AN APPROVED Medicine against the deserued Plague ¶ Is any among you afflicted Let him pray Iames. 5.13 ¶ JMPRINTED AT London by Thomas Est dwelling in Aldersgate-streete at the Signe of the black Horse 1593. To the honorable and vertuous Lady Scudamore attendant vppon hir Maiesties most excellent person in hir priuie Chamber Anthony Anderson Preacher of Christs holy gospell Subdean of hir Maiesties Royall Chappell wisheth all honorable encrease and heauenly felicitie ALthough Honorable Madame the matter herewith tendred be of small worth to some men lesse esteemed with many yet sure I am the right vse thereof may aduaile moe then make accompt of it If in the daies of health prosperitie wee thinck it duetifull to pray the Lord to continue the same how much more ought wee in affliction and aduersitie to practise sound petition which godlinesse hath this riches that the faithfull by it in Christ from God doth receiue both temporary good and eternall comforts Wee in this Realme are vnder the rod of affliction and who doth pray but those which are taught of God to vse it Amongst the number of whome for that in my knowledge with many others in Court your Ladiship doth dayly vse and desire it and my selfe for your good opinion and Christian kindnesse conceiued and bestowed on mee to you greatly boūd I am bold to patronize my poore indeauors present vnder your Godly protection assured that both in Court country it shal be the more in vse which vndoubtedly will counteruaile their paines if they pray in faith The cause mouing this my boldnesse to present the Church here with is my dutie to the same in general especially next to the most honorable Court whereof I am a poore membre in hir Maiesties goodnesse to my comfortable charge at Stepney a people of great import for Maryne seruice cheefely zealous in God loyall to hir Maiestie well deseruing of the whole Realme and now vnder the rod of this smart visitatiō for whom I humbly besech all them which may or shall feele any comfort by this poore tender that in their feruent prayers they will effectually commēd vs to the Throne of Gods mercies in Christ And to you good Madame with the rest of the honorable and godly Ladies and others at Court I humbly commend mee beseeching God to graunt vs mercifull deliuerance of this his louing rod that wee hir Maiesties seruants may thether returne to our boūden dutie as apertaineth and so humbly I take my leaue August 1. 1593. Stepney Your honors deuote in the Lord Anthony Anderson ¶ To the humble hearted Readers in the Lord. THE Almightie GOD the Lord of Hosts as Father of mercies deare brethern for many yéeres past hath swéetly called vs to vnfained repentance by the Ministery of his holy woord but wée haue not hearkened therevnto Wherefore eftsoones and againe the same mightie God doth at this present sommon vs by his smart Preacher Micah 6.9 the visiting rod. Whose encreasing voyce cryeth to all in the persons of many thus Oh sinfull earth hearken and giue eare stop thy course stay thy race tourne thy selfe to mée receaue my stripes with pacience and wisely foresée the plague and hide thée For he that sent mée saith farther vnto thee Pro. 22.3 Zoph 2.1 O Nation not worthie to be loued how yet haue I loued thee What should I haue done that I haue not done vnto thée I haue giuen thée a wonderfull peace an inuincible protection an heauenly doctrine and the choyse store of all earthy treasure The gold of Ophir Salomon sought after 2. Chron. 8.18 but the Indians gold I haue powred into thy lap as vnlooked for A Prince thou hast the holy wonder of the world Else aske the Ilands which know not God Thy Realme and rest is kept by mée the watchman thereof and when soeuer the enimie assaileth I put him back with great disgrace The heauens doe drop the fatnesse the earth doth make thée laugh and sing what wouldest thou haue more but a continuance of that spirituall comfort and corporall pleasures which yet abide with thée but be wise and consider sée how I now begin to beate thée beware therefore repent in tyme least I vtterly remoue Reue. 2.5 thy Candlestick from thée and then who will pittie thy last dissolution Behold and heare my rod Micah 6.9 and mée that sent it I haue made thée sick with striking doe not my percing arrows stick fast in thée Psal 38.2.5 Are not thy wounds putrified Doth not hasty death greatly deuoure thée Mark it well and the cause therof Thy sinne is the cause Micah 6.13 thy great sinnes and they passing accompt Oseas 9.9.17 Turne therefore vnto mée that am in iust angre comming vnto thée with a mynde of reuenge prepare thée therefore to méete mée before the daye of my decrée come foorth Psal 106. in all Lucke 7.38 Ioel. 2.13 Come to mée not with Israells hipocrisie but with Magdalens teares Rent your harts and kéepe whole your garments for I cannot take pleasure in that bodely exercise where the penitent spirit speaketh not for mercie