NOwe Gallants to you, Iob, 22, 13 14, and 24, 1 2, 34, 19 Psalm, 10, 4, 13, & 14, 1, & 53. 1, & 73. 11. that saie in your hearts there is no God: and so consequentlie no Hea­uen, no hell, no resur­rection, no iudgement. And why? be­cause (say you) we haue the worlde at will: we giue our eies their desires, our bodies their appetites, and our lustes their delights, and yet we wallowe in all worldlie prosperitie, yea we florish like the lawrell, our leaues are alwaies Not to bee tempted & exercised w ^t afflictions, is rather an argumente of reproba­cie, then a testimonie of Gods fa­uour. For the crosse of affliction is laid on all true belee­uers. Gen, 4 8. & 27, 41, & 37, 18 Exod. 2, 15 1 king. 19, 2, Matth. 10, 9 10, 16, & 24 9. Mark, 13, 9, 13. Luke. 14, 26 & 21, 17 Iohn, 15, 18 & 16, 2 Acts. 9, 14 Gal. 4, 26 1 Thes. 3, 3, 4 2 Timo, 3. 12 1 Pete, 4, 22 greene and fade not. We are not pin­ched by pouertie, crucified with cares, martyred with miseries, tormented with troubles & crossed with mishaps as are these precize liuers. What need we feare the vengeance & iudgments [Page] of God so terriblie thundered foorth a­gainste vs by our preachers or rather praters, when as our minds are quiet, our harts merrie, our thoughts plesant, and none of all those calamities befall vs nor ours. What reason haue wee then to feare their menacings, or be­leeue their saiengs, when as they reare vp their voices aloft and saie the king­dome ofheauen is at hand, and the day of iudgement draweth neere. Tush so said the prophets and Apostles manie hundred yeares since, and yet hath no such matter come to passe, & therefore, those were nothing else but the imagi­nations of a vaine thing, their prophe­sies fantasies, their preaching leasings, and their religion moste ridiculous. Therefore wee will fill vp the measure of our earthlie happinesse, with all that may content our humors, and liue in al carnall libertie, for vpon earth alone is mans cheefe felicity. Oye Atheisticall reprobates, what maner of reasonings & obseruāces are these? What infernal furie bewitcheth you that you thus har [Page] den your heartes to perseuere in your wickednes? knowe you whom ye pro uoke, by this your curssed conclusions? or know ye whom ye incense by these your rebellions? If you doo not, or at least will not: then know ye, & weet ye wel it is the holy one of Israel, from Exod 29. 45 Deut, 10, 15 Psalm. 148 whose bosom al beginnings took their beginning. It is a maiestie vnspeake­able, mighty in power, whose name is Iehouah: dreadfull, woonderfull, and Gen, 1 verie much to be feared. He it is that by his only word created heauen & erth, with all that is in them conteined, and with halfe a word can destroy the same againe. He whose breath shaketh the moun­tains Esaie, 66, 1 Matth, 8, 26 & 14, 32 & maketh the foundations of the earth to tremble and quake. He whose seat is in the glorious heauens, and whose foote stoole is the round world. He that stil­leth the raging of the seas, & rebuketh the windes when they arise. Hee at whose presence the earth melteth like Dan, 7, 9, 10 waxe, as not beeing able to endure the brightnes of his countenance. He whose throne is a flame of fire, his cha [Page] riots burning fire, from his face issueth a flame of fire, a thousand thousand do serue him and ten thousand hundred thousands doo assiste him. Hee that dwelleth in vnaccessible light, which 1 Tim, 6, 16 no mortall man can abide to beholde. He vnto the least sparke of whose glo­rious maiestie, the maiestie and glory of al the kings of the earth may not be compared. He whome angels praise, dominations adore, the powers doo tremble and the highest heauens to­gither with the Cherubins and Sera­phins doo vncessantlie lawd & magni­fie. a Iere, 23, 24 Ecclus. 16 vers, 17, 18 He whose power replenisheth heauen and earth, and from whose knowledge no­thing can be concealed. Mat, 19, 26 Luke, 18, 27 Mark, 10, 27 Hee with whome all thinges are possible, and whose power no violence is able to resist. Deu. 32, 39 Hee that only af­flicteth and healeth, that killeth and giuetl, life againe. 1 Kings. 18 ve. 36, 37, 38 Hee that sent fire to consume Eliahs sacrifice, to declare himselfe thereby to be the only God of gods, and Lord of lordes. Isa. 4 2, 8 & 45, 23 He vnto whom al knees do bow both in hea­uen and earth, and vnto whom alone belon­geth all honor and glorie. 2 Chro, 36 verse 23 Est. 16, 16 Hee that is the [Page] preseruer and guider of kings and kingdoms, and establisheth or subuerteth them at his good pleasure. He vpon whose vertue, Matt, 10, 26 Acts, 17, 18 power & prouidence all the creatures in heauen and earth doo wholelie de­pend, and by whome alone they liue, and haue their being, & without whō they would all vtterlie perish. Hee at whose commandement the sunne doo Gene. 1, 14 15, 16. 17, 18 arise to manifest the daie, the moone and stars doo lighten the night, & ne­uer faile nor be wearie in their watch. He from whome euerie good and per­fect Genc. 33. 11 Iames. 1, 17 gift proceedeth, who is the father oflightes. He that ofhis meere loue Genes. 1, 26 and vnspeakeable good will, bestowed vpon thee thy creation, making thee of nothing, like vnto himselfe, brethed into thee a liuing soule, capable of i­mortalitie, & created all the creatures vnder heauen, besides for thy onlie vse and seruice, and putting them al vnder Mat. 27, 46 47, 48, 49 Romans. 5. 