bee turned from the fountaine of all goodnesse vnto the bothomlesse lake of all euyll from sweete lyfe to bytter death from true blessednesse to euerlasting miserie On the other side as touching the elect and faythfull this is the effect and end of Gods presence in his Church To confyrme them in fayth to moue them to be thankefull towarde him vnder whose wings they are couered to make them feare God in whose fighte they walke that they should also in tyme of trouble cal vpon him being present with them that in patience they should looke for victorie agaynst worlde and diuell Hereof spryng those sayings full of diuine consolation The Lorde is with vs feare not And another And nowe O Lorde our God saue vs out of the hand of Sennacherib that all kingdomes of the earth may knowe that thou only art God. Wherefore let vs plucke vp our hartes vnto vs and be of good comfort for without all doubt God wyl through all tymes saue preserue that Church which kéepeth the doctrine that hath bene delyuered by the Prophetes Apostles and by Christ himselfe as that swéete promise in the Prophet testifieth This is my couenaunt which I wyl make with them sayth the Lorde My spirite that is vpon thee and my vvords vvhich I haue put in thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy seede nor out of the mouth of the seede of thy seede saieth the Lord euen from henceforth for euermore Euen so wee maye assure our selues that Christe wyll be present in our Church sytting at the ryght hand of his Father and rayning in the myddle of his enimies But wee must remember that it is our partes to thinke vpon our duetie and calling to retaine stedfastly the confession of sincere Doctrine to bewtifie Gods Churche with good endeuoure lyfe and manners Then wyll hee not fayle vs to pytche his Campe round about this Christian Castell and faithfull Fortresse that no euyll thing shal approch nigh vnto it he wyl be the maister and leader of his Sheepe that it shall not bee drowned with the floodes of persecutions Hée wyll blesse this our Countrey that it shall continew another Sarepta and bee an harbour for his seruauntes Hee wyll defende our gratious and godlye Queene with the custodie of his holye Angelles hee wyll adorne her Nobilytie with prudent counsayles and happie euentes He wyll represse the sedicious enterprises of diuelles and wicked men whose only bent and chiefe desire is all to rent the vnitie and concorde of his Churche and to dysturbe peace and tranquilitie in Common weales He wyll styrre vp dayly learned and faithful Pastors and Ministers that shall fight against Idolatrie and al erronious opinions which Lurke and Pope mayntaine with sauage immanitie and crueltie against the honour of Christ And finally he wyll abandon and remoue from vs sedicious warres persecutions famine contagious disseases that wee hauing restfull quiet mindes may wholy giue our selues to prayer and all other holye exercises yeelding vnto him only praise and thankes for the myraculous propagation and conseruation of his Church FINIS The continuall warfare of christies church Luk. 11. Eph â—6 Iob. 4. Reue. 12. Warres in all partes of the world Englande the hauen of Christes ship the harbour of persecuted men for the Gospell What good men should do in the consideration of these things Luk. 13 For what causes peace and other temporall blessinges are giuen to common Wealthes Consolations amoÌ„gst these worldly calamyties The perâ—ce armour of godly men Esa. 46. Esa. 49. Esa. 40. Esa. 44. ct 46. Esa. 11. Warre shal not ouercoÌ„e Christes Church 2. Reg. 19. Esa. 37. Esa. 31. The godlye dye with honour and tirantes with dishonour Dan. 3. 2. Mac. 7 Psa 112. prouer 10 Sapi. 3. Exod 12. God increseth his lyttle flock and maketh theÌ„ a mightye people August in psalm 10. Some common weales that cannot bee ouerthrowen Gene. 7. The commodyties which england inicyeth by imbracinge the worde of God. 1. Reg. 18. Sirach 40 Ephe 4. Autor serm ad fratres in eremo Iob. 14. 1. Cor. 15. Gen. 3. The generasion of man vncleane Psal. 50. Mans birth All liuing creatures haue their deÌ„fences man only excepted Plinius lib. 7 cap. 1. et cap. 50. Perils and daungers whereunto man is subiect Solon Man is mane soe and enemy Painefull and fearful Death Euerlasting death Eccless 3. Sodayne deathes â—arnon security or diâ—fydence The complayntes of Philosophers touching mans stailnesse Selueccerus in prolegon ad Genesin 1. Aristo 2. Euripides in orest et Cicero Tuse 4 3. Pindari in pithijs od 8 De veritate fidei lib. 1. cap. 16. Seneca epist. 