Greeke whereof Gildas could not be ignorant sithence he flourished about one hundâ—ed yeeres afterwards and was a man of great knowledge and wisedome but in respect this Island had beene long corrupted with Heretickes and now oppressed with Infidels it is likely that the Church in Britaine by reason of the tumults of such rebellious and outragious enemies wanting her due preeminence could not as yet display the banner of this reformed Bible but marched under the Ensigne of some other Translation which our Authour speaking generally to the whole Land hath for conformitie unto the common fashion as it seemeth vouchsafed here to use being especially as apt as any other to reprove the disorders of the Iland and no way patronizing either the Arians or Pellagians the most deadly cankers as then of the Christian Common-wealth or any other heresie that hath ever since lifted up her viperous head against the Church of God Another thing very much to bee lamented and merveiled at is that not onely the temporall Princes but also the Spirituall Rulers whose lives should be a light unto the rest and salt to preserve the soules of men from corruption had at this time many of them so degenerated from all goodnes as not only it provoked the justice of God to dispossesse them of their Country and give it to their deadly foes the Saxons but also made Pollidor Virgill suppose that Britaine did never after the persecution of Dioclesian perfectly returne unto the unity of the Catholicke Church againe an opinion by Gildasses owne words refelled for he sheweth how after the stormy winter as hee calleth it of this persecution succeeded the flourishing spring of true Christian and Catholicke religion but the Author himselfe declareth some notorious causes of the ruine of as well Civill as Ecclesiasticall discipline and the first was heresies for upon this fruitfull seede of the Gospell came the Arians and scattered the darnell of their detestable doctrine yea as he saith all other damnable Sectaries breathed out upon the Land their venemous poyson and not onely this but also from the very bowels of Britaine was borne that accursed wretch Pellagius and shortly after the death of Gildas were the Britaine 's overwhelmed with the darkesome cloud of the Quartodecimani who varied froÌ„ the Church of God in celebrating the feast of Easter these truely were the mothes that did eate the garment of the governmeÌ„t of the realme Another was bloudy warre the depraver of Civill discipline and the Author of disorder that for many yeeres built here his Fortresse who as hee commandeth for the time all Spirituall and nationall Lawes to silence so hee corrupteth the manners of all Countries through which hee marcheth by the power of warre were Infidels planted in the Land who as they were professed foes of the faith of God so were their lives defiled with all offences and these also in all likelihood infected the Britaines with the plague of their vices After the warres were ended and Britaines together with the Saxons like Sheepe and Goates continued in one fold altogether for a while the scourge of misery which chastised the Christian Britanes terrified them from transgressing the Commandements of God yet plentifull peace the Nurse of sensuality so lulled them afterwards asleepe in her lap with a seeming but deceitfull security that hereupon sprung the last cause of their confusion to wit exceeding wickednesse sprouting out from the roote of abundant wealth For according unto Moses Incrassatus est dilectus recalcitravit incrassatus impinguatus dilatatus dereliquit Deum factorem suum c. and even as the Children of Israel did sit them downe to eate and drinke and then arose to play untill the fury of our Lord was pawred out upon them so the Britaine 's growing fat in worldly pleasures and foule in hidious sinnes continued on in their earthly contentments untill the sword of the Saxons which was scarcely as yet put in the sheath againe was by the sufferance of God drawne out afresh to deprive them of their pleasant Country But although mine Author Gildas discovereth the defects of Princes and Prelates yet let no man thinke that any Subjects can for the deadly sinnes of their Superiours either deprive or disobey them since neither David did for his adultery with Bersabee and murther of his faithfull servant Vrias lose his royalty nor yet the Authority of the chaire of Moses was any whit diminished although Scribes and Pharisees for a time possessed the same but that the Leapers who were clensed were sent to the Priests although unworthy of their Primacy and Caiphas himselfe albeit he was the persecutor of Christ Iesus prophesied because he was high Priest of that yeere all which I professe against the Heretickes who have perversely maintained the contrary Neither yet let any man falsly imagine that the Land was wholly as then drowned in iniquities for as Gildas doth in 2 places apparantly manifest there were diverse at that very time whose vertues he doth most highly commend and reverence Now before I doe harbour in the Haven of my desired end I must of necessitie passe by three rockes of exceeding danger the invectives I meane of Gildas against some sorts of people most happily combined under his Majesties government the first the Britanes the most auncient inhabitantes of this Island the other the Irish together with the Scottish and Pictes who next possessed part of the Land and last the Saxons and English who have very long enjoyed the most large and fruitfull portion of the Country The Britaines not onely by the pen of Sir Iohn Price a learned Knight and writer of theirs suspect Gildas for a Libeller but doe hardly also sustaine other Authors who alleadge also out of him any thing that may seeme disgracefull to the Nation unto whom truely as I have ever borne all due respect and tender affection so doe I most humbly crave their pardon in a word or two without offence to defend their wise and worthy Countreymen whom I may well compare unto a father who correcting his childe telleth him onely of his faults and imperfections or unto the Prophets who in old time reproving the Israelites did lay nothing before their eyes but their sinnes and offences or to the man in the Gospell who labouring to make his vine bring forth the desired fruit dresseth the roote with unsavory dung He doth not declare as now O renowned Britaines how yee releived your friends the Galles against the invincible Legions of Caesar how valiently yee defended your Land against his conquering army how one King of a little corner of your Island Silures or South-Wales I meane maintained warre against the whole power of Rome and the world and afterwards onely by misfortune falling into the hands of his honorable enemies was by them held in equall estimation for worthinesse with Perses the successour of Alexander but for valour with Alexander the great himselfe he nameth not your victorious Vortimer nor
Thy Princes are unfaithfull companions of theeves all love gifts hunt after rewards they doe no justice to the Orphan the widowes cause entreth not unto them For this saith our Lord God of hosts the strong one of Israel Alas I will take consolation upon my foes and be revenged upon mine enemies and the hainous sinners shall be broken to powder and offenders together with them and all who have left our Lord shall be consumed And afterwards The eyes of the lofty man shall bee brought low and the heighth of men hath bowed downe And againe Woe be to the wicked evill be fall him for he shall be rewarded according to his handy workes And a little after Woe be unto ye who arise earely to follow drunkennesse and to drinke even to the very evening that ye may vapouring fume with Wine The Harpe and the Lyra and the Taber and the Pipe and Wine are in your banquets and the worke of our Lord ye respect not neither yet consider ye the workes of his hands Therefore is my people led captive away because they have not had knowledge and their Nobles have perished with famine and their multitude hath withered away with thirst Therefore hath hell enlarged and dilated his spirit and without measure opened his mouth and his strong ones and his people and his lofty and glorious ones shal descend down unto him And afterwards Woe be unto ye who are mighty for the drinking of wine and strong men for the procuring of drunkennesse who justifie the wicked for rewards and deprive the just man of his justice For this cause even as the tongue of the fire devoureth the stubbell and as the heate of the flame burneth up so shall their roote be as the ashes and their branch shall rise up us the dust For they have cast away the law of our Lord of hosts and despised the speech of the holy one of Israel In all these the fury of our Lord is not turned away but as yet his hand is stretched out And somewhat after debating of the day of judgement and the unspeakeable feare of offendors he saith Howle ye out because the day of our Lord is neere at hand if then neere what shall it now be thought to be in regard destruction shall proceed from God For this shall all hands be dissolved and every mans heart shall wither away and be bruised small tortures and dolours shall hold them as a woman in labour so shall they be grieved every man shall at his neighbour stand astonished burned faces shall be their countenances Behold the day of our Lord shal come cruell and full of indignation and of wrath and fury to turne the earth into a desert and breake her sinners in small peeces from off her because the starres of Heaven and the brightnesse of them shall not unfold their light the Sunne in his rising shall bee covered over with darknes and the Moone shall not shine in her season and I will visite upon the evils of the world and against the wicked their owne iniquity and I will make the pride of the unfaithfull to cease and the arrogancy of the strong I will bring full low And againe Behold