openlie committed that I looked when God in iustice would haue presentlie in his wrath haue cōfounded the beholders The Theatre I found to be an appointed place of Bauderie mine owne eares haue heard honest women allured with abhominable speeches Sometime I haue seene two knaues at once importunate vpon one light huswife whereby much quarel hath growen to the disquieting of manie There seruants as it is manifestlie to be prooued haue consented to rob their maisters to supplie the want of their harlots there is the practising with married wiues to traine them from their husbands and places appointed for meeting and conference When I had taken a note of al these abuses sawe that the Theater was become a consultorie house of Satan I concluded with my selfe neuer to imploie my pen to so vile a purpose nor to be an instrument of gathering the wicked togither It maie seeme I am ouer lauish of speech and that which I haue publiqulie expressed ofothers by mine owne knowledge might haue bene dissembled But I haue learned that he who dissembles the euil which he knowes in other men is as giltie before God of the offence as the offenders the selues And the Lord hath expreslie commanded in Exodus that we should not folowe a multitude to do evil neither agree in a controuersie to decline after many and overthrowe the truth I cannot therefore but resist such wickedness least I might seeme to maintaine them For he that dissembles vngodlines is a traitor to God Since therefore that the cause is Gods I dare presse forth my selfe to be an Advocate against Satan unto the rooting out of sinne For I am fully resolued in Gods truth to build so strong and fure a fundation against these sellers setters forth of sinne as neither they nor their adherents shal euer be able to ouerthrowe And my trust is that the godile wil ionie with me to the suppressing of those which fight against his worde waging their battel on the Sabboth daie the more conuenientile to destroie the soules of the children of God The cause is generalie to be defended for that the contention of the Aduersaries is about religion and therefore none can be discharged for bare saieng they consent not to the wicked For it is the part of euerie true soldier of lesus Christ with al power to withstand resist such as offer wrong to the maiestie of GOD by hindering the service which we owe unto him We are to be enimies unto the death against those uphiolders of wickedness and neuer to giue ouer the battel in so holie iust a quarel We see the wicked are alwaies readie to maintaine euil causes in these daies the worst men shal find bearers and bolsterers and be supported by those who by iustice are to supress them or at least to reforme their abuses which are intolerable If the wicked lurke together to vphold their lewdenes how much more ought the faithful to ioine themselues together to plucke downe vanitie I knowe my selfe a worme of al other the weakest to medle in these cases yet such is my desire to ouerthrowe their wickednes that I dare inflamed with the holie zeale of Dauid in the quarel of God unprouided both of armor and weapon with one poore sling resist the strength of their hugest Champion and endure the brunt of his fierce assalts doubting not but to finde some that wil stande with me to ouerthrowe the enimies of GOD and to pul downe those flags of defiāce which Satan hath set vp against the preaching of the Gospel to the decaie of the Church Let vs delaie no time deere brethren their doings are abhominable in the sight and eares of God and condemned of the righteous if therefore sentence against their euil workes be not executed speedelie The hartes of the children of men as Ecclesiastes saith wilbe fullie set in them to do euil If there were nothing to moue you it were great cause to stir vp your godlie furie and zeale to discommend plaies vtterlie but their abuses stretching further into the Common-wealth are by sufferance growen so huge that it is hard dealing with them as against foes for they are become priuate freends They are therfore to be delt withal by degrees For it is verie hard to roote out that frō our hartes be it neuer so great an abuse wherof we haue conceaued a good opinion Let therefore the Magistrate but repel them from the libertie of plaieng on the Sabboth daie For that is abuse which is generalie found fault withal allowed of none but those who are altogether destitute of the feare of God and without conscience To plaie on the Sabboth is but a priuiledge of sufferance and might with ease be repelled were it throughlie folowed The warrant which Magistrates haue to forbid plaies is great and passed vnto them by such a Prince whose auctoritie is aboue al auctories of earthlie