1 ad Lucil. Theophracomplaint of Nature Lucretius lib. 5. plinius lib. 7 Salust in praesat Belli Inguâ—th Lactant. de opificio cap. 3. et 4. Lud. viues de veritate Fidei lib. 1. cap. 12. Seneca de breuitate vitae Cicero Tusce lib. 3. Of the word Nature Seneca de benef lib. 4 cap. 7. Gallenus de placitis hippocr et plat lib. 9 lactantius lib. 2. cap. 9 De anima et eius origine lib. 2. cap. 3 Mathous Beroalduâ— Cron. lib. 2. cap. 6. Caluniuc lib. 1 institut cap. 5. Lactant lib. 3. cap. 28. what Theophrast meant by the word Nature Augu coÌ„tra Iusianum lib. 4. ca. 12. repetit ex lib. 3. Cic. de Repub. The sygnifycations of the worde Nature Aug. retrac cap. 10. De trinitat lib. 13. ca. 12 In Psal. 38. Ephe. 2. Sulucte reyrehenbeth Theophraste but yeldeth no reason De natura et gratia cap. 1. Rom. 10. Ibidem cap. 3. 2. Cor. 5. Ephe. 2. The disorder of the Ethnickes Lege Calu Iustit lib. 2. cap. 1. Seneca his iudgement of this matter Lact lib 1. cap 5. et lib. 2. ca. 9. Seneca de breuitate vitae Our lyfe is long enough if we coulde vse it well Exigua pars est qua vitimus Man hath great causes to lament portus nauigantiuÌ„ mors What the worde of God pronounceth of mans estat Gen. 6. et 18. Gen. 47. Deu. 34. Psa 90. Mans lyfe a peregrination Hebr. 11. Phili. 3 2. Co. 5. The disposition of straungers Mans dayes are euyll Ecclesia 1. 2. et 9. Cic. de niuent lib. 1. Wisdome abused Ierem. 9 Mans daugerous condiciou set out in some symylitudes 1. Pete 5. Iob. 7. Sic enim vertit Chaldeus Paraphrastes Ephe. 6. Nah. 3. Man is borne to labour Iob. 5 1. Tim. 1. Iob. 7. Esa. 3 S. Psa. 89. 2. Tim. 4. 2. Tim. 4. 2. Cor. 4. The wilful obstinacy of the world Luke No man content with his estate Herodotus Many and great peâ—ua in all vocations Deut. 34. Psal. 90. Math. Of Oeconomie or house-keeping The sorrowes of parents Gen. 4. Gen. 34. 2. Sa. 13. A lamentable story Georg. Maiot in postill Grafton in parte 6. polid lib. 1. Ferrex porrex Videna The tragedye Gorbedug Petryls and miseris in ciuill regement Demostenes
for this condition of man vvherein â—he is borne and liueth And in another place That was the meaning of the Apostle vvhen he sayde that he vvas by Nature the childe of wrath as other men meaning as it is corrupt with sinne not as it was right in the beginning And againe That vvhiche vvas a punishment to the first man is turned into our nature As the Apostle sayth VVe vvere by nature the children of vvrath Séeing then we sée the worde Nature vsed not onely of the best expositors of the holye Scriptures but in the worde of God it selfe for the corrupt and sinful estate of mortall man why shoulde any man reprehende Theophraste iustly lamenting our wofull and mysarable condicion Saluste going about to confute Theophraste ioyneth not yssue in any peynt but digresseth into the commandation of Mannes nature and exhorteth vs to the due consideration thereof which is verie plausible to the children of Adam who more willingly record such things as sound to their prayse and glory then that reueale their myserable beggerie and ignominie Surely Saint Augustin accoumpteth this high commendation and excelling of nature to bee ioyned with great perryl daunger and affyrmeth such men to haue a zeale but not according to knowledge VVho being ignoraunt of the iustice of God and desirous to place their owue are not subiect to the iustice of God. And a lytle after he wryteth most excellentlie after this manner The first nature of man was created without any sinne But this nature vvherein vve descende from Adam hath nowe ne de of a Phisition For albeit vve are nowe in Christ a new creature yet vve vvere the childrâ—â— of vvrath euen as others But God vvho is ritch in mercy for that great loue vvherewith he hath loued vs vvhen vve vvere dead in our sinnes he hath quickned vs in Christ by vvhose grace vve are saued The Ethnickes doth most commonly propose to man his ende that he might thereby vnderstande hir excellent dignitie But to what ende serue those Pompeus words That vve shoulde delyberate and enterprise thinges laudable and honest and that vve shoulde contend after vertues Séeing that by corruption of Nature we haue neither perfite vnderstanding nor Power to followe vertue so that such spéeches of the excellencie of Mannes nature as it is nowe do puffe him vp with a vaine conceyte of him selfe and as it were in a maze caryeth him headlong