dysplease God oure father but also prompt and redy lyke obediente chyldren to expresse in our lyuyng Iudgement and merci the two special propertyes greatest shew of hys image which appeareth vnto hys creatures Prouer. i. Therfore is thys feare called the begynnyng of wysedome and the spyryte of feare Esaa .ix. begynneth the worke whyche the other sprytes of wysdome vnderstandyng the spyryte of counsell and strengthe the spirite of knowledge and true holinesse and accomplisheth fulfilleth So that thys spirite of feare dothe go before in al the hartes of them whiche God dothe chuse to worship him in spirite and truth makinge theym afraied to do homage and worship to any thinge saue their Lorde God onlye eyther anye otherwise then hee requireth and commandeth Afraied euermore to do any thing wherin they do not know hys open pleasure Thys feare was in Cornelius befor he had the perfit knowledge of God and in the menne of Israell vnto whome Peter did saye O brethren and children of Abraham and thei amonges you which feareth God vnto you is the woord of saluacion sent in the Psas ciii Euē as the father hath mercye of his children so hath the Lord mercye of them that feare him and the merci of the Lorde is for euermore vpon them whyche feare him The cause is that they whiche do fear the Lorde are alwaies ready with heart and minde to do thinges pleasaunt vnto him and to abstaine from the contrary His displeasure do they feare like louynge chyldrene If theyr heauenly father be pleased they do reioice if he be offended they doo crye for mercye so that of hym they do teast in prosperiti of him they do hange in aduersitie accordinge to hys owne commaundemente by hys chosen vessell Dauid Call vppon me in the daye of thy trouble and I shal deliuer the and thou shalte worshippe me So that this inuocacion after some interpretoures is the true worship of God And surelye seinge Paule Romaines .x affirmeth that who soeuer calleth vpon the name of the Lorde shall be saued No manne canne denye but an eareneste callynge vppon God comprehendeth the true worshippe which God requyreth and contayneth in it perfyte religion because it hath fayth the ground of all vertues for howe canne they call vppon God whyche dooe not beleue in hym Romaynes .x. And they whyche dooe call vppon other creatures hathe affiance truste and faythe in those thinges elsse woulde they neuer call vppon theym Thys faythe spryngynge of the fyrste parte whiche was the feare and reuerence of God his hygh Maiesty supplyeth the seconde poynte of the worshippe of God whych requyreth a knowledge of God For how can we beleue in hym whō we haue not knowē Rom. x. Hereby doo wee gyue glorye and worshyppe vnto God that is too say we knoweledge hym too be true in all hys promyses And because without faythe it is impossible to please God this faith maketh vs suer that wee doo worshippe hym as wee shoulde and certifieth vs that wee bee the chyldrene of God and that oure woorckes are acceptable in hys syghte Hereby did Abell in hys sacryfyce more truly worshyppe God then dyd hys brother Caine. Abraham also and hys wyfe Sarai by faythe were the true worshyppers of God and receyued the promyse Elizabeth also gaue more glorye and worshippe vnto God
women were fayne to eate theyr owne tender babes to eate rates horsse heades the verye dounge of Asses when their king was caryed captyue and hys eyes put foorthe when the bewtye of theyr fayre women was wythered wyth waylyng wyth heate and burnynge of the weather when the playtynge of theyr haire was turned into baldnes and all theyr strong men slayne in battayle Then as Esaiah sayth theyr gates shal mourne and the citye beyng spoyled shal syt vpon the earth Esay iii. Thus maye it be verye aptly vnderstande eyther of the Prophet or of the people Of thys spoyle and nakednes Moyses by the mouthe of God dyd Prophecye Deuterno xxix Because they haue forsaken the couenaunt of God whych he hath made wyth theyr fathers when he broughte them out of the land of Egyptte shall theyr lande lye spoyled and wasted Agayne Hos cha iii. A long time sayth he shal the chyldren of Israell syt wythout kynge wythout Prynce without sacrifice wythoute altar Ephot Ieraphim Wherin is to be marked that the fall and destruccion of al cityes coūtryes are for seene to the spyryte of God and the cause of theyr ruyne is onely synne and wyckednesse euen the forsakynge of the Lorde This it is whiche shall make the proude Dragons whiche fometh forthe fyre frō theyr mouthes to yel and cry at the end for the misery whiche shall come vppon them This shal cause the greate Estriches to grone and mourne for verye distres and anguishe Fynallye this