I do abhorre yower holydayes / and where as you do ceÌ„se me wheÌ„ you come to gether I will not accepte it / and thowgh ye oshre me brent offeynges and meate offeynges yet haue I no pleasure therin As for yower fatte thanke offringes I wyll not looke vpon them Take a waye from methe noyse of yower songes I wyl not heare the sownde of yower organes and the playes of musycke But se that equite flow as the water and righteousnes as a myghtye streame Furthermore we owght for to ponder whyther god hathe gyuen vnto vs the same power which he promysed vnto Abraham / that whome so Gene. xij euer we blysse shold be blyssed / and whome so euer we curse / sholde becursyd Or elles whither the spryte of erroure hath rather disceyued vs with a false persuasioÌ„ / eueÌ„ as Balac kyng of the Moabites sayd vnto Baalam I know that he is blyssed whome thow blissest / and he is cursed / Num. xxij whome thow cursest Neuer the lesse it is wrytten I will blisse yower curses and Mala. ij I will curse yowre blyssinges sayth the lorde But wyll yow be saued by yower Superstâ—tiousâ—y to fast to nâ—t to faste that god mâ—ght be plâ—ased bâ—â— to make hym angrye fastynges wolde to god yow fasted truly and not rather after the maner of those hypocrites whome the holy goste reproueth by the prophet Esaye saying lyfte vp thy voyse lyke a trumpet / Crye as lowde as thow canste and show my people theyer offences and the house of Iacob theyr synnes for they seke me dayly / and Esa lviiâ— wyll knowe my wayes / eueÌ„ as it were a people that dyd ryght and had not forsaken the statutes of theyer god They argue with me concernynge right Iudgement / and wylbe nye vnto god Wherfore faste we saye they and thow seeste it not we put ower lyues to straytenes thow regardest it not Beholde when ye faste / yower luste remaineth still / for yow do no lesse violence to yower detters thaÌ„ yow dyd before Lo ye faste to stryffe and debate / and to smyte with yower fyste withowt mercy Now yow shall not faste thus that yower voyce myght be herde aboue Thynke ye this faste pleaseth me that a man sholde chasten hym self fe for a day and to wrythe his heade aboute lyke an whoope / to lye vpon the erthe in an hearye clothe Sholde that be called fastinge and a daye that pleaseth the lorde Doth not this fastiÌ„ge rather please me that thow lose hym owte of bondage that is in thy daungere / that thow breake the othe of thy wycked bargaynes / that thow let the oppressed go fre / and take from them all maner of burthens / to deale thy breade to the Hongry / and brynge the pore wanderynge home in to thy house / when thow seest the naked that thow couer hym and despise not thyne owne flesshe Then shall thy lyght breake forth as the mornynge and thy health floryshe right shortly Thy ryghteousnes shall go before the and the glory of the lorde shall embrace the. Now by these wordes as it is euident that the lorde abhorreth all ower fastynge whiche is prepostorous and not referred to the lawe of god eueÌ„ so lyke wyse is he dyspleased to se vs obserue superstitiously dayes / monethes / yeares / and tymes and to put a dyfference of those meates whiche he hathe created to be receyued withe thankes gynynge of theÌ„ that beleue as it apereth to the Galathianes the iiij Actes the x and to Tymothy the iiij and in many places mo But what say yow to ower litanyes and ower prayers and supplications Do not they purchase the helpe of god Hath not god promysed that by prayer we shall obtayne whatsoeuer we aske Hath not prayer made vnto god dryuen awaye greatest daungers and calamityes Hathe it not ouerthrowen the hoste of ower aduersaryes Hathe it not preserued the pauilions of good men / cyttyes / regioÌ„s / and hole kyngedoms There is truly a greate and a The necessarye vse of holye prayers necessarye vse of holy prayers at all tymes in the Christen congregation / of the whiche mo thinges shall be spoken heraster in a place coÌ„uenieÌ„t Neuer the lesse it can not be denyed and it owght not to be dissembled that the prayers of all men are not herde / nether do the petitions of euery man go thorow the heaueÌ„s For why The prayers of all meÌ„ be not herde those prayrs for to begynne with all / are to be holden as vayne and of none effecte whiche are not made vnto god the father by Christe the sauioure in the holy goste Wherfore saynte Augustine vpon Augustyne the Psalme an hdesireth .ix. sayth / that that prayer which is not made by Christ hath not onely no power to put awaye synne but the same is also turned in to synne Wherfore the Litanyes commenly vsurped amongst Christians whiche by name prayeth vnto sayntes as vnto Iames / Mauryce / Leonarde / Barbara / in theyr kynde Angelles / Archangells / Patriarches / Prophetes / Apostles / martyrs / confessors / virgyns / and wydowes doth not so greatly obtayne thinges that be good at the hand of the Lorde but they do rather make the wrath of God more greuous styrre vp the teÌ„pestes of euyll Math. iiij plages For truly that maner of callinge vpon he sayntes and she sayntes is farre wyde from the example of Christ and all good men / and also forbyddeÌ„ by the lawes of God â–ª for why it is wrytteÌ„ Thou shalt worshyp thy Lorde God / and serue hym Deuter. v onely And in the Psalme .xlix. Call vpon me in the tyme of troble / so wyll I heare the / and thou shalt honour me It is also forbydden in the fyrst precept of the boke of the .x. commaundementes / to hope or to aske those thinges that be good of any other than of God â–ª onely / from whome Iames .i. they be descendynge / or to gyue thankes for benifyttes receyued / that is to say / for victorye being gotten / for peace / for abuÌ„daunce of ryches and all other thynges pertaynynge both to the bodye and also to the sowle to any other then to God / for why he sayeth I am thy Lorde God / whych Deuter. v. brought the owte of the lande of Egypt / the house of bondage Thou shalt The heatheÌ„ wolde neuer haue prayed to theyr Idolles yâ— they had beleued theÌ„ to haue bene creatures haue no straunge gods before me It is furthermore wrytten in the storyes of the heatheÌ„ / as of the RomaÌ„s that in sharpe and daÌ„gerous tymes the people were accustomed to make their prayers fast by the beddes or tabernacles / not as they supposed of creatures but as they falsely beleued of the immortall gods and godesses The Prophetes also doth vpbrayde the people of God very greuously for their superstitious worshyppynge of the