into destruction We ought not I confesse to forget that first Nobilitie which God gaue vnto our father Adam and the remembraunce of the same must néedes bréede in vs an ardent desire of Immortalitie but we can not once thinke of that Dignitie but there wyl on the other syde appeare a heauie spectacle of our shame and miserable ruine whereof we our selues by Propagation and Imitation are guiltye Wherby we shall haue better cause to lyke of Theophrastes complaint then vainly to extoll this our most ruinous and corrupt Nature Seneca whome Lactantius accoumpteth the most wittie and subtyle Philosopher of all the Stoikes cyting Theophrastes sentence doth not find any fault with it but rather taketh iust occasion thereby to exhorte men to spende that lyttle tyme which is geuen them in lyuing well and honestly Whose words because they are full of excellent and diuine lessons and ther withall appertain to my purpose I thought good to put downe as I finde them in the Aucthour him selfe which are after this mannes Most part of mortall men friende Paulyne do complaine of the crueltie of nature because she hath geuen vs so short a race and course Truely our time is not so short of it self but we make it shortâ—r Our lyfe is long inough if we spende it west But vvhen vvee passe it ouer in ryotte and neclygence it is bestowed in no good thing so that in the ende of our lyfe that tyme vvhich vve thought not to go is euen runne away Insomuch that vve haue not receyued a short lyfe but vve cutte it shorter neither is that so vvating vnto vs as vve are prodigal of it Euen as ample princely ryches vvhen they come to a prodigal master are vvasted in a moment But if a meane stocke be committed to a thriftye and frugall man by vvise vsing it increaseth VVhy continew vvee then our plaint against nature seeing for her parte she hath shewed her selfe benigne and lyberall vnto vs our lyfe is long enough if we coulde vse it For example sake One is possessed with greedie couetousnes another geueth him selfe to vaine conclusions This man delighteth in wine that man passeth tyme in sleepie slouthfulnes Heere is an ambicious man that gapeth after popular fame there is one that runneth ouer all Seas and Landes after Marchaundize and finally a man shall see such as exercise them selues in no trade but rubbe out the tyme so that we may well saye with the Poet. That parte wherein we lyue is verie lytle All our race is not a lyfe but tyme onelie VVe bestowe and employ our lyfe exceeding coumbersomely and diuerslye but vvhen vve come to the losse of time vve are too prodigall and therein is sparing couetousnes onely commendable VVherby it vvould come to passe that albeit our lyfe shoulde come to a thousand yeares yet vve our selues abbridge it and consuming tyme doth eate it cut and a lytle after inclining as it were to Theophrastes opinion hée writeth thus If vve consider the estate and condition of all mortall men 〈◊〉 vve maye see great and manifolde occasions of mourning and lamentation yea vve shall rather want teares then matter of mourning As for all these vvorldly goodes vvhich delyght vs vvich deceytfull pleasures as money dignitie power maÌ„ny other such vvherwithall the blind desire of man is more taken and amazed they are possessed with labor sene with enuy and oppresse now and then rather then profit their masters and owners they are vncertain and slippery and a great part of quietnes is lost in carefull keeping of them Verely if you wyll credit me and weigh more deeply with me the mater as it is all mans life is meere vexation affliction VVe being cast out then into this deepe and vnquiet Sea flowing and ebbing somtime hoyst vp somtime pluÌ„ged downe neuer continue in stabilitie For vve are tossed too and froo vve depend in the vvaues vvind and vveather sometime runne and bruse one another and sometyme make shypwracke of all So that in this tempestuous and stormie Sea there is no sure harborovve nor quiet part but death alone Hytherto Seneca complayning also of mannes myserable and rufull case But I let Theophraste his opinion passe at this tyme and returning to my matter wyl consider what the spirite of God hath vttered and pronounced of Mans estate and condition The worde of God therefore being the Lanterne and perfite Lodesman leading vs to euerlasting lyfe is most plentifull in the
