men liuyng So that all mistrust and vnbeliefe the Quagmyre of all maner of wickednesse in which many men lye tâ— great slumber and sleepe securely may earnestly be cast away true fayth in diuine promises may be râ—ised our hope of attaynyng an happy life and deliuerance from all troubles may be nourished and we the more vigilant least vpon a sodaine that great day of the Lord horrible to the vngodly but to the godly comfortable vnawares oppresse vs and the spouse find vs sober wise and prepared to the feast not without oyle in our Lampes For his commyng in this last age of the world without doubt is not farre and maketh great hast and wyll not as many suppose linger Wherfore in this litle woorke I haue determined by some euident places of the Scripture first to proue that there shal be one day a generall destruction of this world and an vniuersall and last iudgement of our Lord Iesus Christ the sonne of God in which all the promises of God shall to the vttermost be fulfilled and his great threates shall take effect Then by the testimonies of holy Scripture we wil shew that the age of this world shall not be more then sixe thousand yeres that the sixt thousand in which we now liue whose tyme is more than halfe past because of intollerable wickednesse and shamelesse securitie of men shall not be fully finished And to this shal be added certaine singuler signes by course of tyme and yeares woonderfully agreeing with the inclinations of the Starres if credit may be geuen to Mathematicians which things notwithstaÌ„ding I referre to the iudgement of the Church and doctors of more discretioÌ„ Last of al certain proofes out of Scripture shal be brought of the maner of Christ his commyng and of the effect of the last iudgement with an exhortation to watchfulnesse for that most ioyful commyng of our bridegrome ¶ That there shal be a destruction of this worlde a resurrection of the fleshe and a generall iudgement of all mankynde ESpecialy setting apart al other darke significations of the world which in holy Scripture are to be founde euerye where in this place talkyng of his destruction we take the same as Aristotle dooth in his booke of the World for a knittyng togeather of celestiall and inferiour bodyes disposed by Arte which dooth containe liuing creatures and all other things which are ingendred and remaine in euery part And because in the same is to be seene a wonderfull shewe therfore doo the Latines very well take his denomination from fayrenes so that they cal the world as the Grecians doo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a goodly shew or ornament from the perfect excellencie therof as Plinie writeth which woonderful peece of woorke as appeareth by the manner of his creation and holy Scripture dooth plainly and sufficiently auouch the same was only to that ende buylded that it should be a house or dwelling place for mankinde For when our most mighty and eternall God by his woord of power had created of nothing all things as wel senslesse as hauyng life at length he made Adam whom he appoynted Lord of al creatures and possessor of Paradise situated in the mydst of this goodly and glorious world and fashioned him also vpright and innocent according to his owne likenesse that the Lord God of him might worthely be worshipped Here the vnspeakeable loue of God towards mankind is most diligently to be considered For if the Lorde God for our sakes hâ—th erected this famous and excellent peece of woorke to be an abiding place for mankynd of which he would gather to hym selfe a perpetual Church howe fayre and glorious shal we thinke that euerlasting Temple to be which he hath prepared for his elect in Christ and for his heauenly and celestial warriours In which place we shall enioy the sight of our euerlasting God and shal knowe hym in maiestie and glory euen as he is Truely no comparison of excellencie betwene these can so much as in imagination be conceyued although the beautie of this world and vniuersitie be such as mans wit cannot sufficiently thinke of the same Because as betwene the creature and the creator there is no equality so great is the oddes betweene visible things created and supercelestiall to vs altogether inuisible where the