gouernors God hath giuen vs an expresse commandement that wee should not violate the Sabboth daie and prescribed an order how it should be sanctified namelie in holines by calling into minde the spiritual rest hearing the worde of GOD and cessing from worldlie busines Wherevpon Isaiah the Prophet showing how the sabboth should be obserued saith If thou turne away thy foote from the Sabboth from doing thy wil on mine holie daie cal the Sabboth a delite to consecrate it as glorious to the Lord and shalt honor him not doing thine owne waies nor seeking thine owne wil nor speaking a vaine worde then shalt thou delite in the Lord and I wil cause thee to mount vpon the hie places of the earth and feede thee with the heritage of Iaakob thy father for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it Here we see how the Lord requireth that this daie should be obserued and what rest he looketh for at our hands But alas how do we followe the order which the Lord hath set downe Is not the Sabboth of al other daies the most abused which of vs on that daie is not carried whether his affection leades him vnto al dissolutenes of life How often do wee vse on that daie vnreuerend speeches which of vs hath his hart occupied in the feare of God who is not led awaie to the beholding of those spectacles the sight whereof can bring but confusion both to our bodies and soules Are not our eies there carried awaie with the pride of vanitie our eares abused with amorous that is lecherous filthie and abhominable speech Is not our tong which was giuen vs onelie to glorifie God withal is not our tong there imploied to the blaspheming of Gods holie Name or the commendation of that is wicked Are not our hartes through the pleasure of the flesh the delight of the eie and the fond motions of the mind withdrawn from the seruice of the Lord meditation of his goodnes So that albe
it is a shame to saie it yet doubtles whosoeuer wil mark with what multitudes those idle places are replenished how emptie the Lordes sanctuarie is of his people may wel perceaue what deuotion we haue We maie wel saie wee are the seruants of the Lord but the slender seruice wee do him and the smal regard we haue of his commandements declares our want of loue towardes him For If yee loue me saith Christ keepe my commandements We maie wel be hirelings but we are none of his houshold Wherfore abuse not so the Sabboth daie my brethren leaue not the temple of the Lord sit not stil in the quagmire of your owne lustes but put to your strength to helpe your selues before your owne waight sinke you downe to hel Redeeme the time for the daies are euil Alas what folie is in you to purchase with a penic damnation to your selues why seeke yee after sinne as after a banket None delight in those spectacles but such as would be made spectacles Account not of their drosse their tresures are too base to be laied vp in the rich coafers of your minde Repentance is furthest from you when you are nearest such maie-games Al of you for the most part do leese the time or rather wilfulie cast the same awaie contemning that as nothing which is so pretious as your liues cannot redeeme I would to God you would bestowe the time you consume in those vanities in seeking after virtue glorie For to speake trulie whatsoeuer is not conuerted to the vse wherefore it was ordained maie be said to be lost For to this end was man borne and had the benefit of time giuen him that he might honor serue and loue his Creator thinke vpon his goodnes For whatsoeuer is done without this is doubtles cast awaie Oh how can yee then excuse your selues for the losse of time do ye imagine that your carelesse life shal neuer bee brought into question Thinke yee the wordes of S. Paule the Apostle are spoken in vaine when he saith VVe must al appeare before the iudgment seate of Christ that euerie man maie receiue the things which are done in his bodie according to that he hath done whether it be good or euil When that account shalbe taken I feare me your reckoning wilbe to seeke But you saie tush al is wel can the Lord see this wel folowe the thoughtes of your owne harts see what shal come vpon you yee shal find al your imaginations to be wicked and though you flatter your selues in your sinnes tempt the Lord in his mercie and pricke forward his slownes of wrath by your presumption yet he will strike in the end to your vtter cōfusion Be thou not wicked ouermuch neither be thou foolish wherefore shouldest thou perish not in thy time saith Ecclesiastes godlie And Salomon If thou hast bene foolish in lifting vp thy selfe and if thou hast thought wickedlie laie thine hande vpon thy mouth Againe Blessed is the man that feareth alwaie but he that hardeneth