be Schaddai that is to say omnisufficiente and strong ynough of himselfe and needeth not the helpe of any creature with whome as the Angell saith nothing is impossible Yet for the greater comfort of his Church hee vseth the industrie of his souldiors in this expidition against the deuyll and leuieth a great mightie armie partlie consisting of pure chaste Angelles who are named in the holie scripture flaming spirites horses and charets of fire who pitch their campe round about the godlie and are appointed to bee ministring spirites sent forth to minister for their sakes vvho shal be hcyres of saluation Of whome the number is almost infynite that mans infyrme nature is not able to comprehend the same Here vnto he adioyneth a great company of vertuous and faithfull men and women picked and chosen out of all callings vocations Which supplie hee vseth not to strengthen him selfe as though he were eyther weake or vnwarlyke but such is his gratious wyll tender kindnesse toward his seruants that he vouchsafeth in some sort to communicate and impart his glorie with his faythfull seruytors and souldiors And fyrst concerning Angelles they are all seruing spirites For their sakes who shal be heyres of saluation For so long as this worlde shall endure Angelles serue and attende in the Church mylitaunt which notwithstanding is not the ende of theyr nature but an office or function temporall for after the generall Iudgement when the Church of God shall obtaine perfit victorie they shall triumphe with the electe euerlastinglie Touching theyr number the Prophete Daniell speaketh after this manner Thousande thousandes ministred vnto him and ten thousande thousandes stoode before him Of the battayle of the Lord of Hostes and his Angelles and of their victorie wee maye reade more in the Reuelation Michael and his Angels fought against the Dragon and the Dragon fought and his Angelles but they preuailed not neither was their place founde any more in heauen And the great Dragon that olde serpent called the deuyll and sathan was caste out which deceyueth the whole worlde hee was euen cast into the earth and his angelles were caste out with him Then I heard a lowde voice saying Now is saluation in heauen and strength and the power of our God the kingdom of his Christ for the the accuser of our brethren is cast downe vvhich accused them before our God day and night But they ouercame him by the blood of the LaÌ„be and the worde of their testimonie This Michaell whome the holie ghost in this place maketh the Captaine of the battayle is the sonne of God euen our Lorde Iesus Christe as we maye both by the Prophete Daniell and by the etymologie of the worde easily gather For Michaell is asmuche to saye as vvho is lyke God The Angelles therefore folowing the ensigne and Auncient of Michaell that is to saye of the Lorde of Hostes are celestiall powers and spyrites The manner and order of their seruice is noted in manie places of Gods word But in my iudgement are most effectually collected and set downe in one place by the Prophet Dauid First he sayth That they garde and keepe all the faythfull That is that they kéepe watche and warde in housholdes commonwealths and Churche who as they neuer sleepe themselues so doo they awake those that sléepe when daungers are immynent and at hande for so they raysed vppe Peter and brought him out of prison These kéepers and watchmen neuer departe out of that roume wherin God hath placed them vnlesse is be by his especiall commaundement Some of them therefore are alwaies in all present with vs when we pray when we sing Psalmes when we either héere sermons publickly or priuatly réede the holy scriptures when we eate drinke and fleepe they then fight for vs and defende vs from all firie dartes which the worlde and deuill with greate malice caste and throwe against vs Beholde the great loue of our Emprour Captaine Emanuell towarde his Church in that he vouchsafeth to appoynt some of his heauenlie souldiers to wayte vppon it vnto whome he geueth a singular and an especiall charge that they kéepe vs warely in all our wayes We shall the better perceyue this benefite if we open it with asimilitude There is no worldlie man but hee would accoumpt it a greate signe of loue and an argument of safetie if a worldlye Prince should appoint him a sufficient number of his Garde to wayte attende vpon him daye and night that no misfortune might betide him But there is no comparison betweene this heauenlie Prince and earthly Princes nor betweene their garde consisting of weake men and this of strong Angels appointed to vs by