our Lord will disperse the earth he will strip her naked and afflict her face and scatter her inhabitants and as the people so shall be the Priest and as the slave so shal be his Lord as the handmaid so shall be her Lady as the purchaser so shall be the seller as the usurer so shall be he that borroweth as he who demandeth so shall be he that oweth With dispersing shall the earth be scattered and with sacking shall she be spoyled For our Lord hath spoken this word The earth hath bewailed and hath fleeted away the world hath run to nothing she is weakned by her inhabitants because they have transgressed lawes changed right brought to ruine the eternall truce For this shall malediction devour the earth And afterwards They shall lament all of them who doe in heart rejoyce the delight of the timbrells hath ceased the sound of the gladâ—some shall be silent the sweetnesse of the Harpe shall be hushed they shall not with singing drinke their wine bitter shall the potion be to the drinkers thereof The Cittie of vanitie is wasted every house is shut up no man entring in an outcry shall be in the streetes upon wine all gladnesse is forsaken the joy of the land is transferred solitarinesse is left in the town and calamitie shall oppresse the gates because these things shall be in the middest of the land and in the middest of the people And somewhat afterwards Swarving from the truth have they wandred out of the right way with the stragling of transgressors have they gone astray Feare and intrapping falls and a snare upon thee who art the inhabitant of the earth And it shall come to passe Who so shall flye from the voyce of the feare shall tumble downe into the intrapping pit and who so shall deliver himselfe out of the downefall shall bee caught in the intangling snare because the flood-gates from aloft shall be opened and the foundations of the earth shall be shaken With bruising shall the earth be broken with commotion shall she be moved with tossing shall she be tottred like to a drunken man and she shall be taken away as if shee were a pavilion of one nights pitching and her iniquitie shall hang heavie upon her and she shall fall done and shall not attempt to rise againe And it shall be that our Lord in the same day shall visit on the warfare of heaven in the high place and on the Kings of the earth who are upon the earth and they shall be gathered together in the bundle of one burthen into the Lake and shall there be shut up in prison and after many dayes shall they be visited And the Moone shall blush and the Sunne be confounded when our Lord of hosts shall raigne in mount Sion and in Ierusalem and be glorified in the sight of his Seniors And after a while yeelding a reason why hee threatneth in that sort he saith thus Behold the hand of our Lord is not shortned that he cannot save neither yet is his eare made heavy that he may not heare But your iniquities have divided betweene ye and your God aâ—d your offences have hid his face from yee that he might not heare For your hands are defiled with blood and your fingers with iniquitie Your lippes have spoken lying and your tongue uttereth iniquity There is not who calleth on justice neither is there he who judgeth truely but they trust in nothing and speake vanities and have conceived greefe and brought forth iniquity And a little after Their workes are unprofitable and the worke of iniquity in their hands their feete runne into evill and make haste that they may shed the innocent blood their thoughts are unprofitable thoughts spoyle and
time of their outcry unto me and of their affliction What then shall now our miserable Governours doe these few who found out the narrow way and left the large were from God forbiden to powre out their prayers for such as persevered in their evils so highly provoked his wrath against whom on the contrary side when they returned with all their hearts unto God his divine Majesty being unwilling that the soule of man should perish but calling backe the castaway that he should not utterly be destroyed the same Prophets could not procure the Heavenly revenge because not Ionas when hee desired the like most earnestly against the Ninevites could obtaine it But in the meane while omitting our owne words let us rather heare what the propheticall trumpet soundeth in our eares speaking thus If thou shalt say in thy heart why have these evils befalne For the multitude of thine iniquities If the Ethiopian can change his skin or the Parde his sundry spots ye may doe also well when ye have learned evill supposed ever because ye will not And afterwards These words doth our Lord say to this people who have loved to move their feete and have not rested and not pleased our Lord now shall he remember their iniquities and visit their offences and our Lord said unto me Pray thou not for this people to worke their good when they shall fast I will not heare their prayers â—nd if they offer burnt sacrifices and oblations I will not â—eceive them And againe And our Lord said unto me â—f Moses and Samuel shall stand before me my soule is not bent to this people cast them out away from my face and let them depart And after a few words Who shall have pitty on thee Ierusalem or who shall be sorrowfull for thee or who shall goe to pray for thy peace Thou hast left me saith our Lord and gone away backeward and I will stretch forth my hand over thee and kill thee And somewhat after Thus saith our Lord Behold I doe imagine a thought against you let every man returne from his evill course and direct ye streight your waies and endeavours Who said we despaire we will goe after our owne thoughts and every one of us doe the naughtinesse of his evill heart Thus therefore saith our Lord. Aske the Gentiles who hath heard such horrible matters which the Virgin Israel hath too often committed Shall there faile from the rocke of the field the snow of Libanus or can the waters be drawne dry that gush out colde and flowing because my people hath forgotten me And somewhat also after this propounding unto them an election he speaking saith Thus saith our Lord Doe ye judgement and justice and deliver him who by power is oppressed out of the hand of the malicious accuser and for the stranger and orphan and widdow doe not provoke their sorrow neither yet worke ye unjustly the griefe of others nor shed ye out the innocent blood For if indeed ye shall accomplish this word there shall enter in through the gates of this house Kings of the linage of David sitting upon his throne But if ye will not harken unto these words by my selfe I have sworne saith our Lord that this house shall be turned into a desart And againe for he spoke of a wicked King I live saith our Lord if so be that Iechonias shall be a Ring on my right hand I will plucke him thence away and give him over into the hands of them who seeke his life Moreover holy Abraham cryeth out saying Woe be unto them who build a City in blood and prepare a towne in iniquities saying Are not these things from our Almighty Lord and many people have failed in fire and many Nations have beene diminished And thus complaining hee beginneth his prophesie How long O Lord shall I call and thou wilt not heare shall I cry out unto thee to what end hast thou given mee labours and griefes to behold misery and impiety And on the other side And judgement was sat upon and the Iudge hath taken in regard hereof the Law is rent in peeces and â—udgement is not brought fully to his conclusion because â—he wicked through power â—readeth the just underfoote In this respect hath passed forth perverse judgement And marke yee also what blessed Osee the Prophet speaketh of Princes saying For that they have transgressed my covenant and ordained against my Law and exclaimed out Wee have knowne thee because thou art against Israel they have persecuted good as if it were evill They have raigned to themselves and not by mee they have held a Principality neither yet have they acknowledged me And heare ye likewise the holy Prophet Amos in this sort threatning In three hainous offences of the sons of Iudah and in foure I will not convert them for that they have cast away the Law of our Lord and not kept his Commandements but their vanities have seduced them And I will send fire upon Iudah and it shall eate the foundations of Ierusalem Thus saith our Lord In three grievous sinnes of Israel and in foure I will not convert them for that they have sold the just for money and the poore man for shooes which they tread upon the dust of the earth and with buffets they did beate the heads of the poore and have eschewed the way of the humble And after a few words Seeke our Lord and ye shall live that the house of Ioseph may not shine as fire and the flame devoure it and he shall not be that can extinguish it The house of Israel hath hated him who rebuketh in the gates and abhorred the upright word Which Amos being forbidden that he should not prophesie in Israel without any fawning flattery answering saith I was not a Prophet nor yet the sonne of a Prophet but a Goate herd I was plucking Sicamores and our Lord tooke me from my herd and our Lord said unto me Goe thy way and prophesie against my people of Israel and now heare thou the Word of our Lord For hee directed his speech unto the King Thou sayest doe not Prophesie against Israel and thou shalt not assemble troopes against the house of Iacob For which cause our Lord saith thus Thy wife in the City shall play the harlot and thy sonnes and daughters shall dye by the sword and thy ground be measured by the cord and thou in a polluted land shalt end thy life but for Israel shee shall be led from his owne Country a captive And afterwards Heare therefore these words ye who doe outragiously afflict the poore and practise your mighty power against the needy of the earth who say When shall the moneth passe over that we may purchase and the Sabbaths that wee may open the treasuries And within a few words after Our Lord doth sweare against the pride of Iacob if he shall neglecting forget your
