than he was The kynge laye soore vpon hym oft prayenge hym that he wolde conducte his hoste ageynste the vnkynd Atheniens Themistocles stylle refused it and where as the kynge wolde make no ende of entysyng hym agaynste his countreye he neyther fyndynge in his harte to do soo neyther intendynge to deceyue a kynge whome he had founde so beneficiall thoughte it a lesse faut to rydde hym selfe by poyson than to go with an armye ayenst his natiue countrey ¶ Cretinus Magnesius his countreye being at warre with kyng Mithridates gaue his assent that one callid Hermias his great enemye shulde be capitayne ayenste Mithridates promisynge by solempne protestation that he wolde in the meane season banyshe him selfe his coūtrey leste there might rise som tumulte busynes by their two factions But Hermias knowynge Cretinus to be the better capitayn of both for the loue he bare to his countrey gaue that honour to his enemie and after banished hym selfe his countrey tyll the warre was at an ende Percase the byshop of Rome is perswaded that men here ar of two sortes some yet remaynynge his true frendes Reynard his man may put this in his heed But I truste they bothe be deceyued I truste there be verye fewe but they feele their knowlege moche enlightned sithēs this good father with his trumpery and baggage departed hens enforced to dispatche his wares in some other markets of fooles Fewe I thynke but beynge brought from suche a sorte of errours in to so many truthes truthes that so doo quiet all troubeled consciences but they fynde greatte causes to be gladde of the chaunge The way that was this many hundred yeres kepte shutte is nowe god and the kinges highnes be thanked layd open God instilleth his fayth into mans harte by his apoynted ordynaunce that is by worthy herynge of the gospell All men sayth saynt Paule that call rightly vppon the name of god shall be saued But howe saythe he can they call vpon hym in whome they beleue not Howe can they beleue hym of whom they here not how can they here of him if no man preache hym howe can they preche hym that are not sente so that we see by this gradation the onely way to the knowelege of faith to the styckynge vnto goddis promyses is heryng his word This waye is layde open knoweledge approcheth errours are takynge theyr vyage The bysshop of Rome foreseing the damages that ensue to hym and his by the commynge forth of goddis word knowing also howe moch his vantages maye dayly encrease yf errours be reteyned in all christen kyngedomes doth and wolle do what he can to ouerrunne this way with a pestyferouse Poole that floweth out of course that seketh ayenst nature to destroy the heed from whense it fyrste dyd sprynge The bysshoppe seeth if we walke in this way longe he must walke to that he came fro that is to pouertie to preachynge to humilite and to obeysaunce This is it that wryngeth hym at this he fretteth for this he sturreth all these coles They are lyttell acqueynted with the bishop of Romes practises that thynke he styrreth prynces ayenste vs for any loue or desyre he hath to auaunce goddis honour His hole actes declare hym to meane al thyng rather than that Who can beleue he wold take suche peynes susteyne suche charges to seeke oure helth and safetie whan he treadeth them vnder his fete at his owne dores whiche fayne wolde enter into our religion and may not He hath dwellyng in his owne citie of Rome many that moche couet to be christened whom he wol in no case receyue excepte they forsake all their goodes and gyue theym hole vnto hym I meane the poore iewes whiche are soo spoyled of hym whan god gyueth them his greattest giftes faithe and affiaunce that theyr synnes shall be forgyuen that it wolde pytie an hethen harte to se his tyranny ouer them If it please the holye gooste to call any of theym to Chrystis fayth this good father starteth betwene them and saythe there is a playne texte excepte a man renounce all that he hath he may not be my disciple Is not this a good shepeherde that woll not receiue shepe which are strayed from the flocke excepte they giue hym money A iewe for money is made a ryght christian And a right christian is taken for a miscreaunt for a iewe for a turke if he refuse to giue a pounde for that is not worthe a penye This good byshoppe loued vs excedyng tenderlye as longe as we gaue to hym frankely our siluer He gaue vs pardons plentuously which brought vs far from purgatory euen the nexte waye to helle but now that we se his chaffer is naught worthe and therfore woll gyue naughte for it this good father hath chaunged his affection and is so farre in loue with our sowles that he wolde with swerde seke for them in our bowels I wol grāte hym for a while we were as he and his are in errour in blyndenes if he loued vs as surely he wolde if he were our father as he calleth hym selfe if he loued vs wolde he seke the distruction of our lyues we beinge in an euel belefe ought he not rather if he were