⧠A Godly consultation vnto the brethren and companyons of the Christen religyon By what meanes the cruell power of the Turkes / bothe may / and ought for to be repelled of the Christen people / Theodore Bibliander beinge the Author ⧠Thow shalt also fynde here most gentle Reader of the reasons wher wyth a firme and sure concorde and peace in the Churche / and the Christen publyke weale may be constytuted / and of the fyrst begynnynge and increacementes of the Turkes domynyon / and also of the superstytyous and damnable lawe of the Mahumetanes / and of other certen thynges moste worthy truly to be red and consydered The horse is prepared agaynste the days of batayle / but the Lorde alone gyueth the victorye Prouerb xxi To hys moste deretly beloued bretherne the faythull worshyppers of oure Lorde Iesus Christe / Theodore Bibliander wyssheth grace and peace from God the father WHen of late dayes the sadde tydynges of the destruccyoÌ„ of huÌ„garye had brought greate sorowe vnto all good men that thinge which ChristeÌ„ godlynes dyd requier / and that I coulde onely do in suche greate calamytyes I dyd it / that is to weit I was very sory for the mysfortune of oure men And I besought the Lord he wolde spare his people / whiche he had redemed with te bloud of his onely begot teÌ„ sonne / that he wolde not procede on styl to be reuenged vpon vs / accordinge to oure deseruinges Afterwarde I dyd begynne to consider in my mynde one thinge of an other / by what meanes we might resyste these euylles waxynge feruent so to heale the wouÌ„de receyued / that here after more deadely woundes be not gynen vnto vs Wherfore when all the speche of te vulgare people was coÌ„sumed in these vrgeÌ„t euylles And the cheiffe men rulars of cytyes dyd holde manye councells to conserue the publycke weale / I dyd suppose it not to be a thinge alienate agenâ—â—e the â—â—yce of those men that do applye â—eriâ—nâ—e and namely the holy scripture yf they dyd descrybe some firme sure reasons of holdynge warre agaynst the Turkes lying so greuously ouer Germany / that is to saye the towre of ChristeÌ„ Mathematicall masters are whych be cunnyng in Aulgry me / Musyke / Geometry aÌ„d Astronomye dome Although the Mathematycall clerkes and masters of Astronomye do take vpon them the fore knowlege of warres thorow the trientall Quincuncial aspectes of Iupiter / Saturne / and Mars / of other Planetes / and expresse the causes chaunces of them / and accomplisshe the same wyth a natural sharpenes of wytte / as men experte in some certeÌ„ vse of thinges yet wold AlexaÌ„der dyscrete sharpe AlexaÌ„der in correction the moste noble Prynce in the feates of warre / cheifely vse the councell of the olde excercysed souldioures Neuer the lesse I do iudge moche better councels to be requyred by ryght of those men that be studyous of deuyne scriptures For the deuyne lawes befuge forth the Leuyte euen the mynyster of relygyoÌ„ in to the former parte of the hoste / they Nume i. Deute xx Nume x. do sett hym betwene the multytudes now standynge rownde aboute in theyr araye / and wyth the hoorse sounde of the trumpettes they do mynister a 〈…〉 â—â—â—ce to the warres waxyng whote / that it may be prynted in the hartes of all good men / not to be chaunce and blynd fortune / not to be inconstant or slypper Mars whych Mars is fayned of poetes to be the god of battell and it is also one of the planetes rasshely myxeth togyther the troubles of warre / but that it is God the gouernoure of heaueÌ„ and erth / which by iudgement sure reason gyueth vnto some meÌ„ merye victorye / turneth an other sorte vnto flyght And that religioÌ„ wyth oute the whiche no thynge can be goueÌ„rned well and happely hathe in batell the chefeste vse / as in the moste daunger of the publyk weale Also many sermones of the Prophetes dispute of the causes chauÌ„ce of warres and eueÌ„ thys matter as a thing propre or specyally pertaynyng vnto diuynyte doth Hieremye knowlege vnto Hananiah the sonne of Azur / saying / the prophetes which were before me and the / Hiere xxviij from the begynnynge / dyd prophecye vpon landes and greate kingedomes / of warre and troble and honger / or ells of peace / were proued by thys / yf God had sent them in very dede wheÌ„ the thynge came so to passe whiche the Prophet tolde before More ouer many mynysters of Constantine holy doctryne / after the comynge of oure lorde dyd not abhorre from the pollytyck rules of kepynge warre for that I may passe by How that in the teÌ„tes of ConstaÌ„tyne Constantyne the greate / euerye pauylyon of the souldyers had lerned meÌ„ in holy thinges how â–ª Bernharde the abbot was the author Bernard of bearynge harnes agaynste the Saracecens That I may holde my peace of the Innocencianes / and the Eugenianes and soche other troÌ„pet blouwers of oute laÌ„dysh warres Saynte Augustyne the greateste Augustyne master of diuinite in his questions to the booke of Iosue doth allmoste explicate the whole reason to kepe battell godly saynt Hierome also writynge in Bethlem the Hierome same tyme wherein the Turkes dyd waste moste cruelly the lesser Asia / a parte of Syria / and at the laste had kylled all Syria / Arabye and Egypte with feare / dyd showe that the synnes of the Christen people were the cause of that plage / and that there was no sure victorye aÌ„d health to be looked for / before there were a returne vnto vertu and righteousnes The councel of the whche moste wyse and also moste holy man if oure fore fathers wolde haue vsed a great whyle ago We sholde haue had all Germanye fre at thys daye from all the feare and weapons of the Turkes and also all Europe Neyther sholde the secte of Mahumet haue obtayned the greateste parte of the worlde inhabyted And Christe the wisdome / righteousnes power of God / sholde haue bene preached in those places / where as now lyinge falshed and madde superstition doth excedingly reioyse and triuÌ„phe Therfore I folowyng the exaÌ„ple of soche men all though wyth a loÌ„ge space betwene / haue iudged it a proffitable thinge / if I sholde bringe vnto my bretherne not so moche a new couÌ„cell as to renue an olde Whiche thynge shall worthely haue now the more weyght or be the better pondered after that it is knowne by a proffe so manye euylles beynge ouercomme what skill it is to obey hym that gyueth good warnynge But my oration was to be aplyed some thinge more nerer vnto ower tymes / and the descriptioÌ„ was to be made of those reasons / with the whyche a sure and contynu all concorde myght be constituted in the Christen congregation Of the firste begynnynge and increasynges of the
that Iuliane was slayne / the blyndenes of the heathen was compelled to know the truthe in so moche that a certen man in the title and name of wysdome moste famous amonge them / sayde How do the Christianes affirme theyer god to be full of pacience and a sufferer of iniuryes Ther is no thing more angrye / no thinge more present then his wrathe / for whyche coulde not differ his indignation and vengeaunce no not a lytle space vpoÌ„ Iuliane the emperoure The iiij Chapt. NOw my oratioÌ„ purpose maketh haste vnto the false AntichristeÌ„ shadowe of religion / for why as there is one god / one wisdome / one truthe one goodnes / eueÌ„ so lykewyse there is but one onely true religion / that is to saye the Christen Neuerthelesse thorow the craft of the deuyll the folysshenes of Diuersite of religion is the cause of greate stryfe men / as there be many lordes and gods noumbred and counted eueÌ„ so is there also many religions / and that very diuerse amonge them self fe Nether do the lerned men and also the vnlerned dyffer more in any thinge then in religion / so that well nere a monge an infinite sorte of fourmes and fasshyons of fayned religion / euerye nation supposeth his owne to be beste / yea surely and alone by it self laughinge all other to scorne as vayne folysshe / despise the as false / hateth abhorrethe as wicked damnable / and wyssheth that they were destroyed vtterly abolysshed / so that theyer owne religion might haue the vpper haÌ„d be spred abrode on euery side far nere / by the meanes where of there is greate pleÌ„ty of hatred soweÌ„ amongst men moste greuous contentioÌ„s / with warres in conclusion and slaughters of men and other all maner of persequtions Whyles euery man stryueth with greteste studye to vpholde auaunce