his harte shal fal into euil What shal I saie None but the wicked fauor iniquitie The despisers of GOD looke where they take anie pleasure and find sweetnes there they hold them-selues and feede their greedie humors it falleth out as Salomon saith that he who is throughlie an hungred thinkes the meate which he eateth to be sweete although it be as bitter as wormewood Those vnsauerie morsels of vnseemelie sentences passing out of the mouth of a ruffenlie plaier doth more content the hungrie humors of the rude multitude and carieth better rellish in their mouthes than the bread of the worde which is the foode of the soule They are alwaies eating neuer satisfied euer seeing and neuer contented continualie hearing neuer wearied they are greedie of wickednes and wil let no time nor spare for anie weather so great is their deuotion to make their pilgrimage to offer their penie to the Diuel It is the nature of the wicked to finde alwaie such sweetenes in their misdoings as they wil neuer giue ouer til they be ouerthrowen by Gods righteous iudgement or reclamed by the secret working of his holie spirit Looke vpon an whore-master if he be once chased with his owne lust the Diuel blindes him and makes him take such pleasure in his wickednes that al his delight is therein If a mā be giuen to drōkennes or to other wickednes he wil hardlie be reclamed or giue it ouer so great sweetenes doth he tast in those vnseemelie pleasures if so I maie saie Thus you maie see the despisers of God do finde sweetenes in al their misdoings O my deere brethren let not your affections carie you to wickednes it behooueth you to be verie warie and circumspect how you thrust your selues into publique assemblies of prophane plaies since there be so manie inticements vnto loosenes so manie meanes to traine you to vnthriftines there as wonder it is if you haunt them but your soules wilbe grieuouslie hurt Pleasure their capitaine is so politique an enimie that he knowes how to traine you into danger But when ye are once within his lap hard wil it be for you to escape because he can vse you so freendlie and so fitlie applie himselfe to your appetites that yee wil rather wish to be in bondage with him than at libertie without him So that yee are warelie to shun his ambushes and so to retire that Satan be not able to endamage you anie kind of waie And that you maie do it the better it is meete that yee be made priuie to his subtile pollicies It was trulie said of Chrysostome that none is hurt but of himselfe no man hath so dangerous a foe as that he caries about him The snake in our bosome which wee nurish with such care wil soonest annoie vs. Let vs throwe awaie our fleshlie minds and bridle our affections For if they maie haue the hed they wil neuer leaue running til they haue ouerthrowen vs and brought vs to a wretched state In the beginning cuerie disease is to be stopped and cured but if a sore run ouer-long it wil growe past the cure of the Physition The Magistrate is therefore to prouide in time a remedie to redresse the mischiefes that are like to ensue by this common plague They which gouerne the state are to trie and decerne each cause that they appeare not to deale vnaduisedlie They are to be diligent to finde out the truth of things and when a matter is knowen of them to be euil it is their part to reforme it otherwise by negligence they shal run into the displeasure of God The Magistrates hart must be as the hart of a Lion He is not to shrinke in the Lordes cause or to stand in feare to reforme abuses of the Common-weale because of some particular men of auctoritie He must haue both stoutnes and constancie to represse
euil And then doubtles the Lord wil blesse them in their enterprises Let not therefore the intercession of the mightie mooue the Magistrate to staic his sworde from doing iustice on the wicked The parcialitie which is vsed in these daies for fauor makes these yonkers to become bolder by reason of those liberties which are granted them They vphold themselues by the countenance of their maisters as if their auctoritie were a warrant sufficient for them to do euil and to beare them out against good orders Let not the abuse of the Sabboth proceede further and further and in the meane while the iudge be a looker on daring not for feare to reforme their disorder til al be out of order Alas that priuate affection should so raigne in the Nobilitie that to pleasure as they thinke their seruants and to vphold them in their vanitie they should restraine the Magistrates from executing their office what credite can returne to the Noble to couÌ„tenance his men to exercise that qualitie which is not sufferable in anie CoÌ„mon-weale wheras it was an ancient custome that