sonne of God wyth all Sainctes in the circuite of all Angels with God the father hath his eternall seate and continuall abiding But all men through the fall of Adam are become vnworthy of that place which was appoynted for Adam being pure from sinne and vnspotted Neither had the world any more borne him according to this immutable senteÌ„ce of God at what tyme thou shalt eate of the tree of kâ—owâ—ledge of good and euill thou shalt die the death had not that ouer merciful God through his deep secrete counsayle receyued him al the elect into fauor by the promised seed of the woman by Christ the sonne of God which was to come in the flesh And therfore if the world haue hitherto and as yet shall continue it is onely done for their sakes which are chosen in Christ whose number being full the world must of necessitie fayle and fall downe flat for which cause the Lord hath a certayne tyme of the worlds destruction because by the sinne and wickednes of vngodly men being marueilously polluted and accursed it dooth together wyth all other creatures as Saynt Paule sayth subiect to the same corruption desire a deliuerance from euil And therefore that this vniuersall world maye be brought to his former integritie it must of necessitie be consumed and burne with fyre in the comming of the Lord as Esay witnesseth saying Beholde the Lorde wyll come in fire and his chariot shal be like a whyrlewynde that he may render his indignation in heate and his correction in flames of fire because the Lord wyll iudge in fire And S. Peter saith The day of the Lord wyll come like a thiefe at which tyme the heauens with great speede shall vanish the Elementes with that heate shal be dissolued and the earth with all contayned in the same shal be consumed with fire No marueile then though Ethnikes and most famous Philosophers folowing the deuises of their owne braine straungers altogeather and ignorant in Scripture haue had very many prophane cogitations of the world Aristotle the Prince of Philosophers dreameth that the world neuer had beginnyng because as he saith the gods in this infinite eternitie haue not been idle But Plato beyng of another mynde will that the world was made yet he thinketh the same to be Animal immortale A creature which shall not dye but remayne for euer Plinie beleeueth the world to be an eternall and vnmeasurable godhead neither begotten at any tyme nor shal be destroyed Others as Epicures imagine that there is not one world onely but infinite whereof some take place as others auoyde Plato also iestingly sayth that
regione profana Ter tantum soluent quantum fecere malorum Igni confecti multo tum dentibus omnes Stridentes acri tabescent vique sitique Optandum mori dicent fugientque vocantes Non iam mortis enim requiem non noctis habebunt Multa quidem frustra supremi numina Patris Orabunt sed eos tunc auertetur apertè O that blyndnes of mans mynde and that madde doubting of these diuine promises of eternall lyfe O that hardned and flintie hart of ours which is not mooued no not wyth these horrible threates of Gods heauie displeasure but continuing securely in all impietie neuer asketh pardon for such wilfull offending and amendeth euen as though the scripture were but lyes and these diuine Oracles prophane fables For by those things which haue come to passe and by true demonstrations of Gods holy spirit it is apparant that nothing is more certaine than that the end of all things haÌ„geth oÌ„ our shoulders Truly great is the force of sinne and marueilous is the rage of Satan in these latter dayes he endeuoureth by all meanes that possibly he can to bring the whole world into a desperate securitie of life that so he may haue many partakers of his tormentes in hell from which there is no redemption But how much better had it been we had eyther neuer been borne or at the least been voyde of reason with beastes and serpentes or els been dispactht as soone as we were borne if either we enioy not that place for which we were created or come not to the celestyall Paradyse and to the marryage of our Spouse our Lord and sauiour Iesu Christ where shal be the ful abundance of all delightes and perfection of all pleasure Wherefore let vs cast from vs both our carelesse securitie