actions and if in these the earth shall not be disturbed and every inhabitant thereof fall to lamentation and the finall end as a flood ascend and I will turn your festivall dayes into wailing and cast on the loynes of every one hairecloth and on the head of every man baldnesse and make him as the mourning of one over his beloved and those who are with him as the day of sorrow And againe In the sword shall die all the sinners of my people who say Evils shall not approch nor yet shall light upon us And listen ye likewise what holy Micheas the Prophet hath spoken saying Hearken ye Tribes And what shall adorne the City shall not fire and the house of the wicked hoording up unjust treasures and with injury unrighteousnesse If the wrongfull dealer shall be justified in the ballance deceitful weights in the scales by which they have heaped up their riches in ungodlinesse And hearken also what threates the famous Prophet Sophonias thundereth out together Neere draweth on saith he the great day of our Lord neere it is at hand and very swiftly approcheth The voice of the day of our Lord is appointed to be bitter and mighty that day a day of wrath a day of tribulation and necessity a day of clouds and mist a day of the trumpet and outcry a day of misery and extermination a day of darknesse and dimnesse upon the strong Cities and high corners And I will bring men to tribulation and they shall goe as if they were blinde because they have offended our Lord and I will powre out their blood as dust and their flesh as the dung of Oxen and their silver and gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of our Lord. And in the fire of his zeale shall the whole earth be consumed when the Lord shall accomplish his absolute end and bring solitarinesse upon all the inhabitants of the earth Come together and be joyned in one thou Nation without Discipline before ye be made as the fading flowre before the wrath of our Lord falleth upon ye And give eare also unto that which the Prophet Aggeus speaketh on this wise Thus saith our Lord I will once moove the Heaven Earth Sea and dry land and I wil drive away the Thrones of Kings and roote out the powre of the Kings of the Gentiles and I will chase away the chariots of those who mount upon them Now also behold ye what Zacharias the sonne of Addo that chosen Prophet said beginning his prophesie on this manner Returne ye to me and I will returne unto ye saith our Lord and be not like your Fathers to whom the former Prophets have imputed saying Thus saith our Almighty Lord Turne away from your waies and they have not marked whereby they might obediently heare me And afterwards And the Angell asked me what dost thou see and I said I see a flying sythe which containeth in length twenty cubits The malediction which hath proceeded upon the face of the whole earth because every one of her theeves shall be punished even to the very death and I will throw him away saith our Almighty Lord he shall enter into the house of fury and into the house of swearing falshood in my name Holy Malachy the Prophet also saith Behold the day of our Lord shal come inflamed as a furnace and all proud men and all workers of iniquity shall be as stubble and the approching day of our Lord of hostes shall set them on fire which shall not leave a roote nor a bud of them And hearken ye also what holy Iob debateth of the beginning and end of the ungodly saying For what purpose doe the wicked live and have dishonestly worne even to old age and their issue hath beene according to their owne desire and their sonnes before their faces and their houses are fruitfull and no feare nor yet the scourge of our Lord is upon them Their Cow hath not beene abortive their great with young hath brought forth her young ones and not missed but remaineth as an eternall breede and their children rejoyce and taking the Psaltery and Harpe have finished their dayes in felicity and fallen peaceable a sleepe downe into hell Doth God therefore not behold the workes of the wicked Not so truely But the candle of the ungodly shall be extinguished â—â—d destruction shall fall upon them and dolors as of one in childbirth shall with hold them from wrath and they shall be as chaffe before the wind and as the dust which the whirlewind hath carryed away Let all goodnes faile his children let his eyes behold his owne slaughter nor yet by our Lord let him be redeemed And a little after he saith of the same men Who have ravenously taken the flocke with the shepheard and driven away the beast of the Orphans and engaged the Oxe of the Widdow and deceiving have declined from the way of necessity They have reaped other mens fields before the time the poore have laboured in the Vineards of the mighty without hyre and meate they have made many to sleepe naked without garments of the covering of their life they have bereaved them And somewhat afterwards when hee had throughly understood their workes he delivered them over to darkenesse Let therefore his portion be accursed from the earth let his plantings bring forth witherings let him for this be rewarded according to his dealings Let every wicked man like the unsound wood be broken in peeces For arising in his wrath hath he overthrown the impotent Wherefore truely shall he have no trust of his life when he shall beginne to grow diseased let him not hope for health but fall into languishing For his pride hath beene the hurt of many and he is become decayed and rotten as the mallowes in the scorching heate or as the yeare of corne when it falleth off from his stubble And afterwards If his children shall be many they shall be turned to the slaughter and if he gather together silver as if it were earth and likewise purifie his gold as if it were durt all these same shall the just obtaine Heare yee moreover what blessed Esdras that Library of the Law threatneth in his discourse on this wise Thus saith our Lord God My right hand shall not be sparing upon sinners neither shall the sword cease over them who spill the innocent blood on the earth Fire shall proceede from out my wrath and devoure the foundations of the earth and sinners as if they were inflamed straw Woe be unto them who offend and observe not my Commandements saith our Lord I will not forbeare them Depart away ye Apostatizing children and doe not pollute my sanctuarie God doth know who doe offend against him and he will therefore deliver them over to death and to slaughter For now have many evils passed over the round compasse of the
earth A sword of fire is sent out against yee and who is he that shall restraine it shall any man repulse a Lyon that hungereth in the wood or shall any one quench out the fire when the straw is burning our Lord God will send out evills and who is he that shall represse them and fire will passe forth from out his wrath and who shall extinguish it it shall brandishing shine and who will not feare it it shall thunder and who will not shake with dread God will threaten all and who will not be terrified before his face shall the earth tremble and the foundations of the sea fleet from the depth And marke ye also what Ezechiel the renowned Prophet and admirable beholder of the foure Evangelicall creatures speaketh of wicked offendors unto whom pittifully lamenting before hand the scourge that hung over Israel our Lord doth say Too farre hath the iniquity of the house of Israel and Iudah prevailed because the earth is fully filled with iniquity and uncleannesse Behold I am mine eyes shall not spare nor yet will I take pitty And afterwards Because the earth is replenished with people and the City fraughted with iniquity I will also turne away the force of their power and their holy things shall be polluted prayer shall approach and sue for peace and it shall not be obtained And somewhat after The Word of our Lord quoth he was spoken unto me saying Thou sonne of man the land that shall so farre sinne against me as transgressing it shall commit an offence I will streatch forth my hand upon her and breake in peeces her foundation of bread and send upon her famine and take away mankind and cattle from her and if these three men Noah Daniel and Iob bee in the midst of her they shall not deliver her but they in their justice shall be saved saith our Lord. If so be that also I shall bring 〈◊〉 evill beasts upon the land and punish her she likewise shall be turned to destruction and there shall not be one who shall have free passage from the face of the beasts and admit these three men are in the midest of her I live saith our Lord if their sonnes and daughters shall be preserved but they alone shall be saved and as for the land it shall fall to confusion And againe The sonne shall not receive the unrighteousnesse of the Father neither yet the Father the sonnes unrighteousnesse The justice of the just shall be upon himselfe And the unjust man if he turneth him away from all the iniquities which he hath done and keepeth all my Commandements and doth justice and abundance of mercy hee shall live in life and shall not dye All his sinnes whatsoever he hath committed shall have no further being he shall live the life in his owne justice which hee hath performed Doe I with my will voluntarily wish the death of the unrighteous saith our Lord raâ—her than he should returne from his evill way and live But when the just shall turne himselfe away from his justice and doe iniquity according to all the iniquities which the unrighteous hath committed all the just actions which hee hath done shall remaine no further in memory In his offence wherein he hath fallen and in his sinnes in which hee hath transgressed he shall dye And within some words afterwards And all nations shall understand that the house of Israel are led captive away for their offences because they have forsaken me And I have