his owne god / faythe and religion Wherefore sathan the moste spytefull enemye of godes glorye and mannes healthe / lyethe in wayte to destroye nothinge more vehemently then the vncorrupted and syncere healthe or preseruation of religion / whiche beynge saffe hole and sounde / the kyngedome of god dothe what proffitcometh of religion beyng kepte and disproffit beynge broken growe and floryshe and mannes felicite is greatly amplyfyed and encreaced / but contrarywyse beynge appayred or made weake / it can not be but the blissed name of god muste nedes be derkened and men wrapped aboute with innumerable euylls Therfore the wicked spryte stirreth vp euery meischeuous corner of his wit / and proueth all the wayes to the woode to corrupt religioÌ„ / being corrupted by his suggestioÌ„ and the fayned Imagynatyon of men whyche wythoute any respect to the worde of god do make them an ydole in theyr hart giue th 〈…〉 vnto pleasante or acceptable worship aâ—ter theyr owne affections to restrayne / suppresse kepe it vnder For that I may passeouer with silence set a syde the superstitioÌ„s of the heitheÌ„ How ofteÌ„ did the Israelytes beynge vnder the administration of the Iudges and kinges departe awaye from the religioÌ„ deeliuered them of god confirmed with woÌ„derfull workes What monsterous worshippings of Cyâ— xâ—â— Iere. â—ij god did they receyue whiche truly didnot abstayne from the slaughter of theyr owne children to offer them vnto ydolles yea truly the princes them self fe the heades of religion and all the people a fewe beynge except did coÌ„spyre to gyther in to Iere. â— strauÌ„ge rites customes of worshippinge false godes / that the prophetes shold prophecye a lye / and the prestes shuld clapps with their handes / reioyse therat / all the people shulde be wel pleased and haue greate pleasure delectation in thee thinges Therfore were not godly meÌ„ so greatly obeyed which went about to call them back agayne into the waye of health to renewe or restore relygioÌ„ being loste but they were takeÌ„ for seditious wicked persons for men starke madde outof theyr wyttes vntyll soche tyme as the people being plaged withsome greate calamyte were brought backe agayne by the scourges and whippes of the lorde from theyr false gods and dumme ydolls vnto the true god whiche lyueth for euer and dyd chaunge theyr wickednes with godlynes / theyer mischeffe with vertu / theyer ignoraunce with knowlege c. How many heresyes dyd inuade the churche of Christe with in a few yeres after the lordes ascensioÌ„ vnto the heaueÌ„s And yet for There is no heresye but it seduceth some men all that there was no heresie that euer came abrode brought forth it self fe so weake and vnresonable whiche did not drawe awaye parte of the churchis flocke far of from the truthe / so that they coulde scantly be brought agayne into the waye of helthe with the great labor of those men whiche in lernynge and lyuynge were menne Apostolyke moste holy messengers sente from the lorde What is more abhorringe not onely from the holye scriptures but also from all good reason then the doctryne of the heretyke called The heretyke Manicheus Manicheus whiche dyd knowlege one-while some infernal furye / an other while Messias / and somtyme the holy goste to be the Author of his secte / and he taught that there was an other God of the olde people before the incarnation of oure lorde / and an other of the Christianes synse he was / incarnate and in holy thinges he mixed soche abhominations as is not to be spoken But what busynes / what vexation / what troble dyd he make vnto the churche whiche certen yeres dyd houlde Aurelius Augustinus wrapped and tayed as it were in a net / beynge easely the prince of all diuines Truly there was neuer any superstition or heresye so vtterly peruerse whiche had not some thinge All heresies agre in some pointes wyth the Christen doctryne coÌ„mon or agreable with owre ChristeÌ„ true and catholyke religion and whiche lenethe to the sure foundatioÌ„ of the euerlastynge verite Nether is there any nation so vntaughte ether ells so wylde whiche hathe not giuen some euident token All natioÌ„s know that ther is a God of it selfe that it perceyueth there is a god and a supreme and prepotent nature / by whose power cheffely the worlde is gouuerned and to whome they studye to do acceptable seruyse and to pacifye the dyspleasure of the godhed with theyr owne institutions and ceremonyes / and so to wynne his fauor For why god loueth all men with oute the respecte of persons is indifferent to them all / willinge them all to come to the knowlege of his truthe and to receyue healthe / and for that cause dothe he graunte in the respect of Christe his sonne by the same Christe his wisdome and vertu the vse of a thinge most necessarye vnto a blissed lyffe / and he soweth the sedes of religion and wisdome in
fauor of God an ende to all euylles to theÌ„ that were now oppressed vnto the vttermoste brought into bondage yf wyth all their harte in theyr enemyes lande they wolde turne vnto the Lorde theyr God And that clemencye of the Lorde and easynes of sparynge so that men wyll ceasse to synne is vttered with a celestiall voyce / Exodi the Exode 〈◊〉 xxxiij â— xxxiiij Chapter For why after that Moses had requyred to see the glory of God and a proste to be gyuen of the Lordes dyuyne maiestye he heareth that no mortal man and lyuynge in thys worlde maye see the face of God Notwithstanding the same Moses sholde be conserued in the clyfte of a rocke / that he myght see the backepartes of the Lorde / that he wolde passe wyth all hys goodnes by the face of Moses Whyche therfore standynge in the denne to hym assygned / dyd se a clowde / and he herde the nature of ower The nature of owre lorde god declared vnto Moses Exod. xxxiiij Lorde God to be showed vnto hym with a celestiall or a dyuyne description The whyche for as moche as it is a thynge moste worthy to be knowen â–ª I wyll reherse it in Inglyshe wordes / whyche is some thinge more agreable to the scripture of the Hebrew then the commoÌ„ traÌ„slation of the Latyne Iehouah / Iehouah / Deus misericors c. That is to saye Lorde / Lorde God / mercyfull and gratious / longesufferynge / and abundant in goodnes and truthe / kepynge mercy in store for a thousand worldes / forgiuinge wyckednes / vngodlynes and synne / and yet for all that not leauinge them all wayes vtterly vupunysshed visitynge the wyckednes of the fathers vpon the thyldreÌ„ vpon the chyldreÌ„s chyldreÌ„ vnto the thyrde and fowrte generation But that the same thinge also is perfourmyd with dedes that this description teacheth to be in the nature of god bothe the holy scriptures and the Ecclesiasticall hystoryes do sufficieÌ„tly beare recorde / that we may passe ouer and speake no thinge at all of other strange prophane matters / and howe easye and gentle the lorde is to them that repente More ouer what an houlesome and goodly medicyne the chaungynge of owre dispsition and maners after the rule of godes law is vnto ower miserye the register or commmentarye of the Iwes affayers vnder the administratioÌ„ gouernance of the iudges doth teache very well For Iosue beynge deade and that people which had perceyued the workes of the lorde in the dayes of Moses and Iosue beynge Iudges ouer them they that cam after them immediatly dyd caste awaye from them the worship of the true god / and they serued Baalim