case let vs all lay it to heart I haue heard of a Marques of Brandenburge who was wont to say he had in his Countrie three Monasteries which were three Monsters one of the Dominicans who had abundance of Corne and yet had no Land to sow another of the Franciscans who were full of Money and yet receiued no Rents the third of Saint Thomas order whose monkes had a great many Children yet had no wines Wee are like to be a Monster and wonder a Prouerbe and a common talke to all people as it is verse 37. For vnlesse our Soueraigne be supplied that some course may speedily be taken for our defence wee shall haue neither Lands nor Rents nor Money nor Corne nor Wiues nor Children nor any thing else in safety but all will fall into our enemies hands Lord open our eyes that we may see the danger we are in and in time prouide for it lest when it be too late wee wish wee had When you see this strange strong and sterne Foe at your gates your Countrey wasted your Houses fired your Citie besieged when you heare the clangor of the Trumpet the clamor of the wounded the clattering of the harnesse the beating of the Drumme the roaring of the Ordnance the thundring of the Cannon when you see your wiues rauished before your faces your friends slain your children murdered your Infants dashed against the stones or broached on the Pike and all the Land made nothing but the Shambles of Castillian and Ignatian Butchers then you will wish but alas too late would to GOD wee had in time beene warned would we had parted with halfe our estates rather then lose all and come to this lamentable slauery and misery God in mercy put it into all our hearts to consider seriously of it that euery man according to his ability may condescend vnto the necessitie of the time Now for a conclusion All that hath beene spoken may serue as a strong motiue to stirre vs vp with speed to turne vnto God that hee may turne vnto vs and turne from vs this fearefull calamitie Let vs repent heartily and cry vnto him mightily to spare vs to be mercifull vnto vs. Vncessant praiers repentant teares are most powerfull to procure Gods mercy to diuert his iudgement he is mercifull and will receiue our Prayers he is pittifull and will regard our teares His Sword was once drawn against Niniueh a fearefull doome pronounced Yet fourty dayes and Niniueh shall be destroyed The King and his Nobles and all the people fall to repentance they fast they pray they humble themselues to sackcloath and ashes their sinnes cry for iudgement their repentance for mercy there was a contention betweene them which should out-cry the other their wickednesse ascends vp on high knockes at heauen gate clamours lowd in the eares of God Iustice my Lord vengeance vengeance Their repentance ascends higher and cries lowder in the eares of God mercy good Lord mercy spare vs O spare vs we beseech thee Repentance gets the victory GOD is not so much enclined to iudgement as to mercy he regards not the cry of sinne if he once heare the cry of sinners he accepts their sorrow and humiliation he puts vp his sword hee holds his hand hee sees them turne from their wicked wayes and he turnes from his fierce wrath he sees them repent of their euill deedes and he also repents of the euill hee pronounced against them The sinnes of our Land like the sinns of Nintueh are ascended vp on high and cry alowde for reuenge to the GOD of heauen but our religious King hath proclaim'd a Fast hee and his Nobles haue led the way if we with him and them send vp repentance and prayers and teares to cry alowd in Gods eares they will dull the cry of our sinnes that he shall not heare it and dull the edge of his sword that it shall not wound vs. Wicked Ahab had grieuously sinned and a terrible sentence was past vpon him yet vpon his repentance though it were but superficiall in outward shew GOD was mercifull and spared him Seest thou not sayes God to Elijah how Ahab is humbled before me because he submitteth himselfe before mee I will not bring that euill in his dayes but in his sonnes dayes will I bring euill vpon is house If God were so mercifull to that wicked man vpon his false fained repentance how much more if we turne vnto him with true vnfained repentance will he be mercifull to vs not bring this euill in our daies A second meanes to diuert this iudgement is vncessant prayer wonderfull is the force of praier with the God of heauen when the Moabites and Ammonites and they of mount Seir came vp against Ierusalem with an huge Army the people were amazed not knowing what to doe for they were not able to stand before such a multitude in battell Iehosophat proclaimes a Fast the people all fall to their prayers desire GOD to ayde defend and deliuer them O Lord God of our Fathers art not thou in heauen and raignest not thou ouer all the Kingdomes of the Heathen and in thine hand is power and strength and none is able to withstand thee O our God wilt not thou iudge them for there is no strength in vs to withstand this great multitude neither doe wee know what to doe but our eyes are toward thee And such was the force of their prayers