and mistrust of the promises of God let vs renounce the diuell and all the woorkes of the flesh which are not sufferable by the word of God let vs listeÌ„ to the friendly admonitioÌ„ of our Sauiour Christ warning vs in these wordes Take heed least at any tyme your mindes be ouerladen with surfetting and dronkennes and cares of this life and so the suddayne day of the Lord take you vnawares for euen as a snare it shall come vppon all which sit vppon the face of the earth Be ye watchfull therefore at all tymes and as Matthew addeth because ye knowe not the houre in which your Lorde wyll come praying that ye may escape all these things which are to come and may stand before the Sonne of man. For if the comming of theeues and stealers of our earthly goods be to be feared with how great care with how great diligence and watchfulnes should we seeke to escape those enemies which would spoyle vs of our eternall riches and kingdome of heauen Here we vse great heede and wisedome to preserue our mortall bodyes from hurt and daunger but to saue our soules which are immortal from eternal paynes in hel we are altogeather carelesse nothing circumspect And yet more would it beseeme the children of lyght to be more carefull in seeking and keeping those things which are celestiall than are wordlings paynfull in enriching themselues with such things as they are neither sure to enioy while they are aliue nor can assure them of any ioy when they are dead Yea let vs thinke and perswade our selues that in the sight of God it is not shamefull but abhominable that the elect or chosen people of God which should be wise and circumspect shall in this care be surpassed of wicked worldlings and the more hyghly we displease our god by how much the things which we so litle esteem are more excellent than that which they so hunt after betweene which so surpassing is the treasure prepared for the godly that there is no comparison This exhortation though it pertayne to all men at all tymes yet now especially in these daungerous dayes in which euery where we see so many by suddayne and strange endes to be taken out of this world and because euery man shall dy though the certayne houre and daye none dooth knowe and shall either woofully be sent among the diuels in hell or ioyfully be receyued into the felowship of the faythfull in heauen Wherefore sith the spirit in the faythfull is willing but the flesh very weake and blinde in heauenly things we are to beseech our heauenly father in continuall prayers that by his holy spirit he would dayly more and more encrease and strengthen our weake and feeble fayth And therefore we hartely desire thee O eternall father that thou wilt not vtterly breake vs though we bowe not as we should neither deale with iustice though we doo not our duties according to thy wyll but keepe vs good God in thy welbeloued sonne illuminate our myndes with thy holy spirit by which we may be prepared to all good workes in true holines newnes of life that so with Paule we may desire to leaue this world to be with Christ and so in the coÌ„ming of the Lord being found ready with oyle in our Lamps and adorned with our wedding garmentes we may find entrance to the Lordes mariage which thou for thy son his beloued spouse the holy church hast prepared and appointed from the beginning of the world To thee therfore O heauenly father to thy only begotten sonne and to the holy Ghost our comforter be all prayse honour and glory for euer and euer Amen FINIS Matth. 14.25 Mark. 13. Luk. 21. Aristot lib. 2. Rhetor. ad Theodecten cap. 10. Psalm 10. Prouerb 1. Psalm 73. Cardanus de rerum varietaâ—e Canti Cant. Psalm 51. Roâ— 8. Apoc. 17 Lact. lib. 7. cap. 25. Matth. 24. Lactan. 9. Matth. 25. 2. Cor. 5. Rom. 8. Luc. 16. Hebr. 11. Psal. 73 â–ª The argument of the booke Gene. 1.2 Rom. 8. Esay 66. 2. Pet. â— Aristotle â–ª Plato in Timâ— â–ª Plinius nat hist â–ª lib. 2. cap. 1. Epicures â–ª Plato in Atâ—â—â—â—tico Aegiptians Saduces Esay 56. Sâ—piâ—n 2. Diuers profes â—ut of the worde of God. 1. Cor. 1â— â–ª Iohn 5. The testimonie of tâ—e â—rophets â—f Chrâ—st Apostâ—eâ— â—oâ—firmâ—d by thâ— blooâ— of Martyrs Proofe from the testimony of the holy ghost Christian aucthoritie Matth. 