turned my face from them and yeelded them over into the hands of their enemies and all have perished by the sword according unto their uncleane sinnes and after their iniquities have I dealt with them and turned my face away from them This which I have spoken may suffice concerning the threates of the holy Prophets onely I have thought it necessary to intermingell in this little worke of mine as well as the former menaces a few words also borrowed out of the wisdome of Salomon which declares unto Kings matter of exhortation or instructioÌ„ that they may not say I am willing to lade the shoulders of men with heavie and insupportable burthens of words but not so much as once with mine owne finger which is with speech of consolation to moove the same Let us therefore heare what the Prophet hath spoken to rule us Love justice saith he yee that judge the earth This onely testimony if it were with a full and perfect heart observed would abundantly suffice to reforme the governours of our Country For if they had loved Iustice they would also love God who is in a sort the fountaine and originall of all justice Serve our Lord in goodnesse and seeke him in simplicity of heart Alas who shall live as one before us hath sayd to see these things performed by our Countrymen yea if perhaps they may be any where accomplished Because he is found of those who doe not tempt him he appeareth truely to them who have faith in him For these men without respect doe tempt God whose Commandements with stubburne despight they contemne neither yet doe they keepe to him their faith unto whose Oracles be they pleasing or somewhat severe they turne their backes and not their faces For perverse thoughts doe separate from God and this in the Tyrants of our time very plainely appeareth But why doth our meannesse intermeddle in this so manifest a determination Let therefore him who is onely true as wee have sayd speake for us the holy Ghost I meane of whom it is now pronounced The holy Ghost verily will avoyde the counterfetting of discipline And againe Because the spirit of God hath filled the globe of the earth And afterwards shewing with an evident judgement the end of the evill and righteous hee saith How is the hope of the wicked as the doune that is puffed away with the wind and as the smoake that with the blast is dispersed and as the slender froth that with a storme is scattered and as the memory of a guest who is a passenger of one day But the just shall live for ever and with God remaineth their reward and their cogitation is with the highest Therefore shall they receive the kingdome of glory and the crowne of beauty from the hand of our Lord. Because with his right hand he will protect them and with his holy arme defend them For very farre unlike in quality are the just and ungodly as our Lord verily hath spoken saying Them who honour me I will honour and who so despise me shall be of no estimation But let us passe over to the rest Hearken saith he all yee Kings and understand ye learne ye Iudges of the bounds of the earth listen with your eares who conteine multitudes in awe and please your selves in the troopes of nations Because power is given unto yee from God and puissance from the highest who will
examine your actions and sift your thoughts For that when ye were ministers of his kingdome ye have not judged uprightly nor kept the law of Iustice nor yet walked according to his will It shall dreadfully and suddenly appeare unto yee that a most severe judgement shall be given on them who governe For to the meaner is mercy granted but the mighty shall mightily sustaine torments For he shall have no respect of persons who is the ruler of all nor yet shall he reverence the greatnesse of any one because he himselfe hath made both small and great and care alike he hath of all but for the stronger is at hand a stronger affliction Vnto yee therefore O Kings are these my speeches that yee may learne wisdome and not fall away from her For who so observe what things are just shall be justified and who so learne what things are holy shall be sanctified Hitherto have we discoursed no lesse by the Oracles of the Prophets than by our owne speeches with the Kings of our Country being willing they should know what the Prophet hath spoken saying As from the face of a Serpent so flye thou sinnes If thou shalt aproach unto them the teeth of a Lyon will catch thee their teeth are such as kill the soules of men And againe How mighty is the mercy of our Lord. and his forgivenesse to such as convert themselves unto him And if wee have not in us that Apostolicall zeale that wee may say I did verily desire to he amathematised by Christ for my brethren Notwithstanding we may from the bottome of our hearts speake that Propheticall saying Alas that a soule perisheth And againe Let us search out our wayes and seeke and returne unto our Lord Let us lift our hearts together with our bands to God in heaven And also that of the Apostle We covet that every one of yee should bee in the bowels of Christ. And how willingly truely as one tossed on the waves of the sea and now arrived in a desired haven would I in this place make an end blushing shame forbidding me further to proceede did I not behold such and so great mountaines of malice advanced against God by Bishops or other Priests or clearkes yea some of our owne order whom as witnesses my selfe must of necessity first of all stone accordiâ—g unto the Law with the hard blowes of words least I should be otherwise reproved of partiality towards persons and then afterwards the people if as yet they keepe their decrees must pursue with their whole powers the same execution upon them not to their corporall death but to the death of their vices and their eternall life with God Yet as before I have sayd I doe crave pardon of them whose lives I doe not onely prayse but also preferre before all earthly treasure and of the which if it may be yet before my death I desire and thirst to be a partaker and so having both my sides defended with the double shields of Saints and by those meanes invincibly strengthned to sustaine all that arise against me arming moreover my head in place of an helmet with the helpe of our Lord and being most assuredly protected with the sundry assistances of the Prophets I will boldly proceede notwithstanding the stones of worldly rioters flye never so fast about me IT is very aptly said that sinne creepeth on as a Cancker for no man in a moment becommeth absolutely evill but even like the Sea that making his entry first at a little hole and afterwards enlarging his passage in the end breaketh downe the bancke and overwhelmeth the whole land so vice hath her progresses in depraved mindes the lamentable example whereof we may in the history of Britaine apparantly behold Our Authour hath already declared the infection of Heresie the corruption of infidelity the disorders of warre and the dissolution of manners that distempered the body of the Iland he laid open the sores of the temporall governors to the end that medicines might have beene the better applyed for their remedies and here now he beginneth to discover the grievous imperfections of the Clergy which are truely so much the worse by how much their lives ought to be more vertuous and exemplar and yet would I have you to know that these were defects not of Religion but of life such as those offences of the Priests Scribes and Pharisees so often in the word of God recited whose sins although too foulely they soiled their owne soules yet could they never staine the immaculate Church of God committed unto their charge Neither yet did Gildas as another Elias complaine that there was not one left but himselfe alone who worthily served God since in sundry places he sheweth how many were yet here in this land whose holy lives deserved most high commendation even as our Lord spake to the same Elias saying There remained seven thousand in Israel who never bowed their knees to Baal But suppose Britaine had beene wholly drowned in the deepe Seas of offences yet did Italy Greece and Gall. with many other mighty Provinces of the Christian world flourish at the selfe same time both in vertuous Life and true Religion not unlike the Kingdome of Iudah which in that season when Elias so complained of Israel did notwithstanding openly maintaine the true worshipping of God but this insueing Treatise telleth us that in the field of our Lord there sprung up Cockell and in his barne of purest Corne there was found chaffe and among his wisest Virgins foolish ones all which in this world cannot be separated but remaine untill the day of judgement to be severally divided thus doth he set before our eyes the beginning and proceeding of the wickednesse of Britaine whose blessed soule possessed with a true zeale to God departed to receive a Crowne of eternall glory before the conclusion of this tragedy of sinne for as ye shall reade in venerable Bede presently after the decease of Gildas they fell to open errors and then to disobedience of the Church in withstanding the authority of Saint Augustine the first Arch-bishop of Canterbury although within a while afterwards it pleased God of his singular mercy to recall them backe into his Catholike fold againe Neither let any man imagine I have Translated this worke to disclose the faults of Pastors and Superiours For I had rather with Sem and Iaphet conceale then with Cham reveale the imperfections of spirituall Fathers But having Englished the former part of Gildas I did also because I would not leave the worke maimed and unperfect adventure upon this latter wherein I would wish the Readers to consider that if this flame of sinne did scorch the Cedars of Libanus no doubt but it may burne the lesser silly shrubs if it infected I say the spiritualty it may assuredly unlesse wee be ware consume us of the Laity BRitaine hath Priests but some shee hath that are unwise very many that Minister but many of