our Captaine in Baptisme to watch and wayte vppon vs both night daye in water and fyre by sea and lande in all our lyfe and at the howre of death Secondlie the Angels beare and cary godly men about in their armes Beholde herein the rage and furie of the deuyll who in euery place layeth shares and stumbling blocks for mennes féete wherby many fall and hurt themselues euen vppon plaine grounde breaking theyr armes and thighes yea and some tymes their neckes The lyuing Lorde and mercifull God therefore minding to preuent these mischiefes commaundeth his holie Angelles to beare vs in their armes and to carrie vs from place to place that we maye doo the workes of our voration Beholde I saye euen as the Mother with an especiall delyght and pleasure taketh her young chylde wrapped in swathlyng clothes and lying in the Cradle and beareth it in her armes with many kysses vntyll the Chylde be wearie and then shee layeth it downe againe in the Cradle Euen so the Angelles euerie morning doo lyft vs out of our beddes and beare vs about all daye long in their armes that wee maye exercise our selues in the worke of our vocation and in the euening when we are wearie they bring vs to our beddes and refresh vs with many long dayes and yeares and in the ende carrie our soules in their armes with incredible ioye into Abrahams bosome where wee shall beholde the cheerefull countenaunce of God eternally The thyrd kinde of seruice of Angels expressed in that Psalme of Dauid Is that they shall put and submytte euyll beastes and venemous serpentes vnder godly mens feete without any harme as Lyons Leopardes Lyons whelpes Cokatrices and Dragons that is to saye all sortes of Tyrauntes and herytiques vppon whome good Fathers in ther families Schoolemaisters in their Schholes Ministers in their Churches and Princes in theyr Realmes do tread subdue So Iohn the Euangelist with his prayer and preaching trode vpon Cerinthus that Leoparde So was Arius that Cockatrice stamped downe with the seete of Alexander Bishoppe of Constantinople So Polycarpus Iohn the Euangelists scholler Bishoppe of Smyrneus trode vpon that Dragon Marcion And finallye so Constantine surâ—â—â—â—â—â— the great trode vpon and with warlike sworde
concludeth according to his promise that God careth for his faithfull seruantes that he respecteth them and wyll defende them as the Prophete sayth The Lorde wyll blesse the righteous and with fauour wyll compas him as with a sheelde And vpon this grounde hee comfortablie concludeth in another place The workes of his handes are trueth and iudgement and al his commaundementes are faithfull confirmed for euer In the dayes of Ezechias when Hierusalem was besieged the minde of the good King was vexed and assaulted with many fierie dartes of the deuyll and he was enforced to heare the blasphemies of Rabsaces against the lyuing god But hee fledde to Gods promises vttered vnto him by the holye Prophets and so opposed a vndoubting faith against all those mightie temptations assuring himselfe the God knoweth his owne shéepe and that no power shal be able to wring them out of his hande and that hee wyll be present with them euen vnto the ende of the worlde Wee must also haue an Helmette to defende our selues with all for the enimie doth especiallie seeke to hytte and hurte our heade and therefore we must put on a Helmette euen the helmette of Saluation This is also named the Hope of Saluation for that as in this present lyfe wee receyue Gods promises and applie them vnto vs by faith euen so is hope a stedfast wayting of delyueraunce out of these worldlie myseries In this hope Saint Paule fought a good fyght And hope of eternall lyfe is the ground of all consolations and therefore it is aptlie called an Helmette Those therefore that come into the fielde with this Armour gette the victorie and such as are without this eyther fight not at al or else are easily and soone ouerthrowne Hope doeth excéedinglie comfort vs amongst the myseries and troubles of this worlde and commaundeth vs to be of good corage in hope of the glorie in the lyfe to come And as the Apostle sayeth Suffereth vs not to be ashamed With this Helmette Saint Stephen armed his heade when hee was stoned And with the same were all holy Martyrs armed who susteyned with inuincible patience the sharpe and bitter torments of cruell Tyrauntes hoping for the euerlasting Crowne of glory which God hath promised to all such as perseuere faithfull vnto the ende The