no man of Honor should reteine anie man but such as was excellent in some one good qualitie or other whereby if occasion so serued he might get his owneliuing Then was euerie noble maÌ„s house a Common-weale in it selfe but since the reteining of these Caterpillers the credite of Noble men hath decaied they are thought to be couetous by permitting their seruants which cannot liue of theÌ„selues and whome for neerenes they wil not maintaine to liue at the deuotion or almes of other men passing from countrie to countrie from one Gentlemans house to another offering their seruice which is a kind of beggerie Who in deede to speake more trulie are become beggers for their seruants For coÌ„monlie the goodwil men beare to their Lordes makes them drawe the stringes of their purses to extend their liberalitie to them where otherwise they would not By such infamous persons much time is lost and manie daies of honest trauel are turned into vaine exercises Wherein is learned nothing but abuse poore men liuing on their handie labor are by them trained vnto vnthriftines scholers by their gaudes are allured from their studies Thus the people are robbed youth corrupted the Sabboth prophaned and of al these euils who are counted the vpholders but the Noble who of right should establish the lawe of the Roman Traiane who commanded that no plaier iester nor iugler should be admitted in his Common-weale to pick the purses of his subiects but that they should either learne some occupation to mainteine themselues in their owne houses or otherwise be banished out of Rome But now such like men vnder the title of their maisters or as reteiners are priuiledged to roaue abroad and permitted to publish their mametree in euerie Temple of God and that throughout England vnto the horrible contempt of praier So that now the Sanctuarie is become a plaiers stage and a den of theeues and adulterers It was ordained in Rome by that aforesaid Emperor that the Romans should obserue but 22. holie daies throughout the whole yeere For he thought without al doubting that the gods were more serued on such daies as the Romans did labor than on such daies as they rested because the vices were moe then which they did commit than the sacrifices they did offer And trust me I am of that opinion that the Lord is neuer soâ—l serued as on the holie-daies For then hel breakes loase Then wee permit our youth to haue their swinge and when they are out of the sight of their maisters such gouernment haue they of themselues that what by il companie they meete withal il examples they learne at plaies I feare me I feare me their harts are more alienated in two houres from virtue than againe maie wel be amended in a whole yeare But let vs leaue to speake hereof and returne we to the further abuse of these plaies which is in breach of the first Table of the coÌ„mandements Is it not expreslie commanded of God in Deuteronomie That we should not take his Name in vaine either by swearing rashlie or falslie Are we not flatlie warned if wee doe infringe the same that he wil not hold vs giltles yet how wel this commandement is kept at plaies no man which resortes to heare them but can report How often is the sacred and reuerend Name of God blasphemed on the stages without regard of his iudgements Is not he held the gallantest rufler that can rap out the most disguised othes to tempt the Lord withal As who should saie it were allowable to sweare so it were done couertlie As if it were none offence to resemble the wicked and that to dissemble were commendable Christ hath willed vs not to sweare at al but these felowes thinke they maie iugle with God as they do with the world Therefore to verefie their false-hoodes they take the names of Iupiter Saturne Iuno such like prophane Gods as they are called and Goddesses of the Gentils and that they thinke they maie doe lawfulie But if that be not lawful which by the Scripture is not warranted I dare auar that that swearing is as odious as the other and as plainlie forbidden by the worde of God As we maie read in Exodus where among other things that God setteth downe for the Israelits to do he giueth this vnto them as a principal charge that they make no mention of the names of other Gods that they open not their lips to speake of them or to sweare by them or otherwise And herevpon Dauid saith That the sorowes of them which offer to another GOD shalbe multiplied their offerings of bloud saith he wil I not offer neither make mention of their names with my lips How then can these men excuse them-selues that they haue not offered this sacrifice of bloud when they not onelie name those prophane gods in their mouthes and take them as witnesses of their falshood shal wee not