and other creatures after the manee of the heatheÌ„ to whome they dyd gyue false existimation of diuine power Wherefore the lorde waxinge angrie / delyuered theÌ„ in to the power of Chusan Rischeatane / kinge Iudg. iii. of the Sirianes that they sholde suffer his tyrannie .viii. yeres and whaÌ„ they beynge oppressed whith greuous calamites wold come againe in to the right waye and knowe the one onely true and euerlastinge god worshippyd of the holy fathers and wolde call for his helpe / chaungynge theyer wickednes in to the studye of vertu God dyd remytte the iuste perseqution of his displeasure / and of theyer couenaunte broken / and he gaue them Othoniel a reuenger of theyr iniuries whiche might supporte the publyke weale falne in decaye and brynge them agayne to lybertye By soche a lyke meanes Ehud dyd lose the Israelytes from the captiuite of the Moabytes / and Barach Iudg. iiii and Debora from the tyrannie wher with Iabin kinge of Canaan had oppressed the Israhelytes / by the space of xx yeres And Gedeon defendyd them from Iudg. vii the Madianites whiche with contynuall inuasioÌ„s had wasted them by the tyme of .vii. yeres And Iephthah repressed and Iudg. xi brought vnder the Palestines and Ammonites when Israhel by affliction had lerned to feare and worship the lorde Samuel also restored the people of god by none other meanes / theÌ„ by the amendment of the former lyffe and that sodenly done and not fayned in the translation of certen yeres For why he preached vnto all â— Kynges vij Israhel after this sentence If yow wyll turne vnto the lorde in al yower hart theÌ„ put awaye the straunge godes Baalim and Astaroth from amoÌ„ge yow / and prepare yower hartes vnto the lorde and serue hym onelye / and he shall ryd yow owt of the handes of the Philistines What dyd they at lenght The children of Israhel remoued Baalim and Astaroth and they serued the lorde onely But the people beinge gatherd to gitther in Maspha Samuel dyd gyue commaundament and called the publyke weale backe agayne to the lawes of god / where they dyd also knowlege theyr offences vnto the lorde / and they fastyd and prayed desyringe Samuel also / whiche in the name of all the people sholde hartely desyer the lorde his god to be mercyfull to them / whyles he was occupyed in holy thinges and made his prayers wyth all the people the mercyfull Lorde dyd gyue vnto them moste readye remedye For why it thondereth in the element / and he caste a soden feare vpon hys vncircuncysed enemyes / so that parte of them were slayne of the Israelites / and parte of them recouered theÌ„ self fe in to theyr coÌ„trey wyth moste shamefull flyght / whyche victorye they dyd ascribe full hole vnto God onely to whome it dyd partayne And the Philystines where browght vndre as the storie of the kinges sayeth / nether dyd they attempte any more that they myght come in to the costes of Israel / and the hande of the lorde was agaynst the Philistines all the dayes of Samuel / and the cytyes were restored agayne vnto Israel whyche the Palestines had taken awaye But why so I pray yow Verely because Samuel was in verye dede a godly rular of the publyke weale and therfor dyd gouerne and regarde the same and not the vayne name fayned person as it were in some playe or tragedie of a good prynce for he dyd both reuerently obserue relygyon and righteousnes Pryncesâ— magystrates of the publyke weale be tawght theyr dewtyes in mâ—nistringe their 〈◊〉 ces vp the exaÌ„ple of Samuel hym self fe And that they myght also be obserued of all the people / he spared no dilygence / no fayth / no paynes / tyll he had browght it to passe with greateste vigilancye / goynge aboute the people assembled or gathered together here and there in Israell / that he myght ernestly treate wyth them all of the publyke weale and of the busynes of the Churche / vysytynge theyer scholes that the doctryne of godlynes and the iij. Re. xxi admynystratyon of holye thynges sholde be kepte pure and saffe Achab the kinge of Israhel a meruelous a monsterous and a woÌ„derfull wicked prince to gether
and haue stretched owte my hande and no man regarded it / but hath despised all my councells and set my correctyon at naught therfor shall I also laughe in yower destructyon / and mocke yow wheÌ„ that thinge that yow feare shall Prouer. j. chaunce vnto yow / euen when the calamities falleth in sondenly lyke a storme and yower destruction lyke a tempest / yea when trouble and heuines cometh vpon yow Then shall they call vpon me but I wyll not heare them They shall seke me early but they shall not fynde me / and that be cause they hated knowlege and receyued not the feare of the lorde but abhorred my councell and despysed all my correction Therfor shall they eate the frutes of theyer owne waye and be filled with theyer owne inuentioÌ„s And in the .xxviij. Chapter He that turneth awaye his eare from hearynge the lawe Prouerbâ— xxxviij his prayer shall be abhominable Agayne in the .xxi. Who so stopeth his eares at the cryynge of the poore he shall crye Pro. xxi hym self fe and not be herde Mycheas also saythe / O heare thys ye prynces of the house of Iacob and ye Iudges of the howse of Israell Sholde ye not know what ware laufull and right But ye hate the Mithi iiâ—â— good and ye loue the euyll / ye plucke of mennes skinnes and theflesshe from they â—r â–ª bones / ye choppe theÌ„ in peaces as it were in to a cauldroÌ„ and as flesshe in to a pot Now the tyme shall come that wheÌ„ they call vnto the lorde he shall not heare theÌ„ / because that thorow theyr owne Imagynations they haue dealte so wyckedly The lorde also speakth in his Prophet Esaye the firste Chapter sayynge when yow houlde owte yower handes / I wyll turne myne eyes from yow and thowgh ye make many prayers I wyll heare no thinge at all â–ª for yower handes are full of blowde Wasshe yow therfor and make yow cleane / put awaye yower euyll thowghtes owt of my syght / cease from Esay â— doyinge of euyll / lerne to do right and apply yower selffes to equyte ce And in the .lviij. of Esay God professeth him self fe to be very harde and playnely inexorable vnto the wycked as it is euident by Iuexorable / that caÌ„ not be wâ—ue and obtayned by prayer these wordes Beholde the Lordes hande is not shortened that it can not helpe / nether is his eare so stopped that it may not heare / but yowre greate offences hath separated yow from yower God and yowre synnes hydeth hys face from yow that he heareth yow not / for yowre haÌ„des are polluted wyth bloude / and yowre fyngers embrued with vnryghteousnes c. Now Sayntes whyther they be deade or â—â—yne can not preuayle by prayer to helpe the wylful resysters of gods spryte and truth that the prayers of sayntes whyther they be departyd from the dutyes of this lyffe / or whether they be yet styl lyuyng in the erthe can not put away those calamytyes which God the ryghteous Iudge bryngeth vpoÌ„ the obstynate offenders and the wylfull synners agaynst the holy goste the onelye testimonye of Iohn the Euangelyste in his fyrste epistle doth sufficiently declare / where as he sayeth there is a synne vnto death / for the whyche saye I not that a maÌ„ sholde pray The Lorde also sayeth in the gospel that synne agenst the â— Ioan. v. Mat. xij holy goste shal nather be forgyueÌ„ in thys worlde nor in the world to come But Ieremy declareth it more euideÌ„tly / speaâ—inge of the sayntes / which