profite of this doctrine consisteth in a spiritual application As the Sheeld therefore doeth not onely defende the heade but also other partes of the body euen so true fayth doeth not onelye strengthen the minde but confirmeth all other Christian vertues For fayth is ground of our Religion and hath his place also throughout the whole buylding And whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne It is the instrument whereby faythfull men repell all the fierie dartes of the deuyll as the holie Apostle and Euangelist wryteth This is your victorie vvhich ouercommeth the vvorlde euen your faith So that whyles fylthie lustes and vaine pleasures do inuade vs on the one syde and carkes and cares on the other syde or else when the spirite of error bloweth in our tyckle eares All these thinges I saye wee shall easilie auoyde withstande if we heare Gods worde often tymes if we arme vs with fayth And it is truelie sayde of an auncient Father That through faith in the daye of doome vvee auoyde many sinnes And these are those kindes of Armour wherewithall we couer and defend our selues now the Apostle specyfieth those wherewith we offende our enemyes And as those sortes of armour spoken of alredie are not of iron and brasse but spirituall as Trueth Iustice Faith and Hope is euen so to vanquishe the enemie our armour is not carnall but spirituall And of that kinde hée nameth fyrste the sworde of the spirite because the holy ghoste is working through the worde For the worde of God is effectuall and more pearcing then any two egged sworde And againe the Gospell is the powre of saluation to euery one that beleeueth This word our sauior Christ vsed againste the Deuill and ouercome him Let vs then be armed after the example of Christe not onely against spirituall temptations but also againste heretickes as Maniches Arrians and Anabaptists who are put to flight by the worde of god This spirituall sworde must be sharpened with daylie meditations hearing and learning of Gods worde and must all wayes be redie and in our hande which as an auncient Father saith Deuideth that parte of the soule vvhich serueth affections and mortyfieth the lustes of concupisence The other Armour wherewith wee encounter and vanquish the enimie is dayly and ardent Prayer whereby not onelie the power of sathan but also the cruell malice of tyrauntes is restrayned and brydled This must therefore be added as the perfection of the rest wherein we desyre of God that he woulde assyst vs in this conflyct and geue vs courage and victorie according to his owne precept and promise Call vpon me in the day of thy tribulation I wyll heare thee and thou shalt glorifie me And againe Hee shall call vpon me and I wyll heare him and delyuer him and wyll shewe vnto him my saluation So Christ in that his agonie a lyttle before hee suffered his Passion wherein hee had a terribie conflicte with sinne and Gods indignation prayeth most earnestlie and exhorteth his Apostles to watch praie Which kinde of worshippe and seruice is so acceptable to God that euen when we beginne our Prayer it is by and by hearde For so sayth the Angell From the beginning of thy prayers the vvorde vvent out and I am come to shew it vnto thee And It shall come to passe that before they call vpon mee I vvyll heare them Upon which sentence two learned men commencing haue vttred two comfortable sentences The one sayth thus God is allvvaies more desirous to giue then man to receyue the other God giueth allvvaies more liberally then man desireth as vve may see in the penitent theefe vvhose prayer vvas that Christe vvould remember him vvhen he came into his kingdome and receyueth a gratious aunsvvere that he shoulde be with him that daye in Parradise Let man therfore be ashamed of his sluggishnes seeing God wyll giue more then man would receyue and more pittieth his miserie then himselfe calleth for his helpe and mercie Hytherto haue you hearde howe the Apostle Saint Paule an experte souldiour or rather a Captaine vnder Christe woulde haue the Christian man to be appointed and armed in this spirituall warfare Nowe let vs consider also howe the other Captaine Dauid trayneth vp his youâ— souldiour and after what sort hee pâ—tcheth his Campe and ordreth his batrayle And we ought to be the more attentiue herein for that of his owne experience he founde and tryed his Armour to be of proofe and such as coulde not be pierced Besides that he was not onlie a Prophete but also a Prince and