sinne shal cause al the earth to shake quake to yell and wayle when the word of god shal be poured forthe vpon it O Lorde be merciful vnto vs for our sinnes sake doo we fele at this daye thy heauye dyspleasure too rage and rayne throughe our hole realme and especiallye at this presente vppon thy house of Suffolke once beautifyed by thy gloryous Gospell but nowe by oure vnworthynes spoyled naked and byryued of the crowne of glorye of thy chosen vessels the hope honoure and comlines of that house O Lorde why dothe not the wycked peryshe whyche knoweth not the nor careth for thy commaundmēts But the iudgmente beginneth at thyne houshould chyldren the heard hearted Estriches and deuourynge Dragones shall yel and mourne in the ende The proude tirauntes are lykened to Dragons Ezechiel .xxxii. Iob. xl For the Dragons howe they dye pressed to deathe by the huge Elephante Plinius declareth Lib. viii Cap. xi The Estryches ar described Lib. x. Cap. i. Strabo Liber xvi Because her woūdes ar in curable The Text For to Iehuda is it nowe come it is come too the gates of my people euen to Ierusalem Lo this is the cause worthy of much moureninge weepinge and wailinge saithe oure Prophetes because Iehuda hath sinned and as Esay saith from the heade to the foote there is nothing but swelling soores stripes and wonds no place lefte where they maye be plaged anye more The wrathe of the Lord is so soore kindled that he hathe geuen thē vp to their owne sinful lustes therfore worthely hath also brought vpō thē miserable plagues the fyre of hys vengaunce canne not be quenshed but styll the Idolatrous people of Samaria too the chosen kyngedome it rageth from Iehuda euen to Ierusalem that holy citie whereunto the perpetual priesthode and kingedome vnto the comminge of Messiah was promised so that as Esay lamenteth the cities rounde aboute Ierusalem beinge destroied Ierusalem was lefte alone lyke a watche house in the vineyarde or the cottage in the garden of Cucummers and cleare withoute any sucoure obsessed besieged by Rabsace as appeareth .iiii. kings .xviii. Here by nowe Englande and all those people whome God hathe speciallye called in these oure times by the lighte of hys Gospel hathe greate cause too tremble and fear God his secrete iudgment consydering that we haue not so many promyses as hadde Ierusalem and theyr fall was for theyr vnthankefulnes and forgetfulnes of their duties towards god as appeareth by oure Prophete What shal we thē loke for like fal with the Germaines Nay much worsse much sorar because wee wyll not yet be warned Do not declare this in Gath neyther wepe you nor wayl you there The Text. in the houses of Sephratumble thy selfe in the duste A lyke lamentacion maketh Dauid for the deathe of Saull and Ionathas ii kings .ii. shew not this thing in Gath nor Askalon saithe he leste the vncircūcised Philistins do reioise at the fal of Israel Wherein is declared the cause that in Gathe named a city of the Phelistines whēce the great enemy Goliath did come the fal of god his people shoulde not be knowē least the vncircūcised should say wher is their God As the great Turck the prowde Pope with their adherents do not stick at this dai to sai of the Germaines that they were in an euill waye els shuld not god haue geuē thē to their enemies O let vs beware lest the name of God or his holye doctrine be by our wicked sinfulnes at anye time so hainouslye blasphemed But as for Ophir whiche is hear called Aphra for the hebrew allusion with Aphar whiche signifieth dust whiche was in the tribe of Beniamin one of the hyghe cities of Iuda the prophet byddeth it after the custome of mourners to mourn in dust ashes So ought we in our owne cōgregacions amōgs our selues bewaile our miseries the miseries of our brethrē thus iudging our selues we shal not be with the wicked cōdēned but by our vnfained repētaūce cause God to shew his mercye vpō vs as did the Niniuites repēting in ashes sackloth at the preaching of Ionas But O merciful god what flintish harts haue we The enemies of Christe do laugh reioise at these our miseries Yet we cā not bewaile thē The proude papists cā say they are plaged for theyr sinnes yet will we not espy them They do say I doo feare me ouertrulye that we neither do faste nor praye but cause the Gospell to serue oure folyshe fantasyes and therfore doth God send these plages vpon vs that we maye bee made newe vessels apte and mete to these spirituall workes therby to put awaye thy wrath so sore kindled against vs and to stop the mouthes of oure enemies The Text. Get the hēce Saphir with thine enhabitaunce thou haddest thy name of beauty but thou art naked with shame And zaenā whiche had the name of goinge forward shal not go forth to bewail Bethhazell the ennemye shall take from you through his long seige For the citizens of Maroth hathe sorowed for their ryches sake because that euyll is come frō the Lord vnto the gate of Ierusalem Yoke thi chariote with thi Dromedaries and swift running Camels O Lakis for thou wast the first beginning of the sinne of Israel the doughter of Sion for in the was foūd the wyckednes of Israell The Prophete doth reherse the cheife cities whence Ierusalem shoulde haue hadde healpe and succoure and setteth before