whyles they were alyue obtayned very moch by their feruent Ierâ—m xv prayers Though Moyses and Samuel stode before me yet haue I no herte to this people dryue them awaye owt of my syght that they maye go some vnto death / some to the sworde / some to huÌ„ger / some into captyuyte And of the lyuynge sayntes there is a famylyar example Ieremye the .vij. Praye not thow for thys people / nether gyue thow thankes nor make intercession for them for in no wyse I wyll heare them Why seist thou not what they do in the cyttyes of Iuda and in the stretes of Ierusalem And the same thinge is also repeted Ieremye the .xi. Iere. xâ— chapter after thys maner It is fownde owte that whole Israel and all the cyttyzyns of Ierusalem are gone backe They haue turned them selues to the blasphemyes of theyer fore fathers whyche had no lust to heare my wordes And a lyttle after it followeth therfor praye not thow for thys people / byd nather prayse nor prayer for them for thowgh they crye vnto me in theyer trouble yet I wyll not heare them ce It is a place well set forth and moste worthy for to be looked vpoÌ„ very inwardly / for as moche as saynt Hierome that notable doctor of most famous memory interpreting the same not onely clerkely but also playnely sayeth Of these wordes we lerne that he wasteth his labor in vayne which prayeth for an other man wheÌ„ he is not worthy to receyue of god the thynge that is prayed for And that an other mannes righteousnes Ierome al though it be neuer so excellent may not defende the iniquite of other men it is moste playnely expressed the xiiij of Ezechiel That laÌ„de whych sinneth Ezâ—c xiiij agaynste me and goeth forth in wickednes I wyll stretche owte mine hande vpon it and destroye all the prouisioÌ„ of theyr breade / and sende derth vpon them to destroy man and beaste in the lande And though these thre men Noe / Daniel / and Iob were amonge them yet shall they in theyer righteousnes deliuer but theyer owne sowles / sayeth the lorde of hostes And a lyttle beneth it is sayde yf these thre men were in the lande as truly as I lyue sayeth the lorde god they shall delyuer nether sonnes nor daughters but onely be saued theÌ„ selues Wherfore it is wrytten Esay the thirde byd the righteous Esay iii. do well for they shall enioye the frutes of theyer studyes / but wo be to the vngodly in theyer wickednes for they shall be rewarded after theyer workes And in Habacuc the seconde chapter an excellent diuyne sentence is proponed / and set forthe with the whiche ower mynde may be fortifyed and kept suer euen as it were wyth an holy anchore in all parells and temptations He that is vnfaythfull his lyffe is not in safegarde within hym self fe 〈…〉 cuc â—â— but the ryghteous shall lyue by his fayth The Apostles also gyueth often warnynge that euery man sholde be honeste in all poyntes and kepe a good conscyence hauinge with in them self fe an holy reioy synge / for as moche as euerye man shall Balat vi beare his owne burthen in the day of the lorde and reape that he hath sowed For the promyse of god made vnto Abraham Be. xviij that the Sodomytes sholde
people in to the same / and the wonderfull successe of The dyuersyte betwene the Christen churche aÌ„d the Turkes church at this present tyme Cantic i. fortune in victoryes / in riches / in other temporall thinges doth vpholde and commeÌ„de the religioÌ„ of Mahumet where as the Christen church lieth in the duste appereth owtewardely very euyll fauored / sluttysshe / nedie oppressed and filled with diuerse and moche people weake feble faynt in the fayth / with many vngratious men / with many traytours And all hir beutye lyeth hyd inwardely / that is to saye fayth / the knowlege of god / holynes and righteousnes by Christe / euen as the spouse of god speaketh in the balletts of SalomoÌ„ I am blacke / but yet am I well fauored / eueÌ„ as the bagynges of SalomoÌ„ the pauilioÌ„s of Cedar And it is songe in the Psalmes that all the beutye and apparell Ps xliiij of the kinges doughter was set inwardely wrowght aboute with gowlde and curious nedle worke of diuerse coloures And ther for vnto spirituall batayle the Turkes brynge sharpe and obstinate myndes / so that a Turke beyng a proselyte is very seldome sene in the Christen churche / were as many of vs lyke false apostatataes which is a shamefull thinge greately to be lamented do forsake owre religion and fall a waye vnto them Now partely thorowe the prescription of theyr lawe whiche commaundeth theÌ„ with warres to sprede abrode theyr relygion or ells at the leste waye to make men of a contrarye religion trybutaries vnto them / and partly thorow ambition whiche is a kyns woman to slesshely dispositions / and can kepe no measure wheÌ„ the mater cometh to passe after hir owne mynde and supposerh the wynnynge or To holde the woluâ— by the cares / is tâ— be in doble aÌ„d douteful dauÌ„ger / lyke as is that man why che holdeâ—â— a wolâ—e by thâ—eares / for yf he shot de lethim go / it is daÌ„gerous â— to holdâ— hym stylâ— it is dangerous also takinge awaye of one newe kingedome / onely to be a steppe or a Grece to inuade other the Turkes also do stryue with vs for dominion / and they gape after ower temporall goodes / so that we playnely after the prouerbe may holde as it were the wolue by the eares For a substancyall sure peace can not be betwene the ChristiaÌ„s the Turkes so longe as they do obserue the law of Mahumet Wher for to abstayne from warres owght not so moch to be called a peace as a breathinge / a sekyng of some better aduantage And therfore we must praye vehemently to the Lorde owre God that he wyll wit saffe to open the eyes of the Turkes vnderstondiÌ„ge that they maye beholde the vanyte of theyr superstition and the sure and eternall truthe of the Christen relygion For why by that meanes in conclusion an holy / a good / a saffe / an honeste and houlsome coÌ„corde bothe to them and vs might be optayned Agayne to kepe batayle with the Turkes is a thinge full of greate perrell and of moche difficultie whiche way so euer we turne vs in the worlde / For why that dominioÌ„ of theirs is opened very wyde by Asia / Affrica / Europa / and it is abundaÌ„t with the multitude of meÌ„ and of all other thinges that warre hath nede of And there be leages or bondes of peace made betwene Solymanne and the moste mighty polytyke rulers of the ChristeÌ„ name as men saye Whiche thinges how moche they helpe ower enemie how greate oportunities they do brynge vnto hym / or how moch they do hurte ower affayers I holdynge my peace all meÌ„ do vnderstoÌ„de What sholde I speake of the conscripte and ordinarie multitudes of horse men and fote men and of men pertaining to theyr shippes and galyes What of they supplementes or store of artilerye as of bowes / gunnes / harnesse and of other soche lyke thinges in a maner beynge infinite What of theyer arays / vittle / lernynge / experience / prouidence / and concorde What of theyer perseuerance / theyer sufferaunce / and obseruation of dominion All whiche thinges are better knowen vnto those meÌ„ to whome the knowlege of soche thinges belongeth / then to me Nether can they be comprehended at one tyme in any consultation / seynge that many times in the former parte of the hoste / in the batayle and euen sodenly a good captayne muste take newe couÌ„cell But this thinge owght not to be dissembled that the Turkes are ower moste cruell enemyes