17. Luc. 9. Math. 3. Maâ—â— 24.25 Marke 13. Luke 21. Proofe froâ— Prophesies â—â—ay 9.11.35.40.53 Daniel câ—p â— 7.8.9.11 Daniel 2. Daniel 7. Proofe from the iustice of God. Psal. 73. Esay 66. Iob. â— 9. Esai 25. Proofâ— from the diuine tâ—uth August in hiâ— 12. booke agaynst Mat. Elias prophesie 4. Esdras 4. The iudgement of Bibliander concerning the fourth booke of Esdras The answeare of Vriell to Esdras Psal. 90. 2. Pet. â— Conâ—ectâ—re fâ—om the syx daies of creation Coâ—iecture of Hench by generation thâ— seuenth from Adam Elias 1. Peter 1. Heb. 9. Math. 24. Coniecture from the constitution of the Sabboth The preaching of the Gospell the chiefest signe of Christs comming to iudgement Math. 24. God doth first accuse before he condemne Gen. 6.7 4. Reg 17. 4. Reg. 24.25 Iâ—sephus Egesippus Iosephus Egyptus Dan. 6. Orosius lib. 7. Chap 5. Of other things following the preaching of the Gospâ—ll Maâ—h 24. Luk. 21. An answere vnto certayne obiections Luk. 21. â—om 13. From Pharoeâ— Example Exod. 14. Contempt of knowledge All gifts at the â—â—ppe of perfection Contempt of learning Contempt of the ministerie Math. 24. Securitie of lyfe Horace lib. Serm. 2. Horace lib. 1. Episto Boëtius lib. 2. ante prosam 3. Math. 7. An admonition to Princeâ— Lucan lib. Ouid. lib. 1. fast Luc. 16. Of the successâ— of the Turke Daniel 7. Epito diuinar instit Chap. 11. Rom. 5. 1. Cor. 15. Mat. 24. Melancthonin vita Vaspatiani Ciprian Lâ—ouitius of the strange coâ—iunction of Planes Prayse of Astronomie Gen. 1. Of the comming of Christ into the flesh Gen 49 Dan. 9. Of the comming of Antichrist 2. Thessa. 2. Platina Krants 2. Cap. 18. Ganguinus lib. 4. Lib. 7. Annâ—l Ioan. Auen in exemplari Enstaâ—â—i impresso an 1554. fol. 684. 685. The blasphemous aâ—rogancie of the wicked Pope 2. Distin. 44. Of the comming of Christ to iudgement Ioel. 2. Lib. 8. Plato 8. Polytic Aâ—istotelâ—s 5. pol. Apo. 13. â—usebius Apo. 17. The first Peâ—â—ode The secondâ— Period Apo. 13. Lanf de Sacra Virgi de inâ—entione libr. 4. capi 10. Krantz lib. 5. ca. 8. Blondus Krantz li. 5. ca 7. The last Peryod Apo. 13. Apo. 21. Decretâ— Pontificum Plaâ—ina Sabellicus Krantz lib. 5. ca. 6. Caus. 16. q. 7. Si quis de inceps An admonition to Pâ—inces An admonition to kings Psalm 2. Functi Chron â–ª 1. Tim. 4. 1. Tim. 3.1 paâ—s dist 32. Iâ— Epinemidâ— Philosopho De re pub lib. 2. The definitioÌ„ of Arithmetycall proportion Melant. in Epit mo Phi. Geometrical proportion whar In Gorgia Gâ—lâ— 6. A true Christian Cicerâ— lib 3. Orliâ—i Syrach 27. Quintil. lib. 2. Cap. 3. Plato de Ropub lib. 5. Matth. 8. Quintil. lib. 8. cap. 3. Of the greeke letter χ Of the woord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Emeâ— veritâ—â— Eman stabilis Libro 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 948. Lo. Vulteii  2  1 5 3  4  1  2  5  4  3 Arist. li. â— Ethâ—hâ—t 3. Psal. 17. Mat. 21. Apo. 21. Apo. 21. Of the Clemitarian yeâ—es Libr. 2. ca. 10â— Of the golden number Daniel â— Luâ—ae 1. Math. 25. 1. Thes. 4. 1. Cor. 15. Apo. 20. Cice. lib. 2. de diuinatione Eâ—sebius in vita Constantini August lib. 18. ca. 25. de ciuit Dei. 1. Cor. 2. Esay 64. Apo. 21. Math. 25. Lucae 13. Mâ—tth 13. Apo. 20.21 22. An exhortation to watchfulnes Lucae 21. Math. 24. ¶ Imprinted at London nigh vnto the three Cranes in the Vintree by Thomas Gardyner and Thomas Dawson for Andrew Mumsell dwelling in Paules Churchyard
of the celestiall euerlasâ—ing life his force and sting being lost he shal vtterly be abolished To which thing Iudas in his Epistle had respect which saith that this Henoch the seuenth after Adam dyd foretell of the last iudgement Which iudgement is giuen of Elias that he should be a type figure of his owne prophecie And it is said that as Henoch in generation so Elias in coÌ„putation of yeres was the seueÌ„th after Adam For it is reported that next vnto Adam was Methusalah next to Methusalah Sem to Sem Iacob to Iacob Amram to Amram Ahia and to Ahia Elias the Prophet Now if this accompt of Elias be altogether true as many do coniecture there is no doubt but the Lord God would in his wonderfull woorks declared to his Saintes and chosen haue many secret mysteries that in the consideration of them we might be inflamed with desire of