that GOD gaue them the victory without fighting any stroke the Lord himselfe became the Warriour and laid ambushments for their Enemies saith the Text and made them sheath their swords in one anothers bowels till they were all destroyed When Senecharib came into the land of Iudah with a mighty Host and tooke the strong and defenced Cities thereof Hezekiah and the people what did they In the first place they vsed the best meanes for their safety they stopped vp the fountaines of water that their Enemies might not bee refreshed therewith they built all the broken wall they raised vp the Towers they repaired Millo in the Citie of Dauid they made many Darts and Shields they mustered the people of the Land and set Captaines ouer them teaching vs what to do It is not enough to sit still and cry Lord haue mercy vpon vs without vsing meanes for our defence and safety for GOD workes by meanes be it small or great and therefore Hezekiah vseth the best meanes hee can to withstand and keepe out the Enemie and then he and his people pray vnto God for a good successe and rely on him as then surest stay for help and deliuerance Feare not neither bee afraid of the King of Ashur nor for all the multitude that is with him for there be more with vs then with him with him is an arme of flesh but with vs is the Lord our GOD for to helpe vs and to fight our battels And the Lord seeing their confidence and hearing their prayers gaue them
of oppression and bribery It is now almost growne out of fashion to bee an honest man Mirandum est degeneres nos It is a wonder and a great wonder that such a degenerate generation as this such a corrupt and sinfull Nation as we who haue so farre exceeded our forefathers in all wickednesse should not lose this Countrey which we haue so defiled with our sinnes Miranda Mi cricordia Gods mercy is to bee wondred at that he hath spared vs so long It is his mercy and nothing but mercy that we are not consumed Sinne is now in vltimo gradu at the highest pitch that may be Sathan I thinke cannot make some more satanicall more sinfull our sinnes cry lowder then the sinnes of Sodome they ascend higher then the sinnes of Niniueh wee may expect a iudgement at hand euen that iudgement which GOD here denounceth against Israell for when his two other rods Famine and the Pestilence will not serue the turne to make vs turne then the Sword must haue his turne although our security tell vs no yet our sinnes cry it will be so The bane of many Nations hath beene too much security Ierusalem flattered her selfe with peace peace and would by no meanes be perswaded the Enemy should set foot there till the Enemie had troden her vnder foote who would haue beleeued that the Enemie and Aduersarie should haue entred into the gates of Ierusalem Lam. 4.12 God graunt the same be not the ouerthrow of our Kingdome Ah secure people that we are wee will not with Thomas beleeue till wee feele and see we are sicke of their disease we thinke our selues as safe as they when the messengers of God told them the danger was neere they were as farre from beleeuing it as you are now in London Those that heard the words of Ieremiahs rowle denouncing an inuasion at hand were neuer moued at it Iehoiakim tooke the rowle cut it with a Pen-knife cast it into the fire that was all the reckoning they made of it such is the security of these times our words seeme to many as Lots to his sonnes in law as though wee mocked or as the womens to the Disciples 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as an olde wines tale Luke 24.11 They make but a mock and iesting song at all our warnings which makes mee more to feare and tremble to think that the iudgement is at hand because men are so insensible of it God I feare hath blinded the eyes and fatted the heart of this people as hee dealt with Israell that we might haue no sence nor feeling of our ensuing misery and so seeke no meanes to preuent it It may be you thinke there is no danger this Sommer be it so God graunt But yet if wee deferre our repentance it will not long be deferred and it may come before wee looke for it it is the Spanish policie to barke least when they bite soonest and sorest This was the destruction of the Amyclaeans they as wee stoode in feare of an inuasion diuers times it was noysed abroad that the Enemie was comming and nigh at hand Whereupon the Citie was raysed much troubled and still they found it to be a false rumour whereupon the Citizens of that place like wise men made a prouident law that no man vpon paine of death should any more bring such newes of the Enemies comming shortly after the Enemy came indeede and then all being secure and carelesse and vnprouided no man daring to bring tydings for feare of the law the Citie was vnawares surprised the Citizens taken and all cruelly murthered The people of our Land are almost of this condition they cannot endure to bee told the danger they are in it is vnpleasing newes GOD graunt when wee are secure and thinke our selues most safe the Enemie be not vpon vs The Lord for his mercies sake as he hath put it into the heart of his