and are beste instructe and prepared in all thinges And that ower power agaynste them is very lyttle / weake / feble and in a maner worthye to be despysed except ower healpe be looked for in the name of the lorde whyche made heauen and erthe / greate / incomparale / inuincyble / and at all tymes ready for them that feare the same lorde / and hope for healthe in his mercye Chapt. xvij NOw trulye by what meanes we maye get and optayne the same thinge and vse it euermore I wyll from henseforth tell and delcare / trustynge no thinge at all vnto myne owne witt whiche is very smale nether yet vpon anye syngulare wisdome But I wyll folowe the steppes of gods worde and the demonstration of those storyes whyche vnto soche as make dilygent inquisitioÌ„ do many festly expresse accordinge to the course of all worldes / what hath at any tyme ether proffited or hurte the churche / what god hathe done and wrowght / and with what instrumentes / or ells by what meanes / in the churche / ether before the word of god was incarnate or afterwarde And yf I do coniecture truly the lorde hath warned vs wyth a wondefull token that a sorowfull and bytter destenye hangeth ouer the churche and for what causes / and howe and by what meanes she may escape it / the fyfte yere before the Turkes dyd fyrste muade Asia Rufinus the traytour callynge theÌ„ forthe when by the space of .xxx. dayes to gether a fyerie doue dyd apere in the element / and was sene of all men Truly Prodygyous signes and woÌ„ders ought nether with conrempte to be neglected nor yet superâ—tytyouâ—ly to be obserued as wonderfull signes and straunge syghtes fasshions of thinges not acustomed to be sene owght not to be obserued superstitiously no more then dreames and other soche lyke thinges euen so lykewyse those thinges owght not to be despised whiche the maker and gouuernoure of nature hath obiected or caste in betwene the heathen and the companions of trwe relygion / as often as he wolde brynge forth any noble warke and prouoked men more inwardely to consider theyer lyuinge and also to pondre the Iudgementes of god / so that in tyme they myght flye from the euylles hangynge ouer theyr heades Wherfore the Lorde in the gospel Maâ— xxiiij of S. Luke speakynge of the destruction of the Iuysshe nation /
were nowe compelled to leaue vnto them moste goodly triumphe of victorye Constantine newly conuerted vnto the Christen faith although not yet baptised goeth Constantyne constaÌ„tly vnto the cyte of Rome occupyed and holden of the tyraunt Maxencius / for the with turning his face vp into heuen and from thence asking helpe vnto whom from the east / the signe of the crosse was shewed / and this voice out of heueÌ„ was brought vnto him saing â—h Constantyne in this take thou the victorye Not that the signe of the crosse shuld haue that strength aÌ„d vertewe / but to certifye him / that he being sustayned with the helpe of chrâ—st / shuld haue the victorye Which thing afterward he confessed by his owne opon proclamacion / euen that the god of the chrystyans owght onely to be honoured and worshypped which is the authour of all victory and felycite Mestezel at the commandement Mestezel of Honorius the emperour / with .v. hundereth armed men goyng forth agenste Gildo the tyrant / toke vnto him out of the Iland of Capreis godly men / which shuld praye and animat the people vnto the christen faith / religion / and bertewe Which Mestezel with .lxxv. thousande meÌ„ did most happely ouercome the tyrant Clodanus / the first kinge of Clodans France that euer receyued the name of christ / being afraid at the great and cruell Hilderich hoste of Hilderich kyng of the AllmaÌ„s / became a christen maÌ„ / promising himself to enbrace Christes religioÌ„ aÌ„d to defeÌ„de hiâ— chirche / which when he had called vpon Christ nowe at his prayer being preste aÌ„d preseÌ„t to helpe him at one tyme he ouercame the sayd myghty hoste of Hilderich / aÌ„d made him to be the faithfull worshipper of the moste high kinge Iuliauus the persecutour / by the prayers of the christeÌ„ Iulianus chirch was extinct slaine Roab kinge of the Scythians was slayne with terrible Roab thunder and lyghtenings after he was ouercomen by the prayers of the christen coÌ„gregacion When the Saracens hauynge one Zulimus vnto theyer captayne Sulimus did inuade or beseyge Constantinopole with a passynge greate nauye Leo Isaurus Leo Isaurus then beynge emperoure ouer the samefor the space of .iij. yeares / the cyttye also beynge infected with a noysome pestilence and all mans helpe in a maner paste and vttely desperate they turned theÌ„ selues full and whole vnto the helpe of god / and theier superstitious worshippynges clene forsaken and cast awaie / and all theyer ymages brent vp in one fyer witâ— a solemne vowe made vnto god that all the reste sholde be serued lykewyse throwgh all the Empyre they felte the helpe of god more frely gyuen them then euer they durste desyer it For the hoste of the Saracens had these plages caste dâ—â—â—e vpon them eueÌ„ as it had bene shaarpe dartes fallynge downe from heauen / that is to weit / colde / hunger / pestelence / and sedicions among themselues / in so miche that Zulimus their capitayne was nowe deade Also in Bulgarye parte of the hoste was slayne / aÌ„d lyghtenings lycked vp and consumed their shippes / some by stormes brokeÌ„ and drowned / so that very fewe of so infinite a multitude came home agayn Oh prayers moste effectuouse Oh voices so terrible to our enemies / which strike more vehemeÌ„tly theÌ„ thoÌ„dre boltes and gunstones Oh the helthfull swete sinoke of Images set on fier / which shuld in this tyme more effectuously chase awaye owr enemies / and euen the very Turks / then the lowde blowinge vp of hornes chaseth awaye serpeÌ„ts When Ezechias and Esaye with wother godly men dyd put their cheife yea all their hole hope in the helpe of the lorde / callinge there Esay 37 vpon incessantly An aungell of the lorde in one night .clxxxv. of the Assyrians soldyours beynge slayne delyuered the cyte of Hierusalem / and then that vngodly tyraunt theyer capitayne returned homâ— telling what a fowle slaughter there waâ— in th 〈…〉 tentes that night / and was moâ— mi 〈…〉 bly and fowly slayne of his owâ— so 〈…〉 s in the presence of his Idole Ne◠〈…〉 ch It shuld be an infinite worke to briÌ„â— together in to remeÌ„braÌ„ce / what and hoâ— great victories godly praiers haue obtaâ—ned Wherfor oh ye christeÌ„ meÌ„ yf the people this daye wolde be conuerted aÌ„d turne them selues vnto these wayes which By what mâ—anes caÌ„corde and victorye maye â—aâ—aly be obtayned euer haue bene knowne to be effectuous both a christen concorde were some made and the studye of vertue sholde easaly beâ—oyned to the true religion Batayle and warâ—are sholde iustly be ceassed brought to an ende Also prayers sholde then holde the fyrste / the middest and the laste place in all ower affayres so that all felicitie and good lucke sholde iustly and duly be asked of god onely Yea and the same felicitye graunted vnto vs sholde be ascrybed I say not to George to Barbara or Christofer but vnto ower celestiall father the onely gyuer of all good gyftes with large and moste ample gyuynge of thankes Beleue me if this were done we haue the victorye oh ye christen meÌ„ we haue the victorye of these horrible fowle aÌ„d cruell Turkes / whiche thorow owr synnes and cowardely slowghtfulnes