the celestiall and most blessed life Here let vs coÌ„sider that before the seuenâ—h thousand yeare we shal be taken vp to meete the Lord in the cloudes euen as Elias by a fâ—rie chariot and horseâ— was lifted vp to heauen Finallie also the Euangelists and Apostles call the tyme from Christes incarnation vntill the ende of the world the laste howre or laste tymes Saint Peter saith Christ was manifested in the laste tymes And to the Hebrewes Paule writeth Christ once was offred in the ende of the world Neither is this tyme of the Apostles therfore called the last bycause that certainly the ende of the world is at hande but because according to Elies distribution it is the laste of the three ages of the world which without all doubte they respected Neither is it to be deemed that this prophecie was vnknowen to them but rather that by reuelation of the holy Ghoste it was singularly renued and therefore in deede they call this last age of two thousande yeeres in the beginning of which all prophecies and visions by Christ were to be fulfilled the laste tymes and howre These nowe be the testimonies and coniectures by which I haue studied to proue and haue satisfied my selfe that this world shall not continue aboue the space of sixe thousande yeeres Nowe followe those things by which I meane to shewe that the sixt thousande yeere shal not be expired That the world shall not endure sixe thousande yeeres NOwe that the sixt thousand yeere shal be shortened it is apparant and maye be prooued for order sake firste by those woordes of Elias the Prophete aboue recited in this manner And for our sinnes which are many and marueylous some yeeres which are wanting shall not be expyred VVhich words do not much disagree froÌ„ those of Christ where he saith And except those dayes were shortned all flesh should perish but for the elects sake they shall be cut of And although there peraduenture the Lorde doth properly talke of the ruine ouerthrowe of Hierusalem as may easely be gathered by the circumstances of that place yet may it seeme that he would speake the same of the vtter destruction of the world because in that place he giueth certaine and moste euident signes thereof of which hereafter more at large and also dooth foretell both of the ouerthrowe of Hierusalem and by a certaine confusion of wordes of the worldes destruction so that for the perfect vnderstanding thereof greate iudgement is to be required And bycause the former is a figure of that which is to followe I perswade my selfe that as well by the woordes of Christ as by the prophecie of Elias it may be gathered that for the electes cause those miserable dayes of the vtter ouerthrowe and ending of this wicked world shal be shortened and cut of Others by probable reason endeuour to proue the same through consideration of the Sabboth daie which is a true figure of the eternall Sabboth For in the Lawe it was prescribed that about the euening of the sixt day the Sabboth should take his beginning And therefore their coniecture is not vnlike to be true which thinke that the eternal superexcelleÌ„t Sabboth of the Lord shal begin not at the end of the last thousande yeere but a litle before Here be some other coniectures brought foorth which willyngly I passe ouer and the rather bycause I know them to be of no great force But those tokens are dilgentlie to be marked which Christ did foretel should goe before the coÌ„summatioÌ„ of the world that by them we may the more certainly thinke and perswade our selues tyme present and tokens foretolde being compared together that the ende of the woâ—lde hangs ouer our neâ—kes Among othâ—r signes in my iudgement the preaching of the Gospell is not the least but moste cheefely to be noted as rhat by which all other tokens both going before and following in those wordes of Christ are knowen to bee true tokens of his comming The wordes of Christ telling vs howe to knowe when the Gospell is preached are these And this Gospell of the kingdome shal be preached through the vniuersall world for a witnes to all nations and then shall the ende come By which words the sonne of God Christ doth playnly teach that about the time of the worlds destruction the true doctrine of Christ should be