8 1 Cor. 15, 3 2 Cor, 5, 15 1 Peter, 3, 18 thy subiection. He y ^t of his vnutterable goodnes and meere mercie, laied the torments due to thee, vpon the shoul­ders of his deere and onlie son, which [Page] were so great and greeuous, that the agonie thereof, constrained his blessed Exod, 14, 21 22, 23, 27, 28 29 bodie to sweate bloud and water, for thy sake: He that gaue the children of Israell passage through the red sea, as vpon drie land, and inclosed Pharao and all his host in the bowelles there­of. He that speaketh the worde and it Gen, 1 is done: and as he will so commeth e­uerie thing to passe. He that opened Gen, 6, 17, & 7, 10 the windows ofheauen and drowned the world, and preserued Noah with his family to replenish the same again: He that rebuketh kings, for the loue of Dan, 6, 16, & 14, 16, to 31 his chosen, making them to tread vp­on the Lions without feare or danger. He that staied the sunne in the midst of the Iosua, 10, 12 firmament at the desire of Iosuah, and gaue him victory ouer his enimies before the setting thereof. He on whome the eies of all li­uing thinges do waite, and he giueth them food in due season. He at whose presence the verie angels do tremble, and al the powers ofheauen do praise vncessantly. He vnto whome the Che­rubins and Seraphins continually doo [Page] crie, holy, holy, holy, Lord God ofSa­baoth. He in whose land the saintes e­uermore do sing, & whose onely sight is their vnconceiuable solace. He that confoundeth the deuises of the proud, Gen, 11, 9 & scattereth the imaginations of their heartes. He that bruseth his enimies Psal, 2, 9 with a rod ofIron, and breaketh them in peeces like a potters vessell. Hee whose outstretched arme turneth the wheele of prouidence, and keepeth all things in a wonderfull order. He that Exod, 8, 2. 3 4, 5, & 9, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, & 10, 5 6 Dan, 4, 3, 4 did many wonders in the land of Egipt and shewed many mercies in the land of promise. He that humbled Nabu­chadnezar, for all his pride & plagued him right sore for all his tyrannie. He Gen, 19, 24 that rained downe fire and brimstone vpon Sodom and Gomor, and preser­ued Lot from the fierie storm. He that saith ofhimselfe I am Alpha and Omega, Reuel, 1, 8, 11, 17, & 21, 6 1, Cor, 8, 6 Ephes, 4, 6 and hee that is father of all, aboue all, through all in all, yea all in all, and the same for euer. He: yea euen he it is (O earth & ashes) whome thou doest pro­uoke by thy lewd inuentions and in­cense [Page] to wrath thy licentious liuing, and carelesse securitie. O crooked and peruerse generation! doo yee make the merciful forbearance of so great a maiesty, an occasion of sinne, will you for that hee is full of long suffe­ring (and not as a mortall prince re­uenge by death the least iniurie offred) more and more offend him. Will you for that the king prorogeth his greate session of parlement, for your onlye good and gaine (because hee woulde haue you repent and not die in your sinnes) conclude there shall be no such session, yes sure there shall or else the Matt. 24, 30 31, 39 sonne of God is a liar, which to thinke were in the highest degree, most blas­phemous, &c. Therefore omitting all that, which might procure you to loue him, where is become the natural care you haue to auoid punishment, which might prouoke you to feare him, if not as children yet as seruants or sub­iects. Thinke you (O ye obdurate Li­bertines) that because GOD (if you thinke there is a God) is mercifull, hee [Page] is not therfore iust, O know (ye athists) his iustice is as great as his mercy, and either of both as great as himselfe. For as soon can he cease to be God as cease to be iust, iustice and mercie are pro­perties peculiar to him and deny them by your words, and denie him, as (to your greater damnation) you doo by your workes. If this be true (as moste damnable it were to doubte thereof) what furie then so bewitcheth you, that you can cast off all care, yea and y ^t natural feare, wherof the verie brute beastes are not depriued. And with such greedy appetites, from day to day seeke to fill vp the measure of your ini­quity to the brim. As though indeed there were no God, or as though there were no future reckoning to be made. As though you could keep your trans­gressions from his knowlege, or as the eie maker, did not or could not se your abhominations: hee both knoweth them & seeth them (though with greef) and will in the daie that you so doubte of, & least suspect, pay you home with [Page] a vengeance (if you preuent it not by your speedie repentance) which daie thoughe it hath pleased him to delaie for the triall of his chosen, yet for their Matt, 24, 22, sakes he will shorten it, and hee that is comming will come, and bring his reward with him: Moste ioyfull to the godly, but woful to the contrarie. And therfore ye wanton worldlings, whose eies doo as it were swell with fatnesse ofyour aboundance, and surfet with all worldly delight: call to mind your mortalitie: abandon your iniquitie: forsake your infidelitie, and so remem­ber Gods mercie, that you forget not his iustice, being his propertie, which is a depth without bottom, it glorifies the godly, and confoundeth the wic­ked. Trust not vnto thy riches, and say not Eccle, 5, 1, 3. 4, 6. 7, & 7. 3 I haue inough for my life, for it shall not help in the time of vengeance and indignation, and say not I haue sinned and what euil hath come vnto me? for the almightie is a patient rewarder, for he will not leaue thee vnpuni­shed. Saie not the mercie of God is great, hee will forgiue my manifold sinnes, for mercie [Page] and wrath come from him, and his indigna­tion commeth downe vpon sinners, make no long tarrieng to turne vnto the Lord, and put not offfrom day to day, for suddenlie shall the wrath of the Lord breake foorthe, and in thy securitie thou shalte bee destroied, and thou shalt perish in time of vengeance. Sowe not vpon the furrowes of vnrighteousnes, leaste thou reape them seuen fold. Wisd. 2, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. 10.