faithfull Seruant our most gracious Soueraigne to be carefull to prouide for our defence and safety so moue the hearts of the people to furnish him with supplies sufficient for the performance of it before it be too late better part with somthing nay with halfe then lose all liues and all O when I call to minde the raigning and crying sinnes of our Land being now ripe like the Haruest of the earth spoken of in the Reuelation I cannot but feare that God will ere long vnlesse our hearty repentance preuent it command his Angell to thrust in the great and sharpe sickle to cut vs downe When I call to minde how little we haue profited by his former punishments especially by the last yeares iudgement and by his mercy in taking it so soone away I cannot but tremble to thinke that hee will ere long vnlesse our generall conuersion turne it away execute this curse here threatned and already executed on Israell bring vpon vs a Nation from farre a forraigne inuasion a strange foe a strong foe and a sterne foe Now if euer the Ignatians cry let Spaine set foote in England and now if euer we haue cause to feare First A strange foe A Nation strange vnto vs many wayes strange by scituation farre remote strange in affection bearing an innate grudge vnto vs strange in Religion strange in condition strange in language strange in manners euery way strange vnto vs. A strange and forraigne inuasion a thing dreadfull to this Kingdome it hauing so often smarted by it and the burnt childe feares the fire But it may be more dreadfull to vs now then euer because we haue within vs many home-bred and domesticall enemies who will betray vs who as we may iustly feare will ioyne hands with this forraigne foe in working our confusion Wee haue especially two domesticall foes who make a forraigne foe more to be feared Peccata Papistae First our sinnes they are our chiefe capitall Enemies because they worke God to be our enemie Perditio tua ex te O Israel Thy destruction O England will come from thy selfe the Snakes which we breed in our owne bosomes will be the first that will sting vs to death Solum peccatum homicida Sin alone is the murthrer the bloud-sucker that I feare will ouerthrowe all this was the knife that cut the throate of Adam and all his posteritie Sinne it was and nothing but sinne that caused the old world to be drowned Sodome to be burned Pharaoh to be plagued Corah to be swallowed Achan to be stoned Haman to be hanged Iudah to be captiuated Sinne and nothing but sinne thrust Caine out of mans presence man out of Gods presence Adam out of Paradise Angels out of Heauen When Nicephoras Phocas had built a mighty wall about his Pallace for his owne securitie in the night hee heard a voice crying vnto him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 though he built as high as the clowdes yet the Citie might easily be taken there was a Traitor within it that would betray it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
the Eagle would all flye vpon vs combine and conioine all their forces to deuoure vs. GOD therefore in mercy looke downe from heauen vpon vs helpe aide defend and deliuer his poore Church For if they should get the Masterie wee must expect no mercy It is a Sterne Foe which was the third property A Nation of a fierce cruell or barbarous countenance which will not regard the person of the olde nor haue compassion of the young Fierce and cruell they are as being Papists more cruell as they are Spaniards The rudiments of their Religion teach them to bee bloudy and cruell towards vs For as Mahomet in his Alcharon promiseth the highest seat in heauen to him that kills most Christians Interficite disperdite quo maior strages eo dignior insâ—gnior in Paradiso locus Kill them slay them spare them not the more of them ye destroy the more worthy and eminent place shall yee haue in Paradise So the Pope and Iesuits make it a matter meritorious to kill Protestants Heretickes as they please despightfully to terme vs yea the more of vs they murther the more glorious reward they shall haue in heauen More cruell as they are Spaniards The very grimme lookes of a Spaniard threatens bloud and slaughter like the Wolfe they sucke cruelty from their mothers breasts The Spanish Nation saith Quicchiardine are couetous and deceitfull and where they be at libertie exceeding outragious tyrannous and very proud and insolent Where they are Conquerours they put all to the Sword and nothing sufficeth them but bloud I call bleeding India to witnesse what I say where this cruell Nation hath exercised such barbarous tyranny and made such infinite effusion of humane bloud as it seemes incredible such monsters should liue in the shapes of men I will relate onely the words of their owne Writers that ye may not thinke it a calumniation cast vpon them Bartholomaeus Casas or Casaus a Bishop of their owne who liued in that Countrey and was as he saith oculatus testis an eye witnesse of their doings hath written a Booke of it Dedicaring it to the King of Spaine out of which giue mee leaue to produce some instances Hee there affirmes that neuer