If any be afflicted let him pray Iam. 5.13 If many be vnder the rod let all come together turne together mourne together cry together and say O Lord of Hosts in the midle of thy wars thinck vpon thy promised mercies Wée come no more to fight against thée in our sinfull lusts but to fall before thée forsaking confessing our sinnes swéet Lord haue mercie And let euery of you Esa 1.5.6 Hos 4.1 Iero. 8.6 from the top to the toe for you are sore from the head to the foote applying profitably the contrauersie to your selues say Our sinnes O Lord yea euery man say my sinnes as our sinnes are the causes of this malady Our rebellions presumptions scorning Atheistical our Romane sinnes our carnall apetites present past remembred and forgotten sinnes Sinnes without remorse without conscience against all conscience euen when the spirit quaketh in dread euen thē the flesh burneth in lust Sinnes in Court vnbridled sinnes in the Church not repented of in the country not cared for Iero. 17.27 The prophanation of the Sabboth day the abhominations in the wéeke day no truth lesse trust Hose 4.1.2 no faith to God no loue to our brethern much fayll of loyaltie to the Prince and small proofe of due obedience to hir Magistrates But a mightie scorne of the Lords Preachers through an vtter contempt of his woord Resolute in league with sinne Esa 28. death and hell and an absolute distrust of Gods sure promises either for mercies or Iudgement And what should I say more Oh how many are the foolish wise which say in vnpunished boldnesse they haue no God Psal 14.1 There is no God Oh England O people why wilt thou dye Say to thy selfe Oh Soule repent thée of thy sinne Iero. 18.8 26 3. Psal 91.4.7 and God will
repent him of the plague will take thée into his protection and hide thée vnder his wings They shall fall on both sides thée but it shall not come to thee But if thou wilt not hearken to this his voice O flesh of what mould so euer but still wilt pamper thy selfe in carnall delights to a further transgression which now ought to be feared then feare for he hath not sent this scourage for little purpose and be sure that he hath his store-house full of finall instruments which can and will make quick dispatch As cleannesse of téeth barrennesse of earth Amos. 4.6 brought of heauen deuouring wormes fierie feauers burning botch scowring sword reuenging axe haylestones and stormes of fier as of Sodome and Gomorrah to persecute to pull downe to cast out and into hell all those which forget God Are the treasures of wickednesse still in your houses the false balance small waights naughtie wares counterfaite lights swéet woords sowre déedes Eccle. 10.16.17 Do your heads eate for lust and not for néede drinck to surfet and not for thirst send their proud seruants to bring and neuer satisfied Are the daughters of Sion proud as Esay descryes them Amos 4.1 Esa 3.16 Ezech 13.18 Esa 28.10 1. cor 9.26 14.9 Ier. 20.9 Micha 3.12 Be your Prophets chamber groomes to lay pillowes vnder sinfull elbowes or doe their tongues cleaue to the roofe of their mouthes or speake they to the Clowds or in the Ayre or is fearefull Ieremy become an example Oh for woe Ah Syon thou plowed field sometime the bewtie of the world what is become of thée Oh England the present Bride beware of widowhood Psal 19.5 Cant. 6.1 the Bridegroome is come out of his chamber goe foorth to méete him He is gon into his beds of spiceries shall be finde store Cant. 4.13 He féedeth of flowers where be his Lillies Oh thrise happie land perceaue thy present happinesse preuent a futuer horror pray for the lyfe of thy Princely light and harden not thy hart 2. Sam. 21.17 being still dayly called in mercie 1. Cor. 11. Lucke 13.3.5 For this sinne many are sick and many are dead let the Remainder repent least ye all likewise perish And now my beloued and important charge Ro. 12.1 I besech you by the mercies of God remember with mee Amos. 1.2 3.4 there is no plague but for sinne and the Lyon roareth not without his pray Wée are now vnder this growing plague with others Zeph. 2.3 lette vs repent effectually as others which truely Esa 30.22 séeke the Lord Cast our sinnes from vs and draw the Lords mercie to vs. Forget not what godly Sirach saith Eccle. 