Saie not with your selues, our liues are short and tedious, and in the death of a man is no recouerie, neyther was any knowne that hath returned from the graue.

For we are borne at all aduenture and wee shall be heerafter as though we had neuer bin: for the breath is a smoke in our nostrils, & the words as a sparke raised out of our harts.

Which being extinguished the bodie is re­turned into ashes, and the spirit vanisheth as the soft aire.

Our life shall passe awaie as the trace of a cloud, and come to naught as the mist that is driuen awaie with the beames os the sunne, and cast downe with the heate thereof. Our name also shall be forgotten in time, and no man shall haue our works in remembrance.

[Page] For our time is as a shadowe that passeth away, and after our end there is no returning for it is fast sealed so that no man commeth againe.

Come therefore let vs enioye the pleasures that are present, and let vs cheerefullie vse the creatures as in youth.

Let vsfill our selues with costlie wine and ointments, and let not the flower of youthe passe by vs.

Let vs crowne our selues with rose buddes, afore they be withered.

Let vs all be partakers of our wantonnesse, let vs leaue some token of our pleasure in eue­rie place, for that is our portion and this is our lot.

Therefore let vs oppresse the poore that is righteous, let vs not spare the widow, nor re­uerence the white heares of the aged. O de­bate not on this wise with your selues, but flie from euill and doo good: for God regardeth thee deeds of euerie man.

Call to remembrance the perillous times wherein we liue, and the vncer­teintie oflife. How neere Gods iudge ments (if not his generall iudgement) [Page] approcheth vs. If we with a sound dis­cretion consider it, we shall find great cause to feare it, and prepare our selues to preueut it. Our liues (as by hourlie experience wee proue) hangeth by a slender twine by reason of our morta­litie incident to al men generallie. But our liues hangeth by a weaker twine, incident to vs in England (as our case now standeth) especiallie. Which are compulsionsforcible inough to draw reasonable men to integrity of life and holy conuersation. Yet fareth it with vs as with senselesse pictures, that haue eies and see not, eares and heare not, heads and conceiue not, the iminent dangers hanging ouer our heads. We harden our harts with Pharao against the God of Israel, they are not touched with threates, nor terrified with tor­ments, till they be inflicted vpon vs, as now they are too too neare vs.

Now the xxxiii. Sunne most happi­ly inuironeth in the firmament, since our blessed deliuerance out of the po­wer and greeuous thraldom ofPharao [Page] and Egypt. The gouernesse of this thrice happie lande (for so it may bee said in regard of such a gouernesse) be­ing not only the instrument of our so happie deliuerance: but also the sole and absolute cause (vnder God) of this our matchlesse tranquilitie. Our God by hir as by one for whose sake we (be­yond the measures of the graces of our brethren and the prosperous course of our fathers) inioy this peace and plen­ty, hath in the aboundance ofhis inef­fable grace and mercy, continued and prospered the same vpon vs hitherto. And what other blessings he hath like the dew ofHermon distilled vpon our Sion (as that of the free passage of the gospell and infinite others) the whole world can witnesse, and we to our vn­speakeable consolation haue experi­enced. He hath not left vs an Anarchy, and hedlesse dissolution, as to the Ca­nibals a most preposterous and misha­pen gouernment, streming with blood, and smoking with the mist of palpa­ble error and ignorance. Nor as to the [Page] Antichristians, seared in the forehead with the mark of the image of the gret whoore of Babylon. Not a barbarous wast and heathenish estate, as to the Tartarian heards of curssed Cham and vnto the miserable inhabitantes of Meschech, or to the rauenous swarmes and turbulent hosts of Tubal-gog. But contrariwise hee hath by hir ledde vs foorth as a flocke of sheepe, and fed vs vpon the pastures of his owne Gosen, giuing vnto vs for warres, peace: for barbarous brutishnesse, humanity and gentlenesse: for grosse ignorance, pro found knowledge: for painted super­stition, sincere religion: for scarsitie, plentie: for vnprouidence, ciuill poli­cie: for iarring discord, vniformity & concord: making vs to dwell in safety vnder hir gratious gouernment as vn­der the winges of his Almightie pro­tection.