but a good christen mā to knele on his bare knees vnto god and desyre hym our bodyes myght kepe our soules while we were better instructed If we were in a wronge feythe dothe not he slee our soules if our bodies by his meanes be slayne er we tourne coulde he thus doo thus entende if he were goddes vicar If he loued our soules if he sought to brynge vs to saluation Peter pence make Paule to do as he dothe Our holy father enioyeth no lenger our goodes this losse greueth hym sore and yet he feareth thexample worse than the domage He is afrayde leste yf god prosper vs that other kynges woll also passe as moche of hym as our most noble kyng dothe We be gone from him to Christe whiche saythe Qui uenit ad me non eiiciam eum foras He that commeth to me I woll not see him cast out of doores Let our good father which in very dede is moche meter to be a hogherde than a shepeherde of men let hym curse vntyll his tonge fall into hell they shall be blessed that god blesseth Let hym order his byndynge and losynge as luste leadeth hym There is one that woll one day se his sawcye power tyed shorter For what I pray you is lefte for pride to chalenge whan he ones taketh vpon hym to binde that that god commaundeth to be leuse to leuse that that god in any wyse wolle haue bounden God wolle all subiectes peyne of eternall damnation to obeye their princis This good interpreter of goddis wyll whan affection gayne or feare of losse wol delyuereth all pryncis subiectes from the bondes that god hath knyt them in and gyueth theym pardon that leaue their duetie that breke goddis commaundement and curseth all theym that wol
on or no we shall see they were commynge I saye ageynst whome our bowes oughte to be bente to whose hedes our billes owe blowes into whose bosomes our arowes ought to crepe Pitie it is that men shulde be so mad to couet their own misery rather than to suffer vs in welthe greatte pitie to see one christen armye ayenst an other But for as moche as they seke to doo vs iniurye and we only to put of wronge if it be offered we nede not doubte but he woll be with vs for whose cause we be compelled to fyghte They can not be to fewe that haue god on their side They haue a feire bende of men that haue a good cause a good quarel to stande in I wol for a season imagin vs to be the weker side fewer in noumber of lesse power than our aduersaries are I wol not yet speake of the feates that Englyshe men haue done in battayles ¶ Well we be not so many as our enemies are what if we be fewer yea and man for man of moche lesse might than they are May not the sondrye promyses of god the manyfold hystories of scripture whiche proue hym iuste and trewe of his promyse make vs lyttell to passe of what number and strēgth so euer they be who so dwelleth vnder the shadowe of the almyghty hym as Dauid saythe god couereth with his wynges and kepeth safe vnder his fethers I knowe sayth he the lord helpeth his annoynted and euen frome heauen hereth theym Some truste in charyottes some in horses but we in callynge vppon the lorde God can and oft tymes dothe pyne man and beast euen in the myddes of all plentie God whan his wyll is fedeth where no foode is to be founde And as folyshenes whan hym lusteth confoundeth the wyttes of the wyse so weakenes where god setteth to his hande worketh wonders and sturdy strength standeth in no stede It is the lorde saythe Daniel that on highe ruleth the kyngedomes of men gyuyng them to whom he woll God can as wel be no god as not true of his promyse He saythe who soo honoureth me hym wol I make honorable In an other place the same god saythe speakynge of kynge Dauyd bycause he hath sette his loue vpon me I woll se hym rydde from al his troubles I wol defende hym why so it foloweth he hath knowē my name he seketh my glorye and therfore wham so euer he calleth vpon me I woll here hym yea I am with hym in all his calamities and wol delyuer hym from them I woll set hym hygher in honour sende hym longe lyfe and shewe hym his saluation ¶ God maketh not this promyse vnto kynge Dauyd alone but vnto all kynges that hartyly seke his glorye for as god promysed that vnto hym vpon consideration so fyndinge the cause in any other prynce for whiche he bounde hym selfe to be good vnto kynge Dauyd he falleth not to performe now that he than promised We haue plentifull examples of this God suffered the Moabites and Ammonites to set vpon good kyng Iosaphat to trouble him with warre This good kynge complayned and made his mone vnto whom I praye you vnto the lorde from whens commeth all helpe all ayde and succoure What sayde he euen that that all prynces troubled with to great a force ought to say he sayd thus The Moabites the Ammonites the inhabitantes of Seir are come in batayle ayenst vs wolt not thou our god se them iudged se them punished We haue noo might ayenst this gret nombre that setteth vppon vs we wote not what to doo but our eyes o lorde be caste vppon the. The