serued in the temple wyth praying and fastynge professed thys to bee the redemer of Israel Yea the voice of God from heauen in the presence of many people doth confyrme al thys saying thys is my welbeloued sonne in whom I am well pleased heare you hym The myracles wythout number both in hys lyfe tyme when he cured al dyseases both of body and soule When he caused the wyndes to cease the seas to obeye and deathe to geue place and in hys death when he caused the heauens to shet the earth to shake the sunne to loose hys lyght And after hys death also when he caused the hels to open the graues to geue againe theyr prysonats What wyll you haue more Hys mooste ennemyes the Scrybes and Pharyseis coulde not saye in conscience but that al these wonders were doone by the fyngar of God and the sougiours wyth theyr captayne whych kepte hym at hys deathe was compelled to crye Truelye thys is the verye sonne of God Math. xxvii Yea the verye deuyls were dryuen to confesse hym to bee Iesus the sonne of God Math. viii Mark .v. Luke .viii and yet some whych do beare his name called Christians and some twyse christened as they cal it dare denye vnto hym thys glory O blasphemye intollerable yea al the power of Sathan and all the gates of hel haue not bene able to beate downe the church buylt vpon thys confession as Christ out sauioure promysed Math. xvi thoughe contynuallye thys M.D. and Li. yeares they haue wyth the swerd hangyng and burnyng moste despitefully stryuen agaynst it and yet these blynde beastes dare attempt such foly Yea thoughe the Iewes thoughe the Turkes thoughe the Aryans and the Anababtistes and al the lying rable of the deuyls sougiers labour and striue al that in them lyeth to hinder and stop the kyngdom of this child borne in despysed Bethelem as he is man but commyng forth from old from euerlastyng as he is god Yet lo it is now dilated and spred a longe tyme throughe the whole world and at thys present moste gloryously spreadeth and triumpheth ouer al. Embrace therefore the sonne least he be angrye and you doo peryshe foorthe of the way al you ragyng people and vain imaginers agaynst our Christe Y◠you gather you and sette you agaynste thys Messiah the euerlyuing lord wyl laugh you to scorne For he hath anointed him kyng vpon Sion hys holye temple He wryteth it in hys euerlastyng decree He calleth hym hys sonne he geueth hym power ouer al people to rule them wyth the yron scepter and so folowing of the kyngdome of Christ Psal ii Agaynst the aduersaryes therefore of thys kyngdome whyche are the Antychristes wherof we are so oft warned in the scriptures Suffer me I pray you to make a short digression not for any sotie arguments that I wil bring against them for that is contrarye bothe to my purpose and profession But for my zele sake simply to vtter the words of truth yf by that way we may win but any one of thē It is not sayd for noughte by the holy Apostle Heb. iiii The word of god is lyuelye and myghtye in operacion sharper then any twoo edged swearde Therfore wyl I vse the sweard of God hys holy scriptures to cutte of theyr errours desyryng oure heauenlye father wil houte whom no man can come vnto Christ to drawe some of these blynded and loste shepe home againe to hys son Christe theyr only shepperde and to hys fold holy felowship of the faithful lyuynge in Christen vnytye to the glorye of hys name and the delatinge and enlargynge of his glorious kyngdome There be .ii. sortes of the aduersaryes of thys kingdome the one denieth him to be God the other to be mā wherfore I wyll declare and proue by open scriptures Christ God and Man FYrste that the Messiah promysed shulde be verye man euen of the seede of man as we doo reade Genes iii. that the womannes seede shal breake the serpentes heade agayne Gen. xii saythe God vnto Abraham in the shal al the kynredes of the earthe bee blessed and declaringe howe thys shall come too passe in thee xvii Chapter he promyseth to Abraham and to Sarai a sede wyth whom he wil make an euerlastynge leage and couenaunte And in the .xxii. Chapter after he had broughte thys promised seede to be a slaine