are hiâ—her to encreaced / yea and that by the iuâ—te iugement at the lorde Neuer 〈…〉 lesse â—hat this my concell or consultation whiâ—he peraduenture is set for the with to maâ—ye worden to longe a processe myght â—pere to ve no newe but an oulde thiÌ„ge / â—â—t so moche to be my concell but also the mynde of the moste holy men I wyll adâ—e and brynge in the wordes of S. Hieroâ—e in the whiche at the begynnynge of Hierome â—he Turkes incursion he tawght that the â—aine ower aduersaryes were styrred vp â—horowe ower vnfaythfulnes / but yet by the wrathe of god for owersynnes to haue bene sent of hym to plage the worlde that is to saye the vice and mischeffe of the christen people / and that these ower â—alamityes can not be put awaye norsure and perfecte helthe be optayned / oneles we beynge humbled vnder the myghtye â—hande of god do correcte aÌ„d amend ower â—vicious lyuiÌ„ge / embrace vertue / aÌ„d with ower prayer call downe from heauen inuincible power to ayde and assiste vs. The Epitaphpe is the superseriptioÌ„ that is wrytteÌ„ vpoÌ„ a grâ—ue or tuâ—e se be Hieroms wordes in the epitaphye of Nepotianus / and he swageth the heauines of Heliodorus taken for the losse of his Neeuye a ryght good man both with diuerse other reasons and with this also that he owght to reioyse aÌ„d be gladde for soche good men / for that they now slepynge in the lorde haue escaped the stormye calamityes aÌ„d so manye myseries of this present worlde Now will I come vnto priuate dignities and yet shall I not speake but of those thinges whiche haue bene done within these .ij. yeares
with his wyffe Iesabel the Sydonite dyd opresse the beste cyttezyn Naboth by a false quarrell Agaynste whome Elyas dyd immedyately pronounce sentence of deathe But when Achab herde the worde of the Lorde by Helyas / he rent hys clothes / and he couered hys fleshe wyth a shyrte of heare / and he fastyd and slepte in sackecloth / and he walked with hys heade hangynge downe to hys bosome And the worde of the Lorde came to the Prophte Elias the Thesbyte / sayinge Doeste thow not se how Achab humbleth him self fe before me Be cause he so submitteth hymselffe for the cause of me I wyll not bringe that euylle in his dayes whiche I had deuised but in his sonnes dayes I wyll brynge my plage vpoÌ„ his house These be the wordes of the storye of the kinges the third boke the .xxi iiii king i Chapter Neuerthelesse Ochozias the sone of Achab dyd not consyder his fathers mischeffe / as the wycked with Ezechiel do boste in a prouerbe The fathers haue eaten sower grapes / and the chyldreÌ„s tethe Eze. xviii are set on edge But for because he folowed the dedes of hys wycked father the thretes dyd nather moue hym brought vnto his father by the excellent Prophet of god / nor yet the plage of drowthe whiche dyd occupye the lande of Israel thre iii Kyng â—vii Iames .v. yeres and syxe monethes wyth the greate derthe in a maner of all thinges God dyd persequte the iniquite in the kynred folowynge / whyche the father had exercysed before / and the sonne dyd not ameÌ„d after many excellent warninges Whiche thinge in the dedes of the iewes kingedome is manyfestly perceyued For when the iiii â–ª Kyng xvâ—â— state of the people was moste corrupte Ezechias rayninge ouer them a godly prynce But neuer the lesse whiche was not with oute moles or red markes of the flesshe and had in hys courte asorte of vngratyous knaues / as Sobna and other / Esay xxii and the cheffe rulars and masters of relygyon dyd myserablely bewytche the vnluckye people as it is manyfeste in the Micheas .iij. wordes of Esay Micheas brought forth the sentence of God after thys maner in the thyrde chapter of his prophecie Therfore shall Syon for yower sakes be plowed lyke a felde / and Ierusalem shall become an heape of stones / and the hyll of the teÌ„ple shall be turned into an hye woode Shal we suppose God to haue spokeÌ„ those thinges in sporte Was it hys wyll to moue their myndes wyth vayne threatenynges that they myght as chyldren be sodenly taken with vayne feare No truly but the same thynge was declared by Micheas that they had deserued / and that God wolde do vnto them All though wyth no herde condytyon / that yf they wolde repent by the mercy of God they sholde be saued Therfore Sennacherib kynge of the Assyryans dyd compas truly iiii Kinges .xix. the cytye of Ierusalem rounde aboute with a greuous seyge but he dyd not talie it / as Micheas / as Esay / and as other dyuyne Prophetes had thretened wyth the worde of God Why so Verely because Ezechias and Iuda dyd feare the Lorde and prayed before his face And the Lorde repented hym of the euyll / whiche he had spoken agaynste them euen as it was bosted of the elders in the congregation of the people / whiche defendyd Hieremye agaynste the qwarelynges of false prophetes preistes / as it is wrytten the .xxvi. Chapter of Hieremye Afterwarde Iere. xxvi when Ezechias not well remembrynge how he was preserued by the helpe of God from the power of the Assirianes delyuered from his deadely dysease dyd wax proude for the message done vnto hym by the ambassadoures of Babilon iiij Re. xx and showed them all his treasures for a boste a pryde the prophet Esaye dyd Esa xxxix gyue diuyne sentence agaynste hym and prophecied that al those thinges shold be carryd away from thens vnto Babylon ij Chron. xxxiij Whose Sonne Manasses laden wyth all maner of myscheffe was taken prisoner and brought to BabyloÌ„ Neuer the lesse when he dyd knowlege his synnes / thowght ernestly for to ameÌ„de / he was restored to his fathers kingedome playde the godly vertuous priâ—ce But his iiij Reg. xxi sonne AmoÌ„ after the deathe of his father callynge backe agayne the former abolyshed wickednes was shortly slayne in his owne howse of his owne seruantes In whose steade Iosias his sonne was ordined kinge / which hearyng Hieremie and other godly men prechinge of the moste â—iij Reg â–ª xxij and xxiij corrupte state of the people dyd correct with moste syncere diligeÌ„ce the seruyse of god and the politike ordre of the publike weale falne in decaye after the rule of the holy byble Therfore Iosias beynge a lyue the Chaldeis dyd kepe no warre with the Iues But when his children which iiij Reg â–ª xxiij anâ— xxiiij rayned after hym Ichoahaz / Iehoakim / Zedekia theyr Neuye Iehoacin dyd gouerne the kingedome moste vngraciously wolde not be called backe with the preachinges of the prophetes Zedekia his councellers the false prophetes did bothe brynge theÌ„ self fe / also the people the hole countreye vnto destructioÌ„ And yet the moste stedfaste prophet Hieremie which many tymes had towlde before haÌ„de that the cyttye IerusaleÌ„ sholde be taken Iere. xxi xxxij and xxxvij aÌ„â— xxxix of the Chaldeies / that the teÌ„ple aÌ„d howses therof sholde be consumed with fyer / the kynge with his childrene to be haÌ„dled moste wrechedly in the beseygeinge therof wheÌ„ the tyme was at haÌ„de that they sholde be expulsed did promise Zedekia wyth the wordes of god / that yf he wolde delyuer vp hym self fe the cyttye in to the haÌ„des of the chaldeis / with whoÌ„ Eze. xvij he had brokeÌ„ his othe promise before he sholde bothe be gentlely intreated of the kynge of Babylon And the cytye also with their goodly temple and other holy thinges sholde not be destroyed What caÌ„ be brought more clere to declare the proffyt of vnfayned repentaunce Whyche in the laste article of troblesom paine was so greate a socure vnto the Iwes And lest any man sholde suppose the sayde godly vertu called repentance to be at any tyme in this worlde vnprofytable or ouer late euen as it is sayde in the common prouerbe it is to late to spare in the bottome the example of the Nyniuites doth teache To spare in the bottom / that is to say when all to spent vs abundantly For after that God had reproued the moste vngracious myscheffes of the sayde cyttye / and towlde them that Niniue sholde be ouerthrowne wyth in fortye dayes fyrste the inferior people and then after warde the kynge indeuoured theÌ„ self fe very ernestelyeto amende theyer maners And they we returned vnto the mercye of