preached By which is gathered that the same was obscured defaced and almost not spoken of by reason of false prophets before that tyme And Christ saide that in those dayes should arise many false Prophets and by saying themselues to be Christ should seduce many Nowe what is more euident in these our dayes Hath not the true and sincere doctrine of the free pardoning our sinnes by Christ lien hid these many yeeres and vnder the tyrannie of Antichrist maruelouslie been obscured And the Pope arrogantlie vaunted himselfe to bee Christ or at leaste his vicar What promising of pardoning sinnes and redeming soules out of their fained purgatorie by theire wicked Bulies and blasphemous Masse what idolatrie in woorshipping and impietie in receiuing Christ in the sacrament Finally what diuers and diuilish supeâ—stitions haue been practised so well it is knowen vnto all men that I neede not to recken them And nowe againe â—y the vnspeakeable grace and mercie of God we plainlie perceiue such a cleare light of the Gospell to shine ouer the whole world that in spight of the diuell and all his adherentes it castes his bâ—ames ouer all nations And therefore what other things shall we looke for but as Christ did foretel a sodaine downfall of this wretched world For if we reade eyther the holy Byble of God or historicall bookes of prophane men we shall finde that God hath alwayes followed the example of a ryghteous iudge which before he condemne a man for his offences will first accuse by witnesse so God before he send plagues and punishment for our transgression dooth first put vs in minde of our wickednes by preaching of the Gospell and declaring his diuine pleasure
earthquakes which in our dayes haue happened in manye places as of late at Ferraria in Italie and in Friseland the nature of which Soyle is left subiect to the same But I beseech you let vs call to our remembraunce all those euils which as yet we doo as it were beholde and haue tasted not heard of doo see with our eyes and to our great griefe suffer them continually What a greeuous pestilence and plague these many yeeres both with vs and in other places hath reygned and tyrannically dooth exult ouer all persons and bring very many to their graues and according to the iudgment of the learned which are in opinion that it will and must continue yet moe yeeres will dispach many moe What a long dearth of Corne and great scarsitie of all things What a multitude in the cause of religion haue suffred the losse of life and lyuing What theft and robberyes on al sides both on sea and land What an infinite company haue in cruell fight been miserably slayne and murdered in Fraunce Flaunders and Friseland But I am troubled and that greatly to think on and recite the calamities which Friselaâ—â— by strange and vnaccustomed ouerflowings oâ— waters hath felt especially by the two later whereof one happened in the yeere of our Lord. 1574. the fourth of Nouember in which men and beastes in number infinite were drowned and was of such a great depth as almost it myght be called the Frisian floud The other chaunced in a more dangerous and woorse tyme three dayes before the Feaste of Saint Bartholomewe in the yeere of our Sauiours incarnation 1573. the which in many places brought more hurt to many men than the former because by the same all corne on the grounde and other fruite perished miserablie by reason whereof great dearth and penurie ensued So that in those CouÌ„tries it might wel be said that those wordes of Christ were fulfilled saying The people shal be at their wittes endes at the roring of the Sea and salt Waters Wherefore let vs giue credit vnto those words of Christ and let them be vnto vs for most certayne tokens of the suddayne commyng of our Sauiour to iudgement There are besides these other signes of the oldnes of the world and of his ouerthrowe because we playnlie perceyue al things dayly to waxe woorse and woorse and decrease in their vertue The aire is oftentimes corrupt sometime with vntimely showers sometime with vnprofitable drinesse now with too much colde now with extreame heate The fruitfulnes of the feilde is not such as it hath been aforetime Riches and substance we see consumed The Progenie of great and