saie they haue confented to idolatrie I refer their cause to be considered of the learned my self maie not passe beyond my latchet but this much I dare affirme that these men which dallie with God with their blasphemous swearings are not out of the danger of his indignation and without repentance shalbe no partakers of Christ nor of his merites For al their othes what are they but open reproches against the Name of God When these men sweare as they sweare at aduenture doth it not declare that they regard not the Name of GOD which ought to be holden holie in our sight VVho so sweareth vainlie by the Name of the Lord defileth it The Israelitish womans sonne for blaspheming the Name of the Lord was stoned to death How is it my deere brethren that we can heare the Name of the Lord vttered from the mouth of these blasphemers without casting downe our
which might haue force to renew her husbandes wonted goodwil towardes her but it had such a virtue in the operation as it wel nigh brought him his bane for his memorie therby was gone so that if God had not dealt miraculouslie with him by reuealing it it had cost him his life The like we read of Lucullus and Lucretius who by drinking such amorous confections lost first their wits afterward their liues The deuise of carrieng and recarrieng letters by landresses practising with pedlers to transport their tokens by colorable meanes to sel their marchandise and other kind of policies to beguile fathers of their children husbands of their wiues gardens of their wardes and maisters of their seruants is it not aptlie taught in the Schoole of abuse But hush no more I am sorie this schoole is not pluckt downe by the Magistrate and the schoole-masters banished this citie Thus much I wil tel them if they suffer these brothel houses to continue or do in anie wise allowe them the Lord wil saie vnto them as the Psalmist saith If thou sawest a theefe thou wentest with him and haddest thy part with adulterers thou hast done these things and because I haue held my peace thou hast beleeued wicked man that I am like vnto thee but I wil accuse thee c. The reuerend word of God histories of the Bible set forth on the stage by these blasphemous plaiers are so corrupted with their gestures of scurrilitie and so interlaced with vncleane and whorish speeches that it is not possible to drawe anie profite out of the doctrine of their spiritual moralities For that they exhibite vnder laughing that which ought to be taught and receiued reuerendlie So that their auditorie maie returne madde merie in minde but none comes awaie reformed in manners And of al abuses this is most vndecent and intollerable to suffer holie things to be handled by men so prophane and defiled by interpositiō of dissolute words The writers of our time are so led awaie with vaineglorie that their onlie endeuor is to pleasure the humor of men rather with vanitie to content their mindes than to profit them with good ensample The notablest lier is become the best Poet he that can make the most notorious lie and disguise falshood in such sort that he maie passe vnperceaued is held the best writer For the strangest Comedie brings greatest delectation and pleasure Our nature is led awaie with vanitie which the auctor perceauing frames himself with nouelties and strange trifles to content the vaine humors of his rude auditors faining countries neuer heard of monsters and prodigious creatures that are not as of the Arimaspie of the Grips the Pigmeies the Cranes other such notorious lies And if they write of histories that are knowen as the life of Pompeie the martial affaires of Caesar and other worthies they giue them a newe face and turne them out like counterfeites to showe themselues on the stage It was therefore aptlie applied of him who likened the writers of our daies vnto Tailors who hauing their sheers in their hand can alter the facion of anie thing into another forme with a new face make that seeme new which is old The shreds of whose curiositie our Historians haue now stolen from them being by practise become as cunning as the Tailor to set a new vpper bodie to an old coate and a patch of their owne to a peece of anothers So that yee shal find in al their writings three differences manie things good manie things indifferent and manie strake naught but by reason that thing which is good is applied vnto il purpose mixed with euil the good hath changed propertie and is become of the nature of the bad Otherwise goodnes badnes being two cōtraries cannot be made to agree together And therefore there can be no difference of choice but al must be euil because it is generallie il applied and by altering propertie hath changed his nature Yet neuertheles that it