10.8 because of vnrighteous dealing and wrongs and riches gotten by deceipt the Kingdome is translated from one people Hab◠2.9 to an other Wo vnto the buylder which buildeth with blood And bewise to vnderstand this Goods euill gotten are of no long continuance Finally let this sentence sommon you before the last Tromp sound for you Go to now Ia 5.1.2 ye rich men wéepe and howle for your miseries that shall come vpon you Your riches are corrupt and your garments are moth eaten your gold and siluer is canckered and the rust of them shal be a witnesse against you and shall eate your flesh as it were fier Ye heaped vp treasures for the last daies Behold the hyer of your laborers which haue reaped your féelds roomed your shippes which is of you kept back by fraud cryeth and their crye is entred into the eares of the Lord of Hosts Iames 5.1.2 c. Lay your selues open to the Lord for all things are apparant vnto him Pro. 28.13 but he will haue thée to accuse thy selfe that he may forgiue thée He that hideth his sinnes saith Salomon shall not prosper but he that confesseth his sinnes and forsaketh them shall finde mercie Therefore take a good heart to thée bring repentance with thée fall on your knées 1. Tim. 2.8 lift vp pure hands the whole in Church in our great assemblies the sick at home amids their children and families Take these prayers or such into your hands send them hartely vp to God in Christ our onely Mediator and feare not to finde mercie with gracious deliuerance because Pro. 50.15 he hath so promised saying Call vpon mée in the day of thy trouble and I will heare thée and deliuer thée and thou shalt glorifie mee Math. 11.28 And our sauiour Christ doth tenderly inuite all penitent sinners thus Come vnto mée all you that trauell and be heauie loden and I my selfe will ease you To whome with the Father and the holy Ghost be alwaies all honour and glorie one God euerlasting Amen A Prayer to God against the Plague WE prostrate our souls and bodies before thy mercy seate O Father of mercies humbly confesse that we haue most iustly procured thy heauie indignation against vs. We haue hetherto spent our time in wanton appetites carelesse abuse of thy singuler bounties but thou hast in mercie curbed the bitte straytned the rayne of our vnbrydled affections whereby we begin to dread thy threatned Iudgements Our sinnes are as manyfold as manifest O Lord we haue dayly heard the word of our sauing health with the eare of grudge contempt either deriding or not caring but neuer truely repenting at the cry thereof Thine aboundant blessings erthie we haue gréedely deuoured and by our wealth haue encreased our wickednesse But O swéete Father haue mercie and pardon our sinnes euen the whole trée with hir braunching fruits which at this present we heartely disclayme and wherewith euen the téeth of the whole Land hath béene set on edge namely infidelitie incredulitie and all impietie No faith no truth no mercy no knowledge of thée in our harts though great pretence of thy Religion in our lippes but by falsehood and cunning circumuention one of another by lying lips and decitfull tongues vanitie hath béene tossed one to another pryuat pilffrie and open stealth robbing at home and rouing abrode swearing forswaring whorring and killing oppressing deuoureing to all our powers and pollicies euen blood vnto blood passing by pleasure to pleasures from profite to pride from pride to ambition and in ambition to inward contempt outward disdaine each one of another Our common peace by thée hath not yet procured our Godly peace with thée but rather we haue taken occasion thereby to harden our hearts against thée which mightilie hath drawen thée to this great contrauersie with vs. O Lord vnbend in mercy thy bow of strength for thy stéeled Arrows sticke fast in vs and our putrified wounds bewray our iniquities Yea Lord that more is if we by thée tourne not spéedely to thee the wise in thée doe behold thy sharpned sword with an outstretched arme drawne out against vs. O Lord heare vs and heale vs for in this our sickenesse and trouble in our mediator Christ
Iesus we call vnto thée And Lord it is high time for our head Citie is sicke hir Sister Cities grone vnder this burden their neighbor people are turned to their earth and no part is frée from the noysome pestilence It flyeth by day it walketh in the darke it destroyeth at noone tide none can resist it but onely thou O Lord which sent it euen thou onely if thou wilt canst vtterly restrayne it O déere father forgiue vs wretched sinners relieue vs miserable wretches remember that we are but earth and ashes yet in thy mercie thy déere children deliuer vs from death and worke life in vs. Let this thy louing rodde ridde vs of our carnal rust and quicken vs with thy sanctifying spirit open our harts to thy holy word purge our cōsciences from all dead works and rebuild vs fit for thy holy seruice giue vs patience in euerie aduersitie an humble and regardant eye in all prosperitie feruent spirits to pray to thée and now to giue thée no rest till thou vouchsafe to haue mercy vppon vs. Our Prince thine holy Anoynted prayeth for vs hir potētates thy preaching ministers and sanctified people mourne and lament Thy wydows and desolate Orphanes yea thy smal and tender Infants cry lifting vp pure hands swéete Lord say they haue mercy And now O Lord both one and all powring out the teares of our hearts vnto thée most humbly besech thée relieue vs release vs heare vs forgiue vs reuiue vs preserue vs protect vs deliuer vs from euill and receaue vs into thy euerlasting fauor through Iesus