In these hir blessed yeares hath been seene, the golden daies of hir father Dauid, & the no lesse prosperous then peaceable regiment of Salomon. The [Page] earth hath yeelded hir fruitfulnes, the sea hir store, the clouds their drops, the heauens their orientall beautie, the sun his heat, the yeare his increase, the val lies couered with corne, the furrowes moistened, the woods and groues crowned with ioy. The mountaines singe with mirth, our folds replenished with cattell, our sonnes and daughters flou­rish like the ceadars of Libanus, our yoong men see visions, and our olde men prophesie. Whilst the sworde of the destroier hath smitten the neigh­bour nations, from the first borne sit­ting vpon the princes throne: vnto the slaue grinding at the handmill, whilest the firme landes adiacent haue beene ouerflowne by the rage of the seas, our Iland haue dwelt in peace, sente hir ships into Ophir for gold, and prepa­red hir Nauie against the enimy. This worthy instrument then of Gods goodnesse, and expresse image of his maie­stie, haue been and yet is (as erst I said) the onlie organ and instrumental cause of al this our fore remembred felicity; [Page] and who is also the very breath of our nostrils, the lighte of our eies, and the totall summe of our welfare. If then it pleased God in the seueritie of his iust conceiued displeasure against our sinnes, to call hir from this hir earthlie Monarchie, to raine with him in his heauenlie Hiarchie: what day I pray you might the daie ofhir departure be called? might it not be properlie saide to be a day ofiudgment? a day of dole, of wrath and of vengeance? It mighte well be so called, for the effects procee ding from it. For if our liues and li­uings, and consequentlie all that here content or delight vs, depend vppon hirs (as truelie they doo) that pretious life (which I pray God long maintain) giuing place to nature, as once needs it must. For Death is the way of all fleshe. Tell mee I praie you, in what predi­cament were we, where were then our liues, our liuinges, our pleasures and contentments? where is then our tran­quillitie, peace and plentie? where is the gouernment become, whereby the [Page] nobles were kept within their compas and the cōmons slept in safetie. Where is then the feare of maiestracie and the regard of our prelacie. Where is bee­come the due execution of wholesome lawes and statutes and the force of our statutes whereby the common-weale did flourish like a Palme and spred hir branches ouer the whole bodie of this realme. Where is the knowledge of mine and thine: and lastelie where is the due administration of Gods worde and sacraments whereby he was glo­rified and our consciences comforted: are they not all to bee feared (excepte God be now merciful then we deseru) last the violence of forraine inuasion, or the sword of domesticall dissention should cut them of, and quite subuert them. Wel wantons well, I feare your comicall progressions would be then changed into tragicall conclusions. For my own part so my wish might be with Gods good will) I would I might not liue to see that daie, though I am perswaded not onely my life but ma­nie [Page] thousands more would be euen de­termined with that day, that yet not­withstanding (with long desires) ex­pect that daie. But foule befall (as day­ly do befall) such wild bores of the for­rest, that would so faine (if so they durst without danger) spoile this vinyard whiche Gods owne right hand hathe planted, confounded bee they and put to shame togither with as manie as haue euill wil vnto our peace. But how far these callamities are from our con­siderations, our perseuerant pride, and peruerse behauiours dayly do manifest which the more God blesseth vs with earthly benedictions, the more freelie we runne into our owne destructions. How true it is, our manifold rebellions against God & his annointed dayly do testifie: Such and so great is mans im­prouidence, that he is onely carried a­waie with the prosperitie of the time present, but y ^e calamities of the time fu ture, he neuer thinketh vpō, vntil their sodaine approche, admitting no tyme for repentance) drowneth the simple [Page] secure liuer in many seas of miseries: euen so were the daies ofNoah, & such were the wicked ones in those dayes, they did wallow in the mire of sin and iniquitie, as we doo now: they eat and drank and made merrie as we do now, they bought and solde, and chopt and changed as we do now, they had pro­speritie, peace and plentie, as we haue now, they abused and mispended the same as wee doo now: they were vn­thankfull for those benefites and bles­singes as we are now: they prouoked God by their licencious liuing: as we do now, they were disobedient to hys word as we are now: they mocked his prophetes, and beleeued not their threatnings, as we do now: they hard­ned their heartes, to effect their mis­deeds as we do now: they liued secure and carelesse as we do nowe, and all was husht as it is now: and Gods ven­geance came vpon them vna wares, as it maie do now. O therfore think vp­on these & such like exāples mentio­ned in the mirror of trueth, Gods bles­sed [Page] booke and true chronicle, and so thinke vpon them, that we may profit by them: that is, to learne by their harmes to auoid the like: for though Gods plagues be long in comming (by reason ofhis great patience) yet when they come, they come with a witnesse, they come with a terror, they fal with a mighty & insupportable waight, yea with such a waight as on whom soeuer they light, they wil grind to powder.

Much more might be here incerted, touching the seueritie of Gods iustice, and our sinfull carelessnesse. But what hope may I conceiue, that my perswa­sions (beeing a man as corrupt as the corruptest) shoulde preuaile with the wantons of this worlde, when neither the powerfull perswasions, sweet pro­mises, sugred allurementes, nor thun­dring threates, which (with an heauēly eloquence) are written (by the spirit of truth) in the sacred bible, togither with so manie learned and godly treatises, all tending to this purpose now extant cannot preuaile: no not in the least [Page] measure, with this froward generatiō: Howe be it though there bee nothing more common then bookes of suche importance, yet haue I thought it con­uenient to publish this briefe, bearing my selfe in hand, it shall rather amend manie then offend anie: except suche as vnto whome Christ himselfe is be­come an offence. For suche as I couet not to please, so care I not to dis­please.

A contemplation full of heauines of minde and anguish ofspirit it is, to cō ­sider the hugenesse of the iniquitie of this present age, the waight whereof makes the earth to grone as not being able to sustaine so intollerable a bur­den. It compelles euerie man regene­rate and truely mortified to saie. O that my soule had winges like a doue, that I might flie awaie from this wic­ked and stiffnecked people, and escape the vengeance to come, this people of vncircumcised hearts and eares, whose consciences are seared with hot irons, Phil, 3, 19, whose God is their bellie, whose glory [Page] is their shame, and whose endes are damnation. They do as it were oppose themselues against the Lord of hostes, and with might and maine persecute his saintes. They are so fraught with pride, lust, enuie, and gaullie bitternes, & so full of mischief, & diuelish practi­ses, that they offer violence to their own soules, in effecting their abhomi­nations, and stand at open defiance with heauen, the sempiternall seate of the highest. Their vineyard is the vin­yard Deu. 32, 32, 33 ofSodomites, their grape is the grape of gall and their clusters of grapes are most bitter. Their wine is the gall of Dragons, and the poison of Cockatrices vncurable. They put their Esaie. 59, 4, 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11 trust in thinges of nothing, and doo talke vanities, they conceiue labour and bring foorth iniquitie: they breake the egges of serpentes, and weaue the webbes of spiders: he that eateth their egges dieth the death, and that which is hatched thence is a Cockatrice: their webs make not cloth to couer them, for that their workes are al vnprofita­ble, [Page] and the work of iniquitie in their handes. Their feete runne to euill, and they make haste to shedde innocent bloud, their thoughtes are wicked thoughtes, desolation and destruction is in their pathes.

The waie of peace they knowe not, & there is none equitie in their goinges, they haue made them crooked pathes: whosoeuer goeth therein shall not know peace.