since the beginning of the World was such an hauocke of people made as the Spaniards haue made in the Indies That more then ten Realmes greater then all Spaine with Arragon and Portugall and those replenished with multitudes of people as any Countrey in the world are all turned into a Desert that of three Millions in Hispaniola they left scarce three hundred aliue That within the space of 40 yeares 50 Millions of People were destroyed So soone as the Nation was discouered the Spaniards like Wolues and Lions and Tygers long famished entred and did nothing but teare them in peeces and murther and torment them by cruelties neuer heard or scene before In three moneths they starued to death 7000. children they threw downe from the top of a mountaine seauen hundred men together and dash'd them all to peeces At one time they murthered 2000 Gentlemen who were Lords sonnes and the flowre of all the Nobilitie They cut of the Noses and Lips of 200 at one time and so sent them to their fellowes a ruefull spectacle to behold They would lay wagers who should most nimbly and with most dexterity butcher men They traced the miserable people like horses and made them carrie their stuffe who dying vpon the high-wayes for feeblenesse when they were layd on with staues and had their teeth broken out with the pommels of their swords to make them rise from the ground where they lay for faintnesse would say I can doe no more kill mee here out-right I desire to dye When any one fainted vpon the way with hunger and thirst they would not vouchsafe to bestowe so much labour as to vnchaine him but strike off his head leauing that in one place the body in another They would make them carrie a hundred weight one hundred or two hundred miles together wherewith their backes and shoulders were wrung and galled like our pack-horses They vsed them not as Beasts but as the dung and filth of the earth When they had wrought all day in the Mines saith Sequanus at night if they missed neuer so little of their taske they were stripped starke naked bound hand and foote to a forme scourged all ouer with whip-cord or a Bulls Pizzle then scalding Pitch was powred on them and lastly their bodies thus rent with stripes were washed ouer with Salt and Pepper and so they lay The fore-said Bishop protesteth that no tongâ—e skill knowledge or industry of man is able to recount the dreadfull doing of these capitall enemies of mankind the actions which they committed were neither of Christians nor of men but of deuils Any Captaine durst aduenture to rauish the greatest Queene or Lady in the Country Such was the mercilesse cruelty of this blood-sucking generation that they tooke none to mercy They spared no age no sexe not women with childe nor such as lay in Child bed but would rip vp their bellies and choppe them in peeces They would plucke sucking Infants from their Mothers brests and taking them by the heeles dash cut their braines against the Rockes or hurle them into the Riuers They trained vp Mastiue dogs of purpose to rend in peeces and deuoure the people and for that end fed them with mans flesh hauing a waies a great number of Indians fetterd in chaines whom they murthered like Swine as their dogs needed to feed on them And he telleth of one Who wanting dogs meate tooke a sucking Babe from the mother and chopping off the armes and thighes fed his Doggs first with them then with the rest of the body before her face Yea they did not onely feed their doggs but also themselues with mans flesh Whole Armies of them liuing sometime like Cannibals eating nothing but the flesh of the Indians For prouision whereof an ordinary Shambles was kept in the Campe of the flesh of men and young children which they rosted and fed vpon yea and many times men must be cruelly butchered onely to haue their hands and feet which the Spaniard counted a dainty dash These are the relations of their own Bishop In the Prouince of Guatimala the Prince accompanied with his Nobles welcomed them with Musicke and the richest gifts the Countrey affoorded The Spaniards after their vsuall custom demanded Gold they made answere they had it not for indeed their Countrey yeelded little or none and for no other offence but this they burnt them all aliâ—e Another Prince of his owne accord in kindnesse brought them a great present of Gold and they in requitall ryed him bakward fast to a stake with his feet hanging ouer a gentle fire to make him confesse more he sent home for all he had yet they were not