burnt sacrifice of a sucking lambe drave away the feare of the Philistians raised unexpected thunder-claps and showring clouds established without flattery a King deposed him when he displeased God and annointed another his better in his place and Kingdome when he shall give to the people his last farewell shall constantly appeare in this sort saying Behold I am ready speake ye before our Lord and his annointed whether ever I tooke away the Oxe or Asse of any man If I have falsely accused any one if I have oppressed any body if I have received a bribe from the hands of any Vnto whom it was answered by the people Thou hast not wrongfully charged us neither yet oppressed nor taken any thing from the hands of any Which of them like the famous Prophet Elias who consumed with heavenly fire the hundred proud men and conserved the fifty that humbled themselves and afterwards denounced without fawning dissimulation unto the unjust King that sought not the Counsell of God by his Prophets but of the Idoll Accaron his imminent death hath utterly overthrowne all the Prophets of Baal which are interpreted worldly senses ever bent as we have already sayd to envie and avarice with the lightning sword which is the Word of God and as the same Elias moved with the zeale of God after the taking away of the ayrie showres from the Land of the wicked who were now shut up with famine in a strong prison as it were of penury for three yeeres and sixe moneths being himselfe ready to dye for thirst in the desert hath complaining sayd They have murthered O Lord thy Prophets and undermined thine Altars and I alone am left and they seeke my life Which of them like Haeliseus hath punished his deerely beloved disciple if not with an everlasting Leprosie yet at least by abandoning him who was extraordinarily burthened with the weight of worldly coveting those gifts which his Master before although very earnestly entreated thereunto dispised to receive and which of these among us hath like him revealed unto his servant who was troubled with despaire of life and on a suddaine trembled at the warlike army of the enemies that besieged the City wherein hee was through the fervency of his prayers powred out unto God those spirituall visions so as hee might behold a mountaine replenished with an heavenly assisting army of warlike chariots horsemen who shined with fiery countenances and also beleeve that he was stronger to save then foes to offend And which of them as the afore-recited Helizeus with the touch of his body being dead truly to the world but living unto God shall raise up another course perishing and carried out with a contrary funerall of death undoubtedly to God but of life to vices so as instantly revived hee may yeeld humble thankes unto Christ for his unexpected recovery from the hellish torments of all mortall offences which of them hath his lips purified and made cleane with the fiery coale carryed by the tongues of the Cherubin from off the Altar that his sinnes may be quite wiped away with the humility of confession as it is written of Esay by whose effectuall prayers adjoyned with the ayde of the godly King Ezechias an hundred fourescore and five thousands of the Assirians Army through the stroake of one Angell without the least print of any appearing wound were overthrowne and slaine which of them like blessed Ieremy for accomplishing the Commandements of God for denouncing the threates thundred out from heaven and for preaching the truth even to such as would not heare the same hath suffered loathsome stinking prisons as momentary deaths And to be breef what one of them as the Doctor of the Gentils said hath endured like the holy Prophets to wander in mountaines in dennes and caves of the earth to bee stoned to be sawed in sunder and attempted with all kindes of death for the name of our Lord But why doe wee dwell in examples of the old Testament as if there were none in the new Let therefore them who suppose they doe without any labour at all under the naked pretence of the onely name of Priesthood enter this streight and narrow passage of Christian Religion hearken unto us while we recite and gather in one a few as the highest and cheefest flowers out of the large and pleasant meddow of the Saintly souldiers of the New Testament which of ye who rather sleepe than lawfully sit in the chaire of Priesthood being cast out of the councell of the wicked hath after the stripes of sundry rods as the holy Apostles given from the bottome of his heart thanks to the blessed Trinitie that he was found worthy to suffer disgrace for Christs true Deitie What one for the undoubted testimony of God having his braines dashed out with the Fullers â—lubbe hath as Iames the first a Bishop of the New Testament suffered corporall death Which of yee like Iames the brother of Iohn was by the unjust Prince beheaded Who like the first Deacon and Martyr of the Gospell having but this onely accusation that he saw God whom the wicked miscreants could not behold was by the ungodly hands stoned to death What one of ye like the worthy keeper of the keyes of the heavenly Kingdome being nayled to the crosse with his feete upward in regard of the reverence of Christ whom no lesse in his death than in his life he endeavored to honour hath so breathed out his last gaspe Which of yee for the confession of the true word of Christ hath like the vessell of election and chosen Doctor of the Gentiles after suffering the chaines of imprisonment sustayning of Shipwracke after the terrible scourges of whips the continuall dangers of Seas of theeves of Gentiles of Iewes and of false apostles after the labours of famine of fasting c. after his incessant care had over all the Churches after his exceeding trouble for such as scandalized after his infirmity for the weake after his admirable peregrination over almost the whole world in Preaching the Gospel of Christ through the stroke of the sword lost his head which of yee as the holy Martyr Ignatius Bishop of the City of Antioch hath after his miraculous actions in Christ for testimony of him beene broken in peeces by the jawes of Lyons as hee was sometimes at Rome whose words being now led to his passion when yee shall heare if ever your countenances were overcome with blushing ye will not onely in comparison of him esteeme your selves no Priests but not truely so much as the meanest Christians for in the Epistle which hee sent to the Church of Rome he writeth thus From Syria even unto Rome I fight with beasts at Land and Sea being bound and chained unto tenne Leopards the Souldiers I meane appointed for my custody who for
our benefits bestowed upon them become more cruell but I by their wickednesse am the better instructed neither yet am I in this justified Oh when shall come those beasts the causers of my Salvation which are for me prepared when shall they be let out loose at me when shall it be lawfull for my carkas to enjoy them whom I doe most earnestly wish to be eagerly inraged against me and truely â— will incite them to devoure me moreover I will humbly pray least perchance they should dread to touch my body as in some others they have heretofore done yea also if they doubtfully stagger I will offer violence I will enforce my selfe upon them Pardon mee I beseech ye I know what is commodious for me even now I beginne to be the Disciple of Christ let all envy be it either of humane affection or else of spirituall wickednesse surcease that I may diserne to obtaine Christ Iesus let fires let crosses let cruelty of beasts let breaking of bones and renting of limbes with all the paines of the whole body and all the torments devised by the art of the devill be altogether powred out on mee alone so that I may merit to attaine unto Christ Iesus Why do ye behold these things with the sleepy eyes of your soules why do ye hearken unto them with the deafe eares of your sences Shake off I beseech yee the darkesome and blacke mist of the slothfulnesse of your hearts that so ye may see the glorious light of truth and humility A Christian and he not meane but a perfect one a Priest not base but one of the highest a Martyr not ordinary but one of the chiefest saith Now I begin â—o be the Disciple of Christ. And ye like the same Lucifer who was throwne downe out of Heaven are puffed up with words not with power and after a sort doe chaw under the tooth and make pretence in your actions even as the Authour of this your wickednesse hath expressed saying I will mount up into the Heavens and be like unto the highest And againe I have digged and drunk water and dryed up with the steppes of my feete all the rivers of the bankes Where more rightly yee should have imitated him and harkened unto his words who is doubtlesse the most true example of all goodnesse and humility saying by his Prophet I am verily a worm and not a man the reproch of men and the outcast of the people Oh unspeakeable matter that he called himselfe the reproach of men when as he washed quite away the reproaches of the whole world And againe in the Gospel I of my selfe am not able to doe any thing When as he being coeternall with the Father coequall with the Holy Ghost and consubstantiall unto both Created not by the helpe of another but by his owne Almighty power the Heaven and Earth with all their inestimable Ornaments and ye neverthelesse have arrogantly lifted aloft your voyces notwithstanding the Prophet saith Why doth earth and ashes swell in pridâ— But that I may returne unto the purpose which of yee I say like the famous Bishop of the Church of Smerna Policarpus that witnesse of Christ hath courteously entertained as guests at his table those who violently drew him out to be burned and being for the charity which he did beare unto Christ brought to the stake sayd He who gave me grace to endure the torment of the fire will likewise graunt mee without fastning of nayles to suffer constantly