Therefore is iudgement farre from vs, nei­ther dooth iustice come neere vnto vs, wee wait for light but loe it is darkenes for bright nesse, but we walke in darkenes.

We grope for the wall like the blind, & we grope as onewithouteies, we stumble at the noone day as in the twilight, we are in soli­tarie places as dead men.

Weroare all like Beares and mourne like Doues, we lookefor equitie but there is none, for health but it is far from vs.

But O sacred Souereigne, and my peereles Princesse, in whom, for whom and by whom wee enioy these blessed benefits of peace and plentie, with in­finite others. Let it please thy Royall Maiestie, of thy superaboundant cle­mencie, [Page] to take in good woorth these few aduisementes fent from the senter of a poore subiects heart, that reueren­ceth thee (as it is moste bounden) in greater measure then wordes can pos­fibly expresse. And albeit the rare and admirable discretion, which is alwaies resident in thee (as in the locall place, where it of right ought to be) togither with the moste sound aduise of those prudent Senators, whiche are of the councell, can and doo foresee with great circumspection, the imminent dangers insuing thy absence and cut off (with such due regard as wel befee­meth them) al occasions that may pre­iudice thy sacred life, crowne, and dig­nitie: yet ô yet giue thy poore subiect leaue (with all humility prostrate vpon my face, I beseeche thee) to mind thee of that, whiche (in respect of earthly welfare is our summum bonum: namely, thy safetie whereon dependeth the safetie, liues, and liuinges of so manie thousandes. If then the head cannot perish, but the members must needes [Page] come to naught, and that the losse of thy dear life, is the catastrophe of ours. It stādeth me in hand to the vttermost of my power, to practise by all possi­ble indeuours (though conscience com­pell me not) all that might tend to the preseruatiō of the same. And therefore I beseech your maiestie, in the bowels of a dutiful and loyall heart, to restrain the accesse to your princely presence, of such as may anie waie be suspected of disloialtie, be they high or low, or of what conditiō soeuer. and althogh my request seem vnto your great wisedom needlesse in respect of your owne pro­per care, yet haue I some reason to minde you of this, for that it is well knowne you haue bene heeretofore (with your mercifull leaue bee it spo­ken) too too affable vnto the bloudthir­stie, and ouerbold with suche as haue intended your destruction and ours, which although it be a gratious dispo­sition in you: yet to vs your poore sub­iects it is no smal danger, & although y ^e innocēcie of your hart make it void of [Page] feare and suspition, how beit in regard of our sinnes, and Gods iustice, be yet the more circumspect.

And albeit (by reason of humaine ignorance) you cannot vnderstand the thoughtes of their heartes, that in­tend mischiefe, yet with heedefull re­gard (the power whiche haue hitherto preserued you pulling their maskes from their faces, and discouering their handes) you shall apparantly perceiue their trecherous countenances, and plainly descrie their butcherly handes imbrued with bloud, and all outragi­ous villanie. Take heede therefore good Queene againe I saie, take heed, giue not the vnknowne or suspected opportunitie, least the Lorde in the heate of his wrathe now iustly kindled by reason of our sinnes, depriue vs of you, to the end he may be auenged on vs as on a people vnworthie of so praise-worthie a princesse, and so pay vs home with such insuiug plagues & calamities as since the calling home of our grand ancestors to humaino ciuili­tie, [Page] was neuer seen in our lād. Therfore ô sweete comfort of Israel, as muche as in you lieth, preuent these miseries if not so muche for your owne sake, yet for your poore subiectes, and the gos­pell sake, that wee may liue in safetie, and long inioy this thrice happie tran­quilitie.

ANd you Ladies of honour and o­thers, that liue vnder hir obey­sance, speake honourablie, and thinke reuerently of hir: for whose sake and by whose meanes you are so highlie honoured and reuerenced. Backbite hir not, no not in your priuie cham­bers: for the doore-cheekes of those clossets wil blab it abroad, to your per­petuall shame and deserued destructi­on. Please God and this renowmed Paragon, by your vnfained obedience: so shall you preuent these calamities, wee shall liue in safetie, and inioy this blessed peace and tranquilitie.

ANd you ô (noble Lords of Eng­land) [Page] let neither the cause of consci­ence, ambitious desire of honour and soueraign tie, cōceiued vnkindnesse or secret enuie, nor ought besides that may be imagined, falsifie the faith and allegeance you owe to hir maiestie, hir crowne and dignity, but preuent these calamities, in being honorably resol­ued to die in defence of hir, and your country, containing your selues with­in the lists of loialtie. So shall wee hir subiectes liue in safetie, and inioy this blessed peace, and matchlesse tran­quilitie.

YOu Lordes spirituall vnto whose vigilant regard our soules are cō ­mitted: see well to your charge, and as your callinges are, so let your conuer­sations be, instruct your flock'es as wel by workes as words, Plant sound and sincere doctrine, that it may fructifie and increase knowledge. Abandon slouth and couetousnesse from your houses. In steede whereof entertaine holy exercise and hospitalitie for their [Page] reliefe and comfort that are in aduersi­tie. Suffer none (by any meanes) to en­ter the ministerie, but such as you shall find by the touchstone of trial, to be suf­ficient for so high a function, whose giftes may euery waie answere the sin­ceritie of their calling, and ifyou maie or can expell all those that are alreadie entred, whiche either are vngodly or vnlearned. Set your affections on thinges inuisible (for so it well besee­meth you) and not on thinges mortal: for so the heathen doo. And for that our merciful God manie times conuerteth the practises of the wicked, to the pro­fit of the godly, and woulde that they should make the most of this profit. I­magine it pleased him (in his inscruta­ble wisdom) as knowing what is most behouefull for you, to suffer a pack of puritants (falsly so called) to reuile and slander you, yea and to put foorth li­bels against you, therby to awake you, and to make you attend the worke of your vocation more diligently and carefully. Now therefore, let this be to [Page] you an aduantage make your profit heereof, and if you so doo, reioyce and bee glad, for great is your reward in heauen, for so slandered they the Pro­phetes and Apostles whiche were be­fore you, and practise hencefoorth by preaching and praier to preuent these calamities, that wee and you may liue in safetie, and long inioy this peace and tranquilitie.