a meruailous deliuerance sent forth a Captaine out of his owne Host a holy Angell which in one night slew an hundred somescore and fiue thousand of their Enemies So through this strong and sterne foe should come against vs yet let vs not be dismayed if we repent heartily for our sinnes pray earnestly vnto God trust to him no doubt but hee will in mercy looke vpon vs and worke some meanes for their confusion as hee did in 88. beyond our expectation there bee more with vs then with them GOD is on our side it is his quarrell he will defend his Church if we continue constant in his seruice feruent in prayer One Moses by prayer saued a whole Nation from a fearefull destruction when the people forgetting Gods commandement made them a God of gold and worshipped it and so prouoked the holy one of Israell that hee was minded to make a cleane riddance and consume them vtterly for it Moses stepping into the gap and praying for them stayed his hand The people sinne God is angry drawes his sword lifts vp his hand to strike and Moses lifts vp his hands in prayer and so long as he prayes God cannot strike his hands were held by Moses prayers Let me alone Moses saith God let me alone that my wrath may waxe hot against them for I will consume them at once but I will make of thee a mighty people It seemes Moses by his prayers did hinder and hold God backe from destroying Israell prayer is like a chaine or manacle to tye the hands of an angry Lord Vincit inuincibilem It ouercomes him that ouercomes all things And therefore Moses he still prayes O Lord turne from thy fierce wrath and change thy minde from this euill toward thy people and such was the power of his prayer that GOD altered his sentence turned from his anger destroyed them not as he had intended Though Gods anger bee kindled against this Land for our sinnes yet if some Moses doe stand in the gap if some holy deuout and faithfull men doe intercede for it no doubt but God will bee mercifull And herein lyes our strongest consolation for as God would haue spared sinfull Sodome if there had bin but fifty but fiue and forty but forty but thirty but twenty nay but tenne righteous therein So vndoubtedly it is for some good peoples sake that GOD hath spared vs so long for though many are sinfull yet it is to be hoped there is here and there a Moses that holds vp his hands here and there a Lot that grieues for the sinnes of the time here and there an Abraham that makes request for Sodome for their sakes GOD spares the whole let them continue constant in Gods seruice zealous in prayer yea let vs all betake our selues to earnest and hearty prayer for now it is time and more then time so to doe Spare vs good Lord spare vs wee beseech thee O remember not our olde sinnes and offences but haue mercy vpon vs and that soone for else wee are like to come to great misery helpe vs O God of and saluation for the glory of thy name O deliuer vs and be mercifull vnto our sins for thy names sake Or as the Prophet Ioel exhorts Let the Priests the Ministers of the Lord yea and all the people weepe betweene the Porch and the Altar in the Lords house and let them say Spare thy people O Lord spare thy people and giue not thine heritage into reproach that the Heathen should rule ouer them Let not this furious bloud-thirsty and cruell Nation worse then the Heathen euer set footing in this Kingdome or haue dominion ouer vs but let the Crowne flourish vpon his head on whom thou hast vouchsafed in mercy to place it the man of thy right hand whom thou hast made strong for thine owne selfe cloath his Enemies with shame and confusion be as a wall of fire to him and his Realmes Let those that rise vp against him be like Sisera and Iabin who perished at Endor and became as the dung of the earth make them and their Princes like Oreb and Zeb yea make all their Princes like as Zeba and Zalmana O my God make them like a wheele and as the stubble before the winde Let them fall vpon the edge of the sword that they may be a portion for Foxes so shall the King reioyce in thy strength exceeding glad shall he be of thy saluation For why he putteth his trust in thee and in thy mercy O thou most high let him not miscary So we that be thy people and Sheepe of thy Pasture shall giue thee thankers for euer and will be shewing forth thy praise from one generation to another So shall thy name be glorified thy Son magnified thy truth defended thy Gospell propagated thy poore Church comforted which we humbly beseech thee to graunt O Father of mercies and God of all consolation for our blessed Sauiour Iesus Christ his sake to whom with thee and thy holy Spirit three glorious persons one eternall omnipotent God be giuen all honour glory praise and power now and euermore FINIS Sen. de ben lib. 1. cap. 8. Gen. 49. vers 25. Psal 71 12. Psal 107.34 1 Chron. 15.2 Ioseph de bell Iud. lib. 7. cap 3. Ezek. 16.48.51 Master Fox Acts and Monu pag. 126. Ier. 36.23.24 Cedren hist pag. 542. Alcoâ—a Azoar 2.3.6 Vid. Phil. Morn lib. de veritat relig Christ c. 33. p. 608. Crudelitat Hispan in Indies patrat Hispaenice conscript per episcop Bar thol Casaâ—Ì„ natione Hispanum latine excus Francosurti 1598. a Pag. 7. b Pag. â— c Pag. 6. d Pag. 25. e Pag. 96. f Pag. 4. g Pag. 82. h Pag. â—â— i Pag. 67. k Pag. 31. 78. l Pag. 20. m Pag. 8. Praefat. ad Anton. August praefix ante Oser de gest Eman. pag. 15. n Pag. 35. o Pag. 9. p Pag. 10. q Pag. 11. r Pag 99. 108. Å¿ Pag. 60. t Pag. 50. u Pag. 46. x Pag. 29. y Pag. 28. z Pag. 100. Benz. hist Ind. a Pag. 19. 101. 2 Reg. 24.13 M. Fox act mon. pâ— 155. 165. vlt. edit Hen. Hunting lib. 6. Ric. Knowlles his Turkish History in the life of Mahomet the great 1 King 21.19 2 Chro. 2â— 2 Chron. 32. Exod. 32.11