lorde straight harde his praier puttynge in Iezaiels mouthe these wordes that folowe Thus saythe the lorde vnto you be not a frayde or faynte harted by reason of this greatte multytude For the warre is not yours but Goddes On the morowe kynge Iosaphat after his coming forth towarde his enemies sayde in this wyse to his army It is not your partes at the leaste it shall lyttell neade that ye fyght in this quarell come forthe stand and beholde the helpe of the lorde which is with you feare not let not your hartes fayle you Herken vnto me Iuda and ye inhabitours of Hierusalem Truste the lorde our god and soo shall ye continue beleue his prophetes and then shall ye prosper Whan he had sayd thus he commaunded his syngynge men with this songe to laude god Prayse ye the lord for he is gratious his mercy endureth for euer Whyle they were thus gyuing laudes vnto god there rose a sedition amonge theyr ennemies whiche ceased not tyl they were al slayne not one left alyue ¶ Amasias prepared a great hoste supposynge throughe the multytude and strengthe of his army to vanquysshe his ennemyes The man of god as they called hym came to Amasias and sayde sir let not the armye of Israel goo with the for the lorde is not with Israell neyther with any of the house of Ephraim If thou wylte neades haue them make thy selfe as stronge to batteyl as thou canste thou shalt se god wyl make the fal before thyne enemies Here Amasias commandynge them of Ephraim to retorne home agayn went with his owne host a small nombre and slewe .x. M. of his enemies and toke other .x. M. alyue whome the army of Iuda caryed vp to the toppe of a rocke and so hurled them downe ¶ Kynge Iosias with all goodlye reuerence toke vpon hym the defence of true religion the maintenaunce of true worshippynge of god he beate downe the Idols he cut downe theyr woodes and distroyed theyr hyl aulters All princes about hym feared hym none so hardy as to offer hym battayle princes had lerned by longe experyence howe lyttel greatest power serueth ayenste them whom god defendeth ¶ Ezechias a godly prynce of feruente zeale styll occupyed in clensynge his realme of idolatrye was greuousely assauted by a pusant host of Sennacherib the emperour of the Assirians in soo moche that he was required by hym to yelde vp Hierusalem Ezechias turned hym from the helpe of mē to the ayde of god whom he entierly besought that Sennacherib myght be an example to all empyres and kyngedomes that the onelye god of the Hebrues was the trewe god he hadde strayght comforte God sayde vnto hym Sennacherib shall not come into the citie of Hierusalem he shall caste no darte into it c. The same nyght the aungelle of the lorde wente into the Assirians tentes and slewe aboute an C .lxxxviii. M. of them Thus Sennacherib was fayne to retourne home ageyne where prayeng to his Idolle two of his owne sonnes slewe hym ¶ In these exaumples who seeth not how stedfastly god standeth with kinges that stande with hym howe he stylle helpeth whan all mans helpe is paste Had not Mardocheus bē hanged if god had not kepte the kyng wakyng Who wold haue thoughte Daniell coulde haue escaped how vncredible is it to reson that Abram hauynge but .iii. C. and
AN EXHORTATION TO styrre all Englyshe men to the defence of theyr countreye made by Richarde Morysine ⧠AL BE IT THE kynges hyghnes is and hath bene a longe season in leage with all christen princis and hauyng giuen no iust cause of breache to any of them myghte rather loke for kyndenes than thynke to receyue any displeasure at theyr handes Yet for as moche as guyle may be where none can be mystrusted and deceyte hydde where great cause of frendeshyp is me thynke whan tokens of peace are taken awaye and many suspytions of warre lefte in their places loue and dewetie bynde all englyshe men both to say and do al that they iudge to be for noble Englandes honour welthe and safetie I knowe ryght well that the office and parte of all good men is to desyre peace concorde and ernest amitie betwene nation and nation and yet if ennemies assaute vs it myght well be accompted extreme madnes and we more than madde not to auoyde our owne slaughter yea though it were with the slaughter of many other God gaue not If men coulde as well see the danger in a bodye polytike as they can in a bodye naturall we shuld lyttell nede any commandement of god to obeye serue and loue our rulers Lyttell nede any examples to prouoke vs to fyghte our selues and to leaue them in safetie if we coulde perceyue the losse that a countrey susteyneth whan it loseth a good gouernour Kynge Dauid where as his people was goinge ageynste Absalome and other rebelles sayde to them I wol also go forth with you Noo syr saythe the people ye shal not go for whether we fle or be slain ye shall euer be able to haue a newe host you alone are counted for .x. M. men It is a princis part to se that his subiectes haue capitaynes vnder whom they may shewe what hartes they beare