OYe graue and learned Iudges of this land, peruert not the lawes for loue of lucre, let not the glorious glasse of golde, whiche is but painted earth, dazell the eies of your vnder­standing & corrupt the secret corners Wild. 6. 2, 3. 4, 5. 7. of your consciences. For Salomon the prince of prudence speaketh vnto you on this maner. Giue eare yee that rule the multi­tude, for the rule is giuen you of the Lord, and power by the most high, which will trie your workes and search out your imaginations, be­cause that yee being officers of his people, haue not iudged aright, nor kept the law, nor wal­ked after the will of God.

[Page] Horriblie and sodainly will he appeare vn­to you: for an hard iudgement shall they haue which beare rule. For he that is Lord ouer all will spare no person, neither shall he feare anie greatnesse: for hee hath made the small and great, and careth for all alike.

Take no bribes therfore, neyther by your selues nor by substitutes: for though by that sleight you can auoide a checke ofhir maiestie, you cannot escape his cursse that raines in eterni­tie. But measure your sentences by the line of equitie, suppresse vice without partialitie, and aduance vertue with al possible industrie. So shall you please God, and preuent ech callamitie. We shal be safe, and liue in peerelesse pro­speritie, and long inioy this peace and matchlesse tranquilitie.

YE knights, Squires, and Gentle­men ofEngland, O surcease your ciuill dissentions, whereby the grea­ter number of our shieres are deuided and mightilie disquieted, to the vtter wracke and ruine of manie partakers, [Page] and whereby also the most Honorable industrious, and worthie Lord Chan­cellor with others in authoritie (that else shoulde otherwise bee occupied) spend most of their time in appeasing of discords and making of concordes. Surcease I say, these vncharitable con tentions, embrace each others loue & friendship, ofreconciled foes become vnfained friends and in amities band. Knit all your powers togither, to re­pell and subdue the power and pride of the common enimies of vs all. So shall you by your charitable dispositi­ons each to other, and byyour knight­lie prowesse and manlie resolution, ech for other and each with other, preuent their purpose, that would procure this calamitie. So shall wee liue in peace and safetie, and long enioy this pros­perous tranquilitie.

YOu Landlordes of this lande, im­proue not your rents nor inhance your fines, but affoord your poore Te­nants (that alwaies rests at your dispo­sition) [Page] a liuers bargaine: intreat them as neighbours, and not as villaines, ex­tend not your power to oppresse them by might, but stretch out your handes to defend their right, that they maye heereby be enabled to paie your rent, maintaine their families and answere hir Maiesty such taxes and impositiōs as shall be laid vpon them, for the de­fence and preseruation of our safetie, that we may enioye this happie tran­quilitie.

YE Councellors and learned in the lawes of this land, be ye more in­dustrious in dispatch of your poore cli­ents causes, vse no procrastination painefull to them, though gainefull to you. If neither lawe nor conscience fauor their case (as many suche Cases shal come to your handlings and most commonlie prosecuted by the wealthy worldlings) O then flatter them not in their peruerse proceedings, but a duise them to cease their sutes and misdoo­ings, yet for that many causes are so ho [Page] nest and lawdable in appearance at the first, (though in truth they are no­thing lesse) and therefore you cannot discerne the right from wrong, vntill by due course oflaw it be discussed. O yet when you shall perceiue (by exami nation of euery circumstance in parti­cular) that you haue the weaker side, by reason of the weakenes and insuffi­ciencie of the cause, ô then: euen then I say, aduance not the glorie of your wits in the maintenance of falshoode and dishonest actions. Thinke it not a discredit to giue place to truth, but rather a fowle impietie to oppose you against hir: wander not in the wilder­nes ofsophisticall sorceries, nor decke your speech with flowers of eloquence (compassed about with presumptions and shewes of probabilities) to inchant the iudge with such magicall trumpe­ries. And although hereby your profit shall be somewhat lessened, yet your praise amongēst good men shall bee greatly augmented. So shall ye please God who will preuent these calamy­ties, [Page] and euery man posses his own in safety, to inioy this moste ioyefull and gladsome tranquility.

YOu Marchants, trades-men, and Citizens of London (for to you especially I direct my speech) ô carrie a conscience to speake the truth, much more to sweare the truth (though your oth ought to be but yea, yea, and naie, naie.) Make not fraud your broker to vtter your wares: but when true mea­ning cheapeneth them, let plaine dea­ling price them at a reasonable rate, & for a computent gaine. Imploie not your heapes of coine to vserie, no al­though it bee (as your fleshely reason iudgeth) for meane profit, and such as our statutes tollerateth: yet know the statutes of God, doo vtterlie disanull the ninth parte of a farthing to bee so taken, and pronounceth them accurs­sed, that setteth out their money for such considerations. But lende thy money to thy needie brother freely, & releeue his wants with thy necessaries [Page] and God will repay it thee againe, in his high Exchequer of heauen. Nor vtter your wares and commodities to yong gentlemen (vpon statute Mar­chant assurance) for double and treble vallue; whose forwardnes many times to run into your debt and danger, to maintaine their prodigalitie and inor­dinate expences, is the cause of the ru­ine and vtter extirpation of them and their houses: & yet you think it iustifiable before god & man to make y ^e most of your wares in what sort soeuer. O deceiue not your selues by practizing to deceiue him that neither canne deceiue, nor bee deceiued, your thoughts are knowne vnto him, much more your deedes. In a word, GOD here with is greeuouslie offended, poor gentlemen and others greatly impo­uerished, and these calamities violent lie hastened. Therefore, if not for shame and conscience sake, yet for feare of Gods vengeance, forsake this manquelling mischeef, think not that well gained, that is euill gotten; and [Page] thogh you could be content to offend your Prince and oppresse hir people for your priuate profit, yet greeue not God for any earthly benefit. Be sorie for what is past, and make amends by restitution. So shall they not need to feare executions, but inioyethis tran­quility without molestation.