sacrifice as the Lorde hadde commaunded thys was again from heauen pronounced that in the sede of Abraham all nacions shoulde be blessed And in the .xxvi. Chapter vnto his sonn◠Isaac was the same promyse renewed wyth these same words In thy sede shal al the nacyons be blessed Againe to his sonne Iacob in the .xxviii. of Genesis al the kynreds of the earthe shal be blessed in the and thy seede saythe the Lorde Agayne saithe Iacob in the spyryte of Prophecye to hys chyldrene The scepter shall not bee taken frome Iuda nor the ruler from his seat whyles that Messiah do come and to him shal the people be gathered Loo thus by playne testymonies mooste auncient euen from the beginninge maye it bee proued Messiah oure Christ to be appoynted man of the seede of manne And after the troublous tymes when all theyr captaines fayled as Micha dyd Prophecy then forthe of a litle village of the tribe of Iuda shuld come oure Christe the appointed and anoynted ruler ouer the faithful Israel And to let you vnderstande whyche are the ennemyes to Christ his kyngdome that you do striue in vayne there against mark that Balaam prouoked bi the king Balaac colde speake nothyng agaynste thys kingdome which he did se more thē a thousand .d. yeres to come after hym but dydde reuerence it a farre of saying There shal ryse a starre from Iacob and a rodde from Israel whiche shall stryke the captaynes of Moab Of Iacob shall come thys greate Lorde whyche shal destroye the remnaunte forthe of the cytye Numer xxiiii Thus are the enemyes of oure Christe compelled to knoweledge hym a man of the seede of Iacob and a gloryous kynge ouer all hys ennemyes tryumphynge Agayne Deut. xviii Moses the seruaunte of God dare say thus A Prophete vp frome amonges thy brethrene euen lyke me shall the Lorde thy God raise vnto the whosoeuer shall not heare hym I wyll requyre it of him Loo nowe heare is the humilitie of Christ his man hode set forthe but so that whosoeuer is the despiser of him and hys doctryne hathe thys playnly promised that he shall gyue accomptes for it and God hym selfe wyll questyon wyth hym the cause whye he hathe refused him For so standeth the Hebrewe Beware therfore as Esay sayth and take hede vnto your selues from the man whose breathe is in hys nostrelles for wherin he is reputed though he be very man and therfore despised yet is he of the Lorde onlye regarded Agayne in the Psalme lxxxviii We do reade I haue sworn to Dauid my seruaunte for euer wyll I prepare thy sede and wyl stablish thy seate
lyke dyshonoure of God in oure George of Engeland oure Ladye of Walsingham oure Daruelgadder of Wales whereby wee muste vnderstande that there is one olde ennemye of oures the oulde Serpente whych hathe enuyed the honoure of one God and laboured too drawe vs therefrome euen frome the begynninge whiche wyth holye woordes and gloryous names and far fetched tearmes semeth too vtter hys wysdome lyke an aungell of light as Paule warneth But marke the ende of theym whyche suffer theym selues by hym too bee deluded desiring the deuyll too geue thē of hys Counsel Oure fyrste Parentes were by this craftye Serpentes subtyll Counsel dryuen forthe of Paradyse adiudged to death with al their posteritie Genes iii. King Saul counsayling with the sothesayer the wise womanne whome onlye he hadde lefte in hys lande was slayne wyth hys iii. sonnes the daye folowinge So muche doothe it aduayle too aske counsell of the deade for the liuinge or of the wicked spirites whyche do transforme them selues into the lykenesse of the deade as was heare in thys place of Samuel For as the deuyl hath no power of the good soules so canne hee not styrre theym too geue aunswere but as we haue sayde he canne transforme him selfe into anye lykenesse that he maye myghtelye woorcke in theese chyldrene of mischeife But marcke the ende I saye of al nacyons whiche doo leaue the Lorde and hys holye woorde for suche delucyons In hope to get some thynge thereby to satisfye theyr dyuelyshe myndes Some for the loue of women do trye it and other some for the grydy desyre of goods do practise it wyth manye other thynges whyche were to longe to tell nowe Was not this one of the greatest crimes wherfore Egipte was scourged and plaged Esaiah .xix. Wherefore was the Empyre of the Chaldees destroyed and proud Babilon brought down Esay aunswereth Al the euils did come vpon the O Babilon for the multitude of thyne owne charmes and the stobbourne of malyce of thy couniurers for thou haste comforted thy self in thy disceatfulnes and haste sayde no man seeth me Thyne owne connynge and thy wysdō haue disceiued the. Therfore shal trouble tal vpon the and thou shalte not knowe from whence