to theyr countrey what loue they owe to theyr soueraygne A princis offyce to prouyde that the capitaynes haue men wel furnished well appoynted mete to doo theyr feate And as kynges are bound to omyt nothynge that they iudge woll serue for the defence of their people soo is it the bounden duetie of all subiectes of what degree so euer they be to serue theyr contreye in suche sorte as theyr prynce and heed shall appoynt them He that redeth the hystoryes of Ethenickes and seeth what they dyd for theyr countreys sake can not but thynke that christen men lytell nede any exhortation to sturre them to the defence of theyr countrey The examples of them ar so many so wonderful that if nothyng els moued vs shame me thynke were moughe to compell men of any honest nature not to be soo farre behynde theym with whome they wolde thynke great scorne to be compared Let there be nothynge els to inuite vs to the loue of it besyde theyr dedes maye not shame if dutie be not able to enforce men christened men professynge Christes religion to shewe that they haue lerned as moche by Christe as ethenickes and pagannes toke of naturall influence whan they had done what they could spending bodyes goodes and lyues to for theyr countreys sake howe lyttell was the rewarde they loked for what other thynge sought they than honeste fame of that theyr so honest doinge Plutarche wryteth a straunge storye of kynge Midas sonne There was sayth he in this kinges realme Phrigia a great gapynge of the erthe moche water swellynge out of it hurlynge downe as many houses as stode any thynge nyghe Ancurus the kynges sonne borne to inherite after his father a yonge man maryed wonderful moche to his contentation hearynge of suche as toke vpon them to knowe how goddis ire myght be lenified and asswaged that this breache of the erthe wolde close ageyne if some one lept into it Ancurus I saye a frayde leste some other shoulde haue preuented hym kyssed the kynge his father and his wyfe and forth with fell into that gapynge erthe This breache dyd but lyttell hurte it had sunkyn but a fewe houses and all be it men thoughte it wolde haue sunken moo yet percase it myght haue gone to gether ageyne though he had kept hym selfe out of it Vndoubted it myght haue done so but loue seketh noo percases ne vseth any delayes where greatte peryll axeth present helpe His death was very certayne and he wonderous vncertayne whether by that his deathe his countrey shuld be ryd of daunger or no. ¶ Curtius that noble Romayne dyd euen vpon lyke occasion the lyke for his countreye If these men had ben put to forbearynge a lyttell money theyr countrey beinge in ieoperdy theyr ennemyes assauting them trowe ye they that thus lost theyr lyues or rather bestowed them vppon theyr countreye wolde haue stagard at the gyuynge of a lyttel moneye ¶ The Lacedemoniens slew Xerxes ambassatour contrary to the law of al nations which wol bothe in time of peace warre al ambassatours to come safe and go safe They were not longe after very sore plagued with a gret pestilence whiche they toke as sēt for that their vltrage And where as it was thought the sickenes encreasynge dayely more and more that some of them must of necessitie goo to Xerxes and there by theyr owne death satisfy for hym whom they had wrongfully slayne Spartius and Bulides .ii. verye welthy citezens went thither and there desyred the hangeman they might be trust vp These mē passed lyttel of life where they had but a sclender hope that theyr deathe might profit theyr countrey ¶ Gaius Marius dreamed that if he did offer vp his doughter Calphurnia in sacrifice he shuld ouercome the Cymbriens fierce and cruell ennemyes to his countrey In the mornynge callyng his dreame to mynde sory to slee his doughter soryer his countrey shulde stande in ieoperdie he toke a knyfe and folowed his dreame Erecteus a man wonderful moche in loue with his doughter vppon lyke occasion dyd euen the same But to passe ouer manye an hundred hystories worthy all eternall memorye I can not without moch my disprayse suffer noble Themistocles to lose his prayse This valiant capitayne not withstandyng he hadde done more honour to Athens his countrey then did almost any other was in spyte of all his memorable victoryes banyshed Athens vndoubtedly if there were any cause that myght make a man enmy to his countrey Themistocles had sure a iuste cause to be vtter ennemye to Athens He was than exyled whan there were fewe pryncis fewe nations vnto whom for the defence of his countreye he had not done some dyspleasure The choyse was so euyll the shyftes so fewe that he was constrayned to seke fauoure at Xerxes hande kynge of the Persians whom he had not longe before discomfited in battayl Which Xerxes in loue with vertue taken with noble courage yea thoughe it were his ennemye coulde not but hyghly entertayne Themistocles To be shorte there was no man lesse beholdyng to his countrey than he no man more bound to Xerxes