YE Angel-like youths ofEngland, in whose beautifull formes the wōderful workmanship togither with the vnspeakeable glorie of the creator shineth: oh seeing he hath so richelie adorned you with the ornamentes of nature, doe nothing vndeacent or ill beseeming your comlines. But alas, it is to true (the more it is to be lamēted) that what God hath formed, you haue by your brutish behauiors and reckles insolence deformed, for what vngrati­ousnes is resident on earth, vnto which you are not inclined: yea and vnto what lewdnes maye the sons of Adam be inclined, but you in the fullest mea sure and highest degree are therto ad­dicted, [Page] bearing your selues on hande with a vaine perswasion, that all your faults are taken and imputed perfecti­ons, & al your bad properties are este­med as good qualities, if so they be (as I nothing doubte but so they are) it is with those whose faults are as great as your follies, whose affections are full fraught with all imperfections, and whose lusts are as lewd as your liues. And though thorough the corruption of this age, things that are not, are cal led and reputed as if they were, for ech proud man termed a proper man: ech murderous manqueller, a couragious cauilere: and each blasphemous swea­rer, a man of good demeanure: yet shal these trim titles falslie giuen nothinge auaile in the day of visitation, the na­ked truth of things, & not the painted shew of thinges shall then be in high est regard.

My hearte (as being plunged in the deapth of dole) is ouer whelmed with waues of woe, yea and my soule is sore vexed and vnquiet within mee, when [Page] I consider amongest the multitude of euill customes, wherewith this vngra tious age is polluted, the impious, odi­ous and moste damnable custome of swearing, the wrong whereof the Sa­uiour of the world sustaines, in requi­tal of his vnutterable good wil towards vnkind mankind: and art thou ô sacred sauiour, thus iniuriously delt withall in recompence of all the iniuries suffe­red in thy pretious passion? Naie haue I, wretche that I am, that presumeth nowe to reprehend others with suche monstrous impietie, so aquitted thy great kindnesse, than which none can bee greater: for greater loue can no man shew, than to suffer death, yea a moste odious, bitter, and reprochfull death to testifie his loue? then ô my soule, my ouersinfull soule, by whome (during the good pleasure of him thou so offendest) my bodie hath his moti­on and being, crucifie thy selfe with anguishe and sorrowe, and seeing thy power hath such dominiō in my wret­ched truncke, expresse thy sorrow by [Page] sending to mine eies a fountaine of teares: wherewith I may wash awaie (in some measure) thy lothsome filthi­nesse, if thou doo it not, the verie steele & adamant, yea and stones of hardest temper shall rise against thee in iudge­ment. For had they reason they ney­ther would or could refraine frō teares, yea and that in great aboundance, to behold thy wilfull and outragious in­solence.

O Gentlemen and louing countri­men what furie so inchanteth me, and you, that we make no conscience of so great a sinne, that so greatly greeueth the holieghost: for though before I haue (in the vexation of my soule) re­prehended in sorte the enormities of our time, yet no one before touched, in extremitie of euill, is to this iniquitie comparable. For here with the king of glorie is eftsoones tormented and cru­cified in heauen, as before he was by the cruell Iewes on earth, that heart, whiche before Longious speare woun­ded, is hereby again, violently rented. [Page] The pretious bloud, wherewith mise­rable man was (from the misery wher­vnto he was fallen) redeemed is tho­rough our wilfulnesse in this respect, rigorously effused, the woundes pear­sed againe, the face buffeted again, the body scourged againe, the head pric­ked againe: and in disdaining the re­buke of the godly whiche in the zeale of his soule, for this sinne of sinnes hee giueth, we spit on him againe and con­temteously mock & deride him again. How commeth it to passe the deuill so preuaileth, that for euerie trifling oc­casion: we vomite vp such execrable othes against the harmlesse and inno­cent lambe of God, in whose precious bloud and holie woundes the sinnes of the whole world are coueted from the wrath of his father, alasse how happe­neth it that that blessed bodie, whiche in the heauinesse and dolour of his spi­rite, swet the most vnkinde sweate of bloud and water for our health, is so vnkindly dealt withal by vs, we are (to our shame I speake it) wee are more [Page] cruell then the Iewes against the Lord of glorie. For they crucified him but once, but wee euerie daie, (yea euerie houre of the daie) crucifie him againe and againe: hee sitteth at the right hand of his father, making in­tercession for vs in heauen: wee like vnnaturall paracydes teare and pull in peeces his blessed members on earth, yea and martir him in more despitefull maner then the vnbelee­uing Iewes. Hee blesseth while we banne, hee prayeth for vs earnestly while wee sweare, and dishonour him contemptiously: and finally wee requite al his sufferings with scoffings, his merites with mockes, his torments with tauntes, his loue with hate, and his humilitie with pride and all impie­tie, and in a word, his holie and vertu­ous liuing, with wilfull and horrible swearing: ô cruell tormentors, ô vn­kind and pitilesse tyrants: how can we hope to haue the benefit of his death, that as muche as in vs lieth, daily put him to death? but farre is it from vs to [Page] hurt one heare ofhis head, sauing that he is greeued to beholde our vngrati­ousnes, and much displeased with our vnthankfulnesse. We are forbidden in his gospell, to sweare by ought that god made, yea by the least heare of our hed, bicause (for so it yeeldeth y ^e reasō) we can make neither of them white or blacke, but what is forbidden vs that most willinglie we doo.