the flames And now overpassing in this my discourse mighty armies of Saints I will as yet touch but one for examples sake Basil I meane the Bishop of Caesaria who when hee was thus by the unrighteous Prince threatned that unlesse he would on the next morrow be as the rest defiled in the durty dunghill of the Arrian heresie he was absolutely to be put to death answered as it is reported I truely will be to morrow the same as to day and for thee I wish thou wouldest not change thy determination And againe O would I had some worthy reward to bestow on him that would speedily discharge Basil from the bands of this breathing bellowes What one of ye to daunt the menaces of Tyrants doth inviolably keepe the rule of the Apostolicall speech which in all times and ages when some ever hath beene observed by al holy Priests to suppresse the suggestion of men when they sought to draw them headlong to naughtinesse saying in this manner It behoveth rather to obey God then men Wherfore after our accustomed manner making our refuge unto the mercy of our Lord and to the sentences of his holy Prophets that they on our behalfe may now levell the darts of their Oracles at unperfect Pastors as before at Tyrants so as thereby receiving compunction they may be cured let us behold what manner of threates our Lord doth by his Prophets utter against slothfull and dishonest Priests and such as doe not as well by examples as words rightly instruct the people For even Hely the Priest in Silo for that hee did not severely proceed with a zeale worthy of God in punishing his sonnes when they contemned our Lord but as a man overswayed with a fatherly affection too mildly and remisly admonished them was sentenced with this judgement by the Prophet speaking unto him Thus saith our Lord I have manifestly shewed my selfe unto the house of thy Father when they were the servants of Pharaohin Egypt and have chosen the house of thy Father out of all the Tribes of Israel for a Priesthood unto me And a little after Why hast thou looked upon mine incense and upon my sacrifice with a dishonest eye and hast honored thy children more then mee that thou mightst blesse them from the beginning in all sacrifices in my presence And now so saith our Lord Because who so honour me I will honour them againe and who so make no account of me shall be brought to nothing Behold the dayes shall come and I will destroy thy Name and the seedâ— of the house of thy Father And let this be to thee the signe which shall fall upon thy two sonnes Ophnee and Phinees in one day shall they both dye by the sword of men If thus therefore they shall suffer paines who correct them that are subjected under their charge with onely words and not with condigne punishment what shall become of those who by offending exhort ye and draw others unto wickednesse It is apparant also what befell unto the true Prophet who was sent from Iudah to prophesie in Bethel and forbidden not once to taste any meate in that place after the signe which he foretold was fulfilled and after hee had restored the wicked King his withered hand againe being deceived by another Prophet as he was tearmed and so made to take but a little bread and water his host speaking in this sort unto him Thus saith our Lord
which I have given unto yâ—e and to your fathers as I have done to Shilo and I will cast yee away from my counâ—enance And againe My children have departed from me and have no abiding and there is not he who any more pitcheth my tent and advanceth my Pavillion because the Pastors have dealt fondlâ— and not sought out our Lord. Wherefore they have not understood and their flocke hath beene dispersed And within some words after What is the matter that my beloved hath in my houses committed many offences shall the holy flesh take away thy malitiousnesse from thee wherein thou hast gloried our Lord hath tearmed thy noone a plentifull faire fruitfull goodly olive at the voyce of the speech a mighty fire hath beene inflamed in her and her Orchards have beene quite consumed therewith And againe Come ye to me and be ye gathered together all ye beasts of the earth make ye haste to devoure Many Pastours have throwne downe my vine they have trampled my part under foote they have given over my portion which was well worthy to be desired into a desart of solitarinesse And againe he speaketh Thus saith our Lord unto this people which have loved to moove their feete and not rested nor yet pleased our Lord now shall he remember their iniquities and visite their offences Prophets say unto them ye shall not see the sword and there shall no famine be among ye but our Lord shall give true peace unto ye in this place And our Lord hath said unto me The Prophets doe falsly foretell in my name I have not sent them neither yet laid my Commandement on them they prophesie unto ye a lying vision and divination together with deceitfulnesse and the seducement of their owne hearts And therefore thus saith our Lord in sword and famine shall those Prophets be consumed and the people to whom they have prophesied shall by meanes of the famine and sword be cast out in the waies of Ierusalem and there shall be none to bury them And moreover Wâ—e be to the â—astours who desâ—roy and rent in peeces the flocâ—e of my pasture saith our Lord. Thus therefore saith our Lord God of Israel unto the Pastours who guide my people ye have dispersed my flocke and cast them forth and not visited them Behold I will visite upon ye the malice of your endeavours saith our Lord. For the Prophet and the Priest are both defiled and in my house have I found their evill saith our Lord and therefore shall their way be as a slippery place in the darke for they shall be thrust forward and fall downe together therein for I will bring evils upon them the yeare of their visitation saith our Lord. And in the Prophets of Samaria I have seene foolishnesse and they did prophesie in Baal and deceived my people of Israel and in the Prophets of Ierusalem have I seene the like resemblance adultery and the way of lying and they have comforted the hands of the vildest offendors that every man may not be converted from his malice they have beene all made to me as Sodome and the inhabitants thereof as those of Gomorrha Thus therefore saith our Lord to the Prophets Behold I will give them wormewood for their food and gall for their drinke For there hath passed from the Prophet of Ierusalem pollution over the whole earth Thus saith our Lord of hosts listen not unto the words of Prophets who prophesie unto ye and deceive ye for they speake the vision of their owne heart and not from the mouth of our Lord. For they say unto these who doe blaspheme me our Lord hath spoken peace shall be unto ye and to all that walke in the wickednesse of their owne hearts they have said Evil shal not fall upon them For who was present in the counsell of our Lord and hath seene and heard his speech who hath considered of his word and hearkened thereunto Behold the whirlewinde of the indignation of our Lord passeth out and a tempest breaking forth shall fall upon the heads of the wicked the fury of our Lord shall not returne untill the time that he worketh and untill he fulfilleth the cogitation of his heart In the last daies of all shal ye understand his counsell And little also doâ— ye conceive and put in execution that which the holy Prophet Ioel hath likewise spoken in admonishment of sloathfull Priests and Lamentation of the Peoples dammage for their iniquities saying Awake ye who are drunke from your wine and weepe and bewaile ye all who have drunke wine even to drunkennesse because joy and delight are taken away from your mouthes Mourne yee Priests who serve the Altar because the fields have beene made miserable Let the earth mourne because corne hath become miserable and wine beene dryed up oyle diminished and husbandmen withered away Lament ye possessions in regard of Wheate and Barly because the vintage hath perished out of the field the vine withered up the figges diminished the pomegranates and palme and apple and all trees of the field are withered away in respect that the children of men have confounded their joy All which things are spiritually to be understood by you that your soules may not wither away with so pestilent a famine for want of the word of God And againe Weepe out yee Priests who serve our Lord saying Spare O Lord thy People and give not over thine inheritance unto reproch and let not Natioâ—s hold dominion over them that Gentiles may not say Where is their God And yet ye yeeld not your eares unto these sayings but admit of all matters by which the indignation of the fury of God is more vehemently inflamed With diligence also attend ye what holy O see the Prophet hath spoken unto Priests of your behavior Heare these words O yee Priests and let the house of Israel together with the Kings house marke them fastâ—n ye them in your eares for that unto ye appertaineth judgement because yee are made an intangling snare to the espying watch and as a piched nâ—t more and worse then the toyle which the followers of hunting have framed To ye also may this kinde of alienation from our Lord be meant by the Prophet Amos saying I have hated and rejected your festivall daies and I will not receive the savour in your solemne assemblies because albeit ye offer our burnt sacrifices and hosts I will not accept them and I will not cast mine eye on the vowes of your declaration Take away from me the sound of your songs and the Psalme of your Organs I will not heare For why the famine of the Evangelicall meate consuming in your abundance of victuals the very bowels of your soules rageth violently within ye according as the aforesaid Prophet hath foretold saying Behold the daies shal come saith our Lord and I will send out a famine upon the earth not the famine of bread nor the thirst of water