keepeth his virtue of being good and reduced to his proper substance I do not denie but that writers inal their workes maie be pleasant so far forth as they be profitable and swarue not from honestie and therein deserue commendation But what praise maie they deserue who set forth those works which are vaine and naught and conteine in them no matter of good example who write of those things which may corrupt the life of men thereby making them worse by ten to one than they were before they heard them What doe they leaue behind them monumentes of wanton wicked life and doting things for men of these latter daies O Lord how do those wanton wordes of theirs intice vnto wicked life and with a poisoned baite allure men to sinne Their wanton speeches do pearse our secret thoughts and moue vs thereby vnto mischiefe and prouoke our members to vncleannes But some perhaps wil saie The Noble man delighteth in such things whose humors must be contented partlie for feare partlie for commoditie and if they write matters pleasant they are best preferred in court among the cunning heads Cunning heads whose wits are neuer wel exercised but in the practise of such exploits But are those things to be suffered and praised because they please the rich and content the Noble man that alwaies liues in ease not so A two legged Asse maie be clothed in gold a man of honor maie be corrupt of iudgement though by his auctoritie he maie seeme wiser than Socrates whome Phoebus for wisedome iudged to beare the bel Those goodlie persons if they be voide of virtue maie wel be counted like faire clothes ouer a foule wal big bladers ful of wind yet of no waight Where wealth is abundant pleasure is present pleasure bringeth folie into estimation and thereby the light of reason is vtterlie extinguished Who writeth for reward neither regardeth virtue nor truth but runs vnto falshood because he flattereth for commoditie Neede and flatterie are two brothers and the eldest seruitors in the Court they were both scholers vnto Aristippus and learned both of them to applie themselues to the time their matter to the disposition No maruel then though none can please Dionysius but Aristippus nor anie the courtier but the flatterer The rich that followeth the pleasures of this life maie not abide to be reformed or to be drawen away from his desires be they neuer so wicked and vnseemelie Talke to him of amendement he wil saie he is not dieng He that reprehends him is a Preacher he that sooths him is a Saint Who meddels with nettles cannot passe vnstinged and he that deales with men of auctoritie otherwise than maie like them cannot scape from his danger without hurt I maie not staie longer on this point As I haue had a saieng to these versi-fieng Plaie-makers so must I likewise deale with shameles inactors When I see by them
or to maintaine them For my part I disallowe al those antiquities which are contrarie to the Scriptures Those spectacles were vsed of the Gentils to the setting vp of idolatrie and to the honor of their false gods as Pesa and Elis. Such games were exercised in the honor of Iupiter worshipped on the hil Olympus Theseus ordained in the straightes of Corinth the Isthemian games in the honor of Neptune There were also Pythij ludi Ludifunebres Lupercalia Saturnalia and Circenses ludi and manie other deuised as wel by Romans as Greekes to the great charges of their CoÌ„mon-weales The exercise whereof was both bloudie and beastlie and yet among them sufferable and allowed Notwithstanding these are not examples vnto Christians to allowe that for good which was sufferable among them For then one might slaie another one might wound another then should we encounter with wild beastes our hartes should then delight in shedding bloud and be al giltie of the death of the murdered As for the plaiers in these daies which exhibite their games for lucre sake as did those two Romans Esopus and Arossus who showed their wonderful cunning on the stage to gather welth and substance they are of the most part of men either of auctoritie or learning held for vagabondes infamous persons they maie aptlie be likened vnto droanes which wil not labor to bring in but liue of the labors of the paineful gatherers They are therefore to be thrust out of the Bee-hiue of a Christian Common-weale This vnhonest trade of gaine hath driuen manie from their occupations in hope of easier thrift What successe they haue had some of them haue reported finding the Prouerbe true that Il gotten goodes are il spent The citie Marsiles as Valerian writeth kept so great grauitie that it would receaue into it no stage-plaiers because their arguments for the most parte contained the actes and doinges of harlots to the end that