the lorde And God dydle theyer workes and how they were conuerted from theyer euyll waye / and he chaunged his decre of sodeÌ„ vengeaunce to be browght vpon them / Nether dyd he destroye them as he had Ionas .iij. and .iiij. spokeÌ„ by the prophet Ionas / whose euyll affection God also reproued for that he was sorye to be cowntyd as a false and lyinge prophet the cytye beynge saued to the whiche he had prophecyed extreme subuersioÌ„ Wherby it is euident that there is no thinge more pleasant vnto God â–ª then that men with the amendement of theyer disposition and maners myght auoyde the sworde of his celestiall wrath shakyd at theyer heades And allthowgh that euery hole natioÌ„ or citty wyll not put awaye theyr vyces yet the amendment of some and syngulare men is very acceptable vnto the lorde And it optayneth the puttynge awaye of vrgent payne and greuous punisshemeÌ„t or elles truly a mitigation therof yf we muste nedes be slayne withe the stubborne harted For wheÌ„ the Gothians dyd inuade Rome Halarich and Radagaste beinge Halarich and Radagaste heade Captaynes to the Gothians theyr Captayne 's / a greate parte of the cyttezynnes were infideles / and they layde all the cause of that cruell warre destruction vpon Christen religion / and the despysed honourynge of ydoles And they requyred their teÌ„ple and abolysshed superstitions for to be restored and set vp agayne An other parte of them puttyng their truste in God / and flyinge to hys celestyall helpe / by theyr prayers made in the name of Christ obtayned remission of all theyer synnes Therfore the cyttye beynge taken / Halarich the emperoure of the Gothians dyd commaunde that no man sholde be spoyled in the temples of the Christianes / wherefor the good people flyinge to the lordes howses as in to a Saynctuarye were defendyd by the helpe of God and amongst them certen in infideles I caÌ„ not tell whyther I may saye professynge or sodenly faynynge the christen relygion When in the meane tyme the cyttye was defyeled with robberyes slaughter / fyer / the forcynge of women and rauysshynge of virgyns At the same tyme the Duke or captayne of the HuÌ„nians called Subtarus the brother of Mazuchus whyche brought forthe Attyla Subtarus the brother of Mazuchus father to Attyla borne in Scythia / and called the scourge oâ— god for the greate destructioÌ„ that he made in Germanye / which after he had sub dued Hungary and ouer throwne Aquncia / a cytty in Italye / returnynge home agayne / dyed was choked wyth immoderate bledynge the scourge of god / the gothianes aÌ„d the Germanes beynge dyuersely vexed dyd inuade the Burgundions whiche haue theyer habitation by the ryuer called Rhene / the formar inhabiters therof beynge dryuen awaye / that the same thinge myght chaunse vnto them that Publius Mimus dothe teache Thou muste loke to be dealte with all thy selfe as thow dealeste with other men Wherfore the Burguâ—dions vtterly mystrustinge theyer owne power / myght / weapons do turne them all to gether to the helpe of god And forbycause they had serued by the commoÌ„ fame / that the God of the christianes dothe euermore helpe his deuoute clientes whith his moste present power They do all with one consente embrace the faythe of christe And the .vii. daye from theyer baptisme thre thowsand Burgundions dyd come vpon the infinite multitudes of theyer enemyes / and ten thowsand of them beynge slayne togyther with theyer Duke They constraynyd the residue with fearefull flight to recoyle backe to theyer owne contrye Truly how moche goodnes the chaungynge of an euyll ordered lyffe dothe brynge vnto men can not to be showed in this place / and it is euery where declared in the doctrine of godlynes Chapt. xij IT foloweth therfor that I may teache it to be an Esaie thynge to traÌ„sfourme ower lyuynge to put awaye the bourdeÌ„ of iniquite / for the whiche the veÌ„geauÌ„ce of god both wyth other instrumeÌ„tes / also wyth the weapons of the turkes inuadith christeÌ„dome with ragynge violence / so that we do not disdayne to vse those facultyes whiche god him self fe dothe offer vnto the same thynge / and to walke in the ryght waye whiche the holy scriptures doth showe / and not the fayned traditions inuentyd by sophysters of contention / confession and satisfactions But leste I sholde be to full of wordes in a matter that is very playne I do thinke or iudge repentaunce as it is takeÌ„ after the maner of diuinite / for the amendemeÌ„t of all ower lyffe and a newe returninge vnto god to be verye well diffined in the wordes of the .xxxvi. Psalme / whyche also be repeted in the Epistle written vnto the Hebrues after this maner Departe from euyll do the thynge that is good and dwell for euer Now we vnderstoÌ„de that thinge to be good / that is right and honeste Agayne we houlde that â–ª thinge to be euyll that is false fylthye of the whiche .ij. thinges god doth alowe the one / he commaundith and perswadith and promyseth gyftes vnto it / and he prayseth and honoureth and rewardeth it The other he improueth / he forbiddyth / he dyswadith / he rebuketh aÌ„d he persequteth it with payne and punisshements Therfor What it is to do penauÌ„ce to repent truly to do penaunce / as dyuines speake / and to correcte ower lyffe is to caste owt of ower mynde and all the purpose maner of owerlyuynge / those thinges / whiche be coÌ„traye to the will of god / whither we ower selffe receyued them by ower owne affectioÌ„ and error / or whither they weare deliuered vnto vs by some other men / as it were with handes / and to do / yea and with greatest studye to ensue those thinges whiche are a greable vnto the supreme lawe moste perfyt reason / that is to saye vnto the minde of god / so that he whiche before tyme dyd superstitiously worship thinges created let hym now religiously worship onely the true liuing god / Whiche before was periured / may now kepe his othe aÌ„d perfourme those thinges where vnto he is sworne Whiche before was an homicyde may now abhore from slaughter bloode Whiche before was a breaker of wedloke and an vnclene person may now houlde matremonie in holy reuerence and lyue chastely Whiche dyd hurte his bretherne with crafte and gyles may now abstayne from iniuries and do good to as many as he is able to proffit Vnto the whiche thinge there is nede of a sure and perfyt knowlege of synne and vertue / whiche the boke of the ten commaundementes of the lawe of god dothe breffely expresse / and also the doctryne of Christe whiche with his passioÌ„ and death doth iustifye the wicked with owte any of theyr owne workes / or of any creature so that men onely will knowe them self fe to haue ofteÌ„ded and coÌ„fesse the same vnto god againste whoÌ„ they