but a famine in hearing the word of God and waters shall be mooved from sea even to sea and they shal run over from the North even unto the East seeking out the word of our Lord and yet shall not find it Let holy Micheas also pierce your eares who not unlike a certaine heavenly trumpet soundeth shrilly forth against the deceitfull Princes of the People saying Hearken now yee Princes of the house of Iacob is it not for yee to know judgement who hate goodnesse and seeke after mischiefes who plucke their skinnes from off men and their flesh from their bones Even as they have eaten the flesh of my people and flâ—yed of their skins from them broken their bones to peeces and hewed them small as meate to the pot they shall cry to God and he will not heare them and in that season turne his face away from them even as they before have wickedly behaved themselves in their inventions Thus speaketh our Lord of the Prophets who seduce my people who bite with their teethes and preach against them peace and if a man giveth nothing to stoppe their mouthes they raise and sanctifie a war upon him Night shall therefore be unto yee in place of a vision and dâ—rkenesse unto ye in lâ—we of divination and the sunne shall set upon your Prophets and the day shall waxe darke upon them and seeing droames they shall be confounded and the diviners shall be derided and they shall speake ill against all men because there shall not be any one that will heare them but that I myselfe shall doe mine uttermost strongest endeavour in the spirit of our Lord in judgement and in power that I may declare unto the house of Iacob their impieties and to Israel their offences Hearken therefore unto these words ye Captaines of the house of Iacob and ye remnants of the house of Israel who abhorre judgment and overthrow all righteousnesse who build up Sion in blood and Ierusalem in iniquities her rulers did judge for rewards and her Priests answered for hire aâ—d her Prophets did for money divine and rested on our Lord saying And is not our Lord within us evils shall not fall upon us For your cause therefore shall Sion be ploughed up as a field and Ierusalem as a watch cabbin of a garden and the mountaine of the house as a place of a wooddy wildernesse And after some words ensuing Woe is me for that I am become as â—e that gathereth stubble in the harvest and a cluster of grapes in the Vintage when the principle branch is not left to be eaten Woe is me that a soule hath perished through earthly actions the reverence of sinners ariseth even reverencing from the earth and hee appeareth not that among men correcteth All contend injudgement for blood and every one with tribulation afflicteth his neighbour for mischiefe hee prepareth his hands Listen ye likewise how the famous Prophet Sophonias debated also in times past with your fellow banqueters for hee spake of Ierusalem which is spiritually to be understood the Church or the soule saying O the Citty that was beautifull and set at liberty the confident Dove hath not obediently hearkened to the voyce nor yet entertained discipline she hath not trusted in our Lord and to her God she hath not approached And he sheweth the reason why Her Princes have beene like unto roaring Lyons her Iudges as Wolves of Arabia did not leave towards the morning her Prophets carrying the spirit of a contemptuous despising man her Priests did prophane what wâ—s holy and dealt wickedly in the law but our Lord is upright in the middest of his people and no unjust morning will he make in the morning will he give his judgement But heare ye also blessed Zachery the Prophet in the Word of God admonishing yee For thus saith our Almighty Lord Iudge ye righteous judgement and worke yee every one towards his brother mercy and pitty and hurt yee not thorough your power the Widdoow or Orphan or stranger or poore man and let not any man remember in his heart the malice of his brother and they have beene stubborne not to observe these and have yeelded their backes to foolishnesse and made heavie their eares that they might not hearken and framed their hearts to be not perswasible that they might not listen to my law and words which our Almighty Lord hath sent in his spirit through the hands of his former Prophets and mighty wrath hath beene raised by our Almighty Lord. And againe Because they who have spoken have spoken molestations and diviners have uttered false visions and deceitfull dreames and given vaine consolations in respect hereof they are made dry as sheepe and are afflicted because no health was to bee found my wrath is heaped upon the Shepheards and upon the Lambes will I visite And within a few words after The voyce of lamenting Pastors because their greatnesse is become miserable The voyce of roaring Lyons because the fall of Iordan is become miserable Thus saith our Almighty Lord who have possessed have murthered and yet hath it not repented them and who have sold them have sayd Our Lord is blessed and we have beene enriched and their Pastors have suffered nothing concerning them For which I will now beare no sparing hand over the inhabitants of the earth saith our Lord. Heare ye moreover what the holy Prophet Malachy denounceth unto yee saying Yee Priests who despise my name and have sayd Wherein doe we despise thy name in offering on mine Altar polluted bread and yee have sayd Wherein have we polluted it In that ye have sayd The table of our Lord is as nothing and have despised such things as have beene placed thereupon because if yee bring what is blind for an offering is it not evill If ye set and apply what is lame or languishing is it not evill Offer therefore the same unto thy governour if he will receive it if he will accept of thy person saith our Almighty Lord. And now doe ye humbly pray before the countenance of your God and earnestly beseech him for in your hands have these things beene committed if happily he will accept of your persons And againe And out of your ravenous theft ye have brought in the lame and languishing and brought it in as an offering Shall I receive the same at your hands saith our Lord Accursed is the deceitfull man who hath in his flocke one of the male kinde and yet making his vow offereth the feeble unto our Lord because I am a mighty King saith our Lord of hosts and my name is terrible among the Gentiles And now unto yee appertaineth this Commandement O yee Priests if yee will not heare and resolve in your hearts to yeeld glory unto my name saith our Lord of hosts I will send upon ye poverty and accurse your blessings because ye have not setled these things on your hearts Behold I will extend out
people which words likewise as I heare yee your selves are not ashamed to pronounce full often in publicke Vpon the chaire of Moses have Scribes and Pharisees sate observe ye therefore and accomplish all whatsoever they shall speake unto ye but doe ye not according unto their workes For they doe but speake and they of themselves doe nothing It is truely unto Priests a dangerous and superfluous doctrine which is overclouded with sinfull actions Woe be unto ye Hypocrites who shut up the Kingdome of Heaven before men your selves truely enter not in neither yet doe yee suffer those that are entring to passe in For yee shall with horrible paines bee tormented not onely in respect of the great offences of your wickednesse which ye doe heape up for punishment in the world to come but also in regard of those who dayly perish through your bad example whose blood in the day of judgement shall be required at your hands Yeeld ye in like sort diligent attention unto the misery which the Parable setteth before your eyes that is spoken of the servant who saith in his heart my Lord maketh delay in his comming and upon this occasion perchance hath begunne to strike his fellow servants eating and quaffing with drunkards The Lord of the same servant therefore saith hee will come on a day when hee doth not expect him and in an houre whereof hee is ignorant and will divide him from holy Priests undoutedly and will place his portion with hypocrites with them certainely who under the pretence of Priesthood doe shadow much iniquity affirming that there shall bee weeping and gnashing of teeth Which sorrow in this present life neither for the daily ruines of the children of our holy Mother the Church nor yet for the desire of the Kingdome of Heaven they have often sustained But let us see what Paul the true Schollar of Christ and Master of the Gentiles who is a mirrour of every ecclesiasticall Doctor Even as I saith he am the Disciple of Christ speaketh about a worke of such importance in his first Epistle on this wise Because when they have knowne God they have not magnified him as God or given thankes unto him but vanished in their owne cogitations and their foolâ—sh heart is blinded affirming themselves to be wise they are made fooles Although this seemeth to be spoken unto the Gentiles looke into it notwithstanding because it may conveniently be applyed unto the Priests and people of this age And after a few words Who have changed saith he the truth of God into lying and have reverenced and served the creature rather than the Creator who is blessed for ever therefore hath God given them over unto the passions of ignominy And againe And even as they have not approved themselves to have God in their knowledge so God hath yeelded them up unto a reprobate sence that they may doe such things as are not convenient being replenished with all iniquitie malice uncleannesse of life fornication covetousnesse naughtinesse full of envie murther of the soules truely of the people contention deceipt wickednesse backbiters detracters hatefull to God spitefull proud puffed up devisers of mischiefes disobedient to their Parents senselesse disordered without mercy without affection who when they had knowne the justice of God understood not that they who commit such things are worthy of death And now what one of the afore-cited sort hath indeede