Noble men we perceiue dayly to be multiplyed but their patrimonie is no whit encreased but impayred by discorde By which it commeth to passe that many great men and Lordes bend all their cogitations to the oppressing of their poore Tenantes and by often fines and exactions bring honest men to beggerie â—nd by the example of Pharao make slaues of their seruanâ—â—s and subiects as though they were appoynted of God to liue not for the defence of the good punishment of the wicked and preseruation of iustice but to them selues and to pamper their bellies with good cheare and theyr backes with braue apparell And therefore do those Empires now shewe themselues to be as cancred and rustie Iron which in tymes past were as bright Siluer or glittering Golde But I doe not speake these things of true noble men and of good Princes which do exacte things necessarie to the defence of the common weale and for the conseruation of their Maiestie which things wythout all controuersie the worde of God doth allow them to haue Nowe it is not to be doubted sith for the sinnes of the people such tyrannie is growen to the top but these Pharaoes with suddaine destruction of the world shal be ouerwhelmed euen as that Pharao in persecuting the people of Israel which for a tyme he had with greeuous yoke of slauerie oppressed was with all his hoste drowned in the red sea The reason is not vnlike he is a figure and the same God is now which then was readie to deliuer his people from calamitie and to take reuenge on the wicked for their crueltie Another great argumeÌ„t of the worlds consummation is because all good artes learning haue these fewe yeeres been so contemned and Vniuersities and schooles and scholasticall discipline which are the causes fountaines of knowledge almost in euery place come to decay For God in this last age hath shewed his singuler and marueilous goodwil towards mankynd especially in that so great barbarousnes of our Predecessors when all artes and liberall learning was hid and knowen to sewe the Latin tongue polluted smal cunning in the Greeke by raysyng vp some Vallâ— Agricola Erasmus Melanâ—ton and others which with great study and paynes haue brought al sciences knowledge of the tongues to their puritie and deliuered vnto vs a more easye way to the attayning the perfect knowledge of them all by which almost all Europe is set free from rude barbarousnes Afterward when our most bountiful God had giuen vs such helpes to the vnderstanding of the Scripture by and by he set on fyre the Beacon of true doctrine which of all other gifts and graces of God is and ought to be imbraced as chiefest But by experience we see these giftes of long time to haue been at the ful and now decrease For not aduâ—sâ—d iudgement not that sharpnes of witte not that great industrie and exercise in studies are now which haue been To this dooth appertayne the marueilous contempt of all kinde of knowledge especially of Diuâ—nitie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Also the smal regard of godly and faythfull Ministers by which they are brought to such pouertiâ— or almost beggery that their wiues and children must be inforced to liue vppon almes But what is the cause of this miserie Is not that intollerable tearyng and spoyling of Church goodes the chiefest Is it not to be imputed vnto those Magistrates whose care is such ouer Ministers that they will not allowe them abundance of worldly wealth least happely by possessing much they tast of couetousnes the roote of all mischiefe and so desire more or els fall into ryotousnesse and so become Epicures Or if that be not in their minde they doo imagine them selues to be such Lords of body and soule as was of late that Romish Tyrant This may very well without offence be coniectured although it may be that their insaciable desire of worldly promotion which by ryches without vertue may be gotten is the roote from which so diuelish fruite dooth proceede How much better were it if in these things a meane were obserued and that Churche men had wherewithall to lyue honestlye wyth keeping hospitalitie and if that whiche were thought too much for them were Christianly bestowed either on those which liue in pouertie or carefully reserued to