Christ our Lord To whome with thée and the holy Ghost thrée distinct persons and one onely our good God be all honour and glory for euer and euer Amen An earnest prayer for the Queenes most excellent Maiestie O Lord God holy Father infinitly wise omnipotent and aboundant in mercie mightie in worke iust in reuenge which for the common conuerse of all men hast planted them plats put them vnder soueraigne auctoritie through which good gouernmēt they might most firmely liue and loue one another most wisely ordaining each one to haue mutuall need and occasioned entercourse one with another Sondry which Royall staues of bewtie and bands eftsoones thou hast broken into shieuers when by ouermuch prouocation contempt thy awonted long suffering hath bene abused as therby vnder a sparing chastisement to reduce them or by a deadly blow vtterly to subuert them O Lord magnificent by thee it is that Kingdomes are and Kings doe raigne Puttest downe one setteth vp another as where when it pleaseth thee in all euery place vnder the Coape of heauen Wee thy chosen children and people of England magnifie thy mercies and prayse thy power for giueing preseruing vnto vs a most rare and pearelesse Queene our Soueraigne Ladie ELIZABETH by whose sacred scepter thy holy Church this common weale and many other Nations and people haue found both celestiall blessings and terrestrial comforts The faithful Protestant from whersoeuer findeth heere a secure fertile norcery The wilfull papist sitteth vnder his Vyne the malcontent carnall hath long lasting fauour but euery of which by hir haue from thee O Lord thy gospell to reclayme them hir Scepter to protect them with a sweet rod in sparing hand to refine them Hir disloyall subiects at home hir professed enimies abroad of all sorts thou hast miraculously brought vnder or to vtter confusion For the which wee render vnto thee continuall praise And inasmuch O Lord as our life the light of the land thy golden Candlestick is deadly darckned in the want of hir Lord still giue vs thy bountifull mercie and therein preserue hir Highnesse long to raigne ouer vs. Encrease thy graces in hir hir goodnesse to vs to thaduaunce of vertue suppression of vice Keepe thyne anoynted our Soueraigne from the trechery of dissembling subiects and mallice of the forren foe Hide hir vnder the shadow of thy wings from the noysome pestilence and defend hir against the hurtfull sword that our selues and families may liue in peace our land may yeld hir encrease that no inuasion Psal 144.10 may empeach vs or going out may daunt vs nor any crying be in our streetes Deare Father graunt hir our Soueraigne a swift eye and speedie rescue from the subtill snare of euery wily hunter Giue hir Lord fast and not faylling confederats Wise and faithfull Councellors loyall and louing subiects and so in thy mercie keepe vs from euill that wee prouoke not thy iudgements to depriue vs of our chiefest comfort Graunt this O Father through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen The Preface MY Father hauing speciall care of Stepny his great charge Hath made sweet prayers for their cōfort their harts to God enlarge And I desirous of your health my bretheren Sisters all Haue sent you these to traine you vp rather on God to call For th' health and wealth of our parents our selues and neighbours eke Pray we to God with one accord for so it is most meete And so my bretheren fare you well with all my sisters deere God graunt that we may giue vnto gods word attentiue eare Antony Anderson Iunior A prayer for the infection of the plague 1593. O Lord our God omnipotent of mercy wee thee craue Poure downe thy truth most excellent that we the same may haue And cease O Lord thy iry rod which doth opresse vs sore And giue vs true repentance Lord that wee may sinne no more Cease now O Lord thy heauie hand the Father wee entreate And let vs in our harts thy woord full often times repeate From thee O Lord wee cannot fly Thy power doth so excell But keepe from vs we thee beseech thy rod which is most fell But giue to vs O Lord of might the pardon of our sinne And take thy plague from vs O Lord that heere of long hath bin Giue vs O Lord thy holy word which alwaies is most true And giue vs grace to praise thy name for praise to thee is due Remember blessed Lord thy flock which else is like to pyne And take from vs that heauie clogge which loads vs at this tyme. Thy will be done O Lord of might as seemeth best to thee For thou wilt strike where thou thinkst best no man a lette can bee When it shall please thy maiestie to take this life away Receaue our soules vnto thy Throne to liue with thee for aye O Lord preserue our noble Queene our realme and people both And keep vs from the deadly feare of thyne eternall wroth Graunt our request O Lord of might for Christ his sake thy sonne And take away thy cruell plague that now is vs among Finis qd Anthony Anderson iunior