beene voyde of all these And if he were yet perhaps hee may be caught in the sense of the ensuing sentence wherein hee saith Not onely who doe these things but also who consent unto the doers to wit that none of them truely are free from this wickednesse And afterwards But thou according to thy hardinesse and impenitent heart dost lay up for thy selfe wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the just judgement of God who will yeeld unto every one according unto his workes And againe For there is no acceptation of persons with God For whosoever have offended without the Law shall also without the law perish whosoever have offended in the Law shall by the Law be judged For not the hearers of the Law shall with God be accounted just but the dooers of the law shall be justified How severe a sentence shall they therfore sustaine who not onely leave undone what they ought to accomplish and forbeare not what they are forbidden but also flie as an hideous snake the very hearing of the word of God though lightly sounding in their eares But let us passe over to that which followeth to this effect What shall wee therefore say shall we continue still in our sinne that grace may abound God forbid for we who are dead in sinne how shall wee againe live in the same And somewhat afterwards Who shall separate us saith hee from the charity of Christ tribulation or distresse or persecution or famine or nakednesse or danger or the sword What one I pray you of all you shall with such an affection be possessed in the inward secret of his heart since ye doe not only labor for atchieving of piety but also indure many things for the working of impiety and offending of Christ Or who hath respected this that followeth The night hath passed and the day appreached Let us therefore cast of the workes of darkenesse and put on the armour of light even as in the day let us honestly walke not in banqueting and drunkennes not in couches and wantonnesse not in contention and emulation but put ye on our Lord Iesus Christ and make no care to bestow your flesh in concupiscences And againe in the first Epistle to the Corinthians hee saith As a wise workemaster have I laid the foundation another buildeth thereupon but let every man consider how he buildeth thereon For no man can lay any other foundation besides that which is Christ Iesus But if any man buildeth upon this gold and silver pretious stones hay wood stubble every ones worke shall be manifests for the day of our Lord shall declare the same because it shall be revealed in fire and the fire shall prove what every mans work is If any mans worke shall remaine all by the fire shall be adjudged Who so shall build thereupon shall receive reward If any mans worke shall burne he shall suffer detriment Know ye not that ye are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God inhabiteth in ye but if any man violate the Temple of God God will destroy him And againe If any man seemeth among yee to be wise in this world let him be made a foole that he may become wise For the wisedome of this world is foolishnesse with God And within some words afterwards Your glorying is not good Know ye not that a little leaven corrupteth the whole masse Purge ye therefore the old leaven that ye may be a new sprinkling How shall the old leaven which
man adorned not given to wine no fighter but modest not contentius not covetous O lamentable change O horrible contempt of the heavenly Commandements And doe ye not continually use the force of your words and actions for the overthrowing or rather overwhelming of these for whose defence and confirmation if neede had required yee ought to have suffered paines yea and to have lost your very lives But let us see what followeth Well governing saith he his house having his children subjected with all chastity Imperfect therefore is the chastity of the Parents if the children be not also indued with the same But how shall it be where neither the father nor yet the sonne as depraved by the example of his evill parent is found to be chaste But if any one knoweth not how to rule over his owne house how shall hee imploy his care over the Church of God These are the words that with apparant effects shold be made good and approoved Deacons in like manner that they should be chast not double tongued not overgiven much to wine not followers of filthy gaine having the mystery of faith in a pure conscience and let these also be first approoved and so let them administer having no offence And now trembling truely to make any longer stay on these matters I can for a conclusion affirme one thing certainely which is that all these are changed into contrary actions in so much that Clarkes which not without griefe of heart I doe here confesse are shamelesse and deceitfull in their speeches given to drinking covetous of filthy commodity having faith or to say more truely unfaithfulnesse in an unpure conscience ministring not upon probation of their good workes but upon foreknowledge of their evill actions and being thus defiled with innumerable offences they are notwithstanding admitted unto the holy function ye have likewise heard on the same day wherin ye should with farre more right and reason have beene drawne to prison or punishment then preferred unto Priesthood when our Lord demanded whom his Disciples supposed him to be how Peter answered Thou art Christ the Sonne of the living God and our Lord in respect of such his confession said unto him Blessed art thou Simon Baâ—jonas because flesh and blood hath not revealed unto thee but my Father who is in Heaven Peter therefore instructed by God the Father doth rightly confesse Christ but ye being taught by the devill your father doe with your lewd actions wickedly deny our Saviour It is said to the true Priest Thou art Peter and upon this rocke will I build my Church But ye are resembled unto the foolish man who hath builded his house upon the sand And verily it is to be noted that God joyneth not in workemanship with the unwise when they build their house upon the deceitfull uncertainty of the sands according unto that saying They have made Kings unto themselves and not by me Semblably that which followeth soundeth in like sort speaking thus And the Gates of hell whereby the infernall sins are to be understood shall not prevaile But of your fraile and deadly frame marke what is pronounced The floods came and the winds blew have mainely dashed upon that house and it sell and great was the ruine thereof To Peter and his successors our Lord doth say And I will give unto thee the Keyes of the Kingdome of Heaven But unto ye I know yee not depart from me ye workers of iniquity that being separated with the goates of the left hand ye may together with them go into eternall fire It is also promised unto every good Priest What soever thou shalt loose upon earth shall be likewise loosed in heaven and whatsoever thou shalt binde upon earth shall be in like sort bound in Heaven But how shall ye loose any thing that it may be loosed also in Heaven since your selves for your sins are severed from Heaven and hampred in the bands of your owne hainous offences As Solomon saith With the cords of his sins every one is tyed And with what reason shall ye binde any thing on this earth that above this world may be likewise bound unlesse it be your only selves who intangled in your iniquities are so detained on this earth as ye cannot ascend into Heaven but without your conversion unto our Lord in this life will fall downe into the miserable prison of hell Neither yet let any Priest flatter himselfe upon the knowledge of the particular cleannenesse of his owne body since their soules over whom he hath government shall in the day of Iudgement be required at his hands as the murtherer of them if any through his ignorance â—loth or fawning adulation have perished because the stroke of death is not lesse terrible that is given by a good man then which is inflicted by an evill person Otherwise would the Apostle never have said that which he left unto his successors as a fatherly Legacy I am cleare and cleane from the blood of all for I have not forborne to declare unto ye al the counsell of God Being therefore mightily drunken with the use and custome of sinnes and extreamely overwhelmed with the waves as it were of encreasing offences seek ye now forthwith the uttermost endeavours of your mindes after this your shipwrake that one borde of pennance which is onely left whereby ye may escape and swimme to the land of the living that from yee may be turned away the wrath of our Lord who saith I will not the death of a sinner but that he may bee converted and live And the same Almighty God of all consolation and mercy preserve his few good Pastors from all evill and the common enemy being overcome make them free inhabitants of the heavenly City of Ierusalem which is the congregation of all Saints grant this O Father Sonne and Holy Ghost to whom be honor and glory world without end Amen FINIS The cause why Gildas alledgeth almost only the Scriptures Gildas citeth Scriptures not after the vulgar Translation The reasons why Britaine was at this time so defiled with vices The excuse of the invective of Gildas against the Scottish and Irish. The excuse of his seveare censuring of the English How the Kings Majestie is descended of the blood royall of these three Nations How the Saxons and Britaines are united in this Realme How other Kingdomes have increased by Vnions How united nations have beene called by one generall name How conveniently the name of Britaine agreeth to the Kingdome of the whole Island The Conclusion * Moses Num. 20.12 * Levit. 10.1 * Num. 14.28 * Exod. 14.22 * Exod. 16.14 * Exod. 17.6 * Exod. 17.11 * Num. 21.6 * Num. 14.45 * Deut. 1.45 * Num. 11.1 * Iosu. 3.16 * Ios. 6.20 * Ios. 21.24 * 2 Sam. 21.1 * Ieremies foure Lamentations written with the order of the Hebrew Alphabet * Thren 1.1 * Thren