it shal aryse Doo you beleife that God telleth truthe O you coniurars What is there but you can knowe it if it please youre great master the deuil But the Prophet sayth againe to your cōtrary Mischeife shall fall vppon the whyche thou shalte not be able to put of A sodayne myserye shal come vpon that or euer thou be aware Wherefore now go to the coniurers and to the multitude of thy wytches whom thou hast bene acquainted with al from thy youth if they mai help the or strengthen the Thou haste bene wearied with the multitude of thine owne counsels Nowe let thy heauen gasers thy starre starers thy Moone markers stande vp and saue the frome the thynges whyche shall come vpon the. Beholde they are stuble the fire hath brente them they cannot delyuer theyr own souls from the power of the flame and so foorthe too the ende Are not the Philistines and Canaces alwaye charged for these crimes to haue hadde their worthy desolacyon As for Israel Esay saith plainly that God old forsake it for thys Esay .ii. dyd lay the line of Samaria vppon Ierusalem therefore and the burthene of the house of Achab and dyd raise it as it were a wrytyng table .ii. Re xxi ii Chronicles .xxxiii. Yea when the Lorde wyll vtter his anger agaynste them he calleth them charmers chyldrene Come hither saythe he by hys Prophete you charmers childrē you aduouterous seede Esaye lvii Abroade in all places of Englande wheras I haue taryed haue I heard of wyse menne and wyse wemenne whyche can tell of thynges that are lost and canne saye manye sayinges for childrene and cattel whyche are forspoken and haue blessinges to saye ouer certaine herbes as ouer vernine and dil if they be gathered betwixte the mary dayes And about wemen wyth childe they can saye oure Ladye with the whyte smocke thy syde smock and such mad charmes .v. C. are vsed in the countryes whyche the spyrituall eies mighte espy if they had not theyr Greke name for nought And our Preachers shulde plucke away oure polytycall magistrates should punysh for the Lord sayth that these are the thynges and not the handlynge of the chalyce wherewyth the people are polluted Leuiti xix You shall not declyne to the charmers and of the wytches aske nothyng lest you be polluted by them Againe Leui. xx The soule which loketh after any sothsayer or charmer to commyt fornicacion wyth them I wyll set my face agaynst that soule and I wyll destroye hym from the myddes of hys people sayth the Lorde Agayne Deut. xviii the Lord commaundeth whē thou entrest the lande whyche the Lorde thy God geueth the beware thou doo not folow the abhominacions of that people Let none be founde amonges the whych caryeth hys chylde throughe the fyre or that asketh of the charmers eyther that obserueth dreames or dayes and times or of them whyche do marke the flying and crying of byrdes or of any enchaunters or of any deuyl couniurar or any soythsayer or any that haue familiar spirites or anye wyse menne or wise womenne eyther any that asketh councel at the deade for who so doothe theese he is abhomynable before God and for these abhominacions the Lorde thy God dothe roote them forthe before thy face Loo with how sore wordes and threatenynges the Lorde God detesteth forbiddeth all the kindes of these deuelishe inuencions whereby men doo runne a whorynge from God too abuse hys creatures in spirituall fornicacion These thinges haue I written occasyoned by oure Prophete of thys spyrituall fornicatyon Idolatrye and all kynde of diuynacyon whyche wee call so the saying prophecyinge charminge enchauntement wytchcrafte Magyke Astrologye Necromancye Chiromancy Geomanci or what other name so euer the deuyl shal inuēt to driue vs frō god to vayne creatures for the Deuyll hathe euer thys one woorcke in hande but hee deceyueth the symple with the shyfte of hys deskante by vanytye of woordes And I do warne all people to repente kynges Lordes Bishoppes Commons For none canne excuse theym selues of that spyrytuall fornycacyon wyth the late deposed Idole that Waser Cake Naye shall I call it deposed whyche is scantlye transposed wythoute anye feruent zeale or signe of repentaunce We haue not fealte Moises to make vs drink the bitter ashes therof with teares We haue not had Iehu to auenge God of hys ennemyes the Priestes of Baall ii kinges .x. We haue not wept and wailed and torne oure garmentes for verye anguishe of oure heartes We haue not caste awaye the ornamentes of our olde idolles the vessels that serued them as did the good yong king Iosiah We haue not destroied the sacrificers and steiers of oure Christe as yong Iosiah did with the Priestes of the hyghe places wyth al charmers witches and enchaunters To be shorte We