the custome of beholding such things might not also cause a licence of folowing them I would to God the Magistrates of our citie of London would haue the like foresight The permission of plaies so long a time hath alreadie corrupted this citie and brought the Name of the citizens into slander the examples of Gods iudgement is at this present an example in this citie The sinne of whoredome being winked at by the children of Beniamin they were punished by the destructioÌ„ of their whole tribe If we slacke to punish offenders and giue our selues to maintaine the wicked in their lewdenes wee are to looke for none other than a general confusion For the Lord himselfe wil take part against the wicked to destroie them They maie be wel let alone for a time but yet that which is deferred wil one daie come In the raigne of Tiberius the Emperor the Lorde by ouerthrowing the Amphitheater in the citie of Tidena slew 20. thousand of the beholders A notable example of Gods iustice For notable offenders he appointeth strange notable punishments And looke wherewith a man sinneth by the same also shal he be punished Wherfore my deere brethren leaue these Cretan liers with their wicked inuentions Do not companie with the wicked facion not your selues like vnto this world but be ye changed by the renuing of your mind that ye maie proue what is the good wil of God and acceptable and perfect eschew euil and do good He that shal saie to the wicked Thou art righteuous him shal the people cursse and the multitude shal abhor him For the Lord is far from the wicked their house shalbe destroied there shalbe none end of their plagues their light shalbe put out Yeelde not your selues to them lest ye perish in their wickednes yeeld not your selues to those vaine pleasures and delights For yee shal find nothing more hurtful nor preiudicial to your soules they depriue you of al good cogitations enimies they are vnto virtue increasers of wickednes the nurses of al vice the corrupters of manners the subuerters of religion and so bring at the end vnto euerlasting sorowes and gnashing of teeth in the pit of hel The Lord of his infinite mercie looke vpon vs and direct vs with his holie spirit and so order our liues that wee maie be holie and acceptable in his sight The Lord open our eies that we maie see our sinne and loath it in our selues represse it in the wicked and condemne it in our Common-weale Lord increase our deuotion that our hartes maie be made zelous to heare the word of God which is a lanterne vnto our feete and a light vnto our pathes Preserue this Church of England increase thy flocke vniuersal be a safegard vnto vs against the force of our enimies for our trust is in thee Blesse our worthie Princesse renowmed soueraigne Queene ELIZABETH and establish her state as the seate of Dauid let thy spirit direct her doings in al things that she maie be as the zelous Iosias to vphold the state of the true Church to roote out superstition and idolatrie that she maie be as a continual enimie to the enimies of thy truth Be thou ô Lord her supporter that thou by her maist defend thine owne cause Merciful God inspire her honorable Counsel with the wisedome of Salomon that their counsel maie be wise and good and their harts linked vnseparablie together to the preseruation of her state and the welfare of this land Lord strengthen the hand of Iustice against the wicked that our Magistrates maie roote out the memorial of wickednes from the earth that our Realme maie florish our liues be as a lampe on a mountaine to giue light vnto other nations how to direct their liues after our good example Performe al wantes O God in thy Church increase our faith and loue towards thee continue thy Gospel among vs for thy deere Sonnes sake Iesus Christ to whome with thee and the holie Ghost be al honor and glorie worlde without ende Amen Ephes. 5 13. Al things when they are reprâ—oued of the light are manifest For it is light that maketh al things manifest 1580 OS HOMINI SVBLIMI DEDIT ¶ Imprinted at London by Henrie Denham dwelling in Pater noster Row at the signe of the Starre being the assigne of William Seres Cum priuilegio Regiae Maiestatis Schoole of abuse a 〈…〉 his inuectiue against plaies called â—he Schoole of abuse b 3. Blast of retrait 〈◊〉 plaies c M. Spark in his rehersal sermon at Paules crosse 29. of April Ann. 1579 d Clement Alexand. â— 3. Pedag. cap. 12. e Cyril Catech. 1. Mystagogica f 2. blast of retrait froÌ„ plaies g Tertul. lib. de speâ—lachâ—is Author of y e second blast h Saluianus 〈◊〉 Episcopus lib. 6. de gubernat Dei i Gennadius de illustribus viris Rom. 1 31. God cannot fauor such as haunt plaies The Diuel delighteth in plaies God detesteth them Luk. 2 12. 13. 2. Cor. 8