The instruments, yea the curssed in­struments, wherewith satan prouoketh vs to offer suche violence againste our Christ, Is cards and dice, which thogh for recreation they may in decent sort be vsed, yet a wiseman was of opinion that no wise man oughte to vse them, were it for ought or naught, bicause they are the verie elements and firste beginners of this blasphemie. For when the games will not frame in sort as we desire: and if the plaie that is of­fered vs, be not as square as the die, but through the one and the other we are without further triall of lawe, dispos­sessed of our proper right, then doo we [Page] cursse and ban, sweare and stare, yea with varietie of othes (which are thun­dered forth with all asperitie) we blas­pheme the blessed bodie and pretious bloud of our deare Sauiour, reputinge it but a sport or at least a pettie offense so to doo: and he that can moste terri­bly teare him, we haue in highest esti­mation, and without he can so doo, he is too too simple to be a gamester, naie if such a one loose (as commonly those that pertaines to Goddes election sel­dome winne, bicause by their losses he would weane them from it) it will be said he looseth for want of swearing, & with such words of contempt be openlie derided: As once I heard y ^t a gen­tleman in name though (otherwise in condition) the dice bereauing him of more money then stood with his pati­ence to lose) should burst forth into a maruellous great outrage of swearing and impatiencie, amongst the reste of whose blasphemous othes, hee sware some fearful & vnacustomed oth which greatlie offended the eares of a kinsmā [Page] of this, that reprooued him in this man ner: O cosin (saith he) what madnesse moueth thee so to blaspheme thy god, beyonde the measure of all that euer yet blasphemed him; be sorie for thy fault, & God forgiue thee: vnto which he replied, let him neuer forgiue mee, for I sware it willinglie. I wondered greatlie at his replie, but I woondered more, y ^t God in his iust & seuere iudge ment against sinne, (especiallie of so odious a nature) did not open the bo­wels of the earth to swallowe him vp quicke as he did Chore, Dathan, and Abiron. But wonderfull yea and vn­speakeable is the greatnes of thy mer­cie and long suffering O Lord, which dooest permit vile duste and ashes to abuse thy sacred Godhead and almigh tie Maiestie: how vnsearchable is the depth of thy patience, that canst en­dure so to be prouoked, and howe vn­speakeable is the brutish boldnesse of mans hart, that dare presume so to pro uoke thee. But O miserable man, thin­kest thou that for bicause God prolon [Page] geth his punishments (as earst I saide) thou shalt escape vnpunished? or thin kest thou that for bicause his lightning and feareful thunderbolts lighteth vp­on trees, hearbs, stones, & other sence lesse creatures, which might more de­seruedlie lighte vpon thee, that thou shalt auoid his finall iudgement? O no, it stands not with Gods iustice (if thou preuent it not by repentance) so to acquit thee. Excuse these faultes how thou canst, they are vtterly inex­cuseable, wilt thou answer it as thou art woont? and saye it is good to haue the name of the Lord alwaies in mind and the bloud of Christ still in remem brance, or when thy brother charita­bly rebuketh thee for swearing by him wilt thou replie (as often thou dooest) what hast thou to doo with the man or the matter, I sweare by no friende of thine? if so thou wilt, thy will be doon; but heereof I can assure thee, that that wilfull will of thine, which is so repug­nant to Gods holie will, will in con­clusion procure thy damnation. It is [Page] good indeed to haue the name of the Lord alwaies in mind (as thou saiest) and the blessed bloud of Christ euer in remembrance as thou alleagest, but it is not good to haue it in so euill a man­ner; naie farre better it were, that thou neuer name him or thinke vpon him, than so to name him or remember him.

But remember thou the feareful ex­ample of Senacherib kinge of Ashur, mentioned in the xviii. and xix. chap­ters of the second booke of Kings, who for that he blasphemed the God of Is­rael, and with an hie hand & outstret­ched arme opposed himselfe againste him and against his seruant Hezekiah, king of Iuda, was first bereft of an hun dred foure sc ore and fiue thousand sol diars of his campe, by the visitation of an angell, at what time hee besieged Hezekiah and his cittie Ierusalem, and after murdered by Adramelech and Sharezer his owne sonnes, as hee was in the temple worshipping Nisroch his god. The great Antiochus, in like [Page] sort, breathing out blasphemie in the pride of his heart against the Lord of hosts, was smitten with an incureable and inuincible plague, for euen with the fault, a remedilesse and peerelesse paine of the bowels, and sore tormēts of the inward parts came vpon him, & was throwne from his chariot in the swift course thereof in such sort, that al the members of his bodie were sore brused with the fall; whereof it follo­wed that wormes came out of the bo­die of this wicked blasphemer in great aboundance, and whilest hee was yet liuing, his fleshe fell from the bones, with paine and tormente, and all his armie was greeuouslie annoied with his smell: so that no man, nay he him selfe could not abide his owne stinke, that a little before thought he mighte reach to the starres of heauen, com­mand the flouds of the sea, and weigh the high Mountaines in a ballance, so proud was hee, beyonde the common condition of man. Thus the blasphe­mer died a most miserable deathe in a [Page] strange countrie amongest the moun­taines.

Nicanor, for his presumptuous blas phemie against the God of Israell was likewise in the battel which he fought against the Iewes (after fiue & thirtie thousand of his hoast were slaughtred) slaine himselfe, his hed, hand, & shoul der strooke off, and his blasphemous toong cut out, and deuided in small peeces and giuen to the fowles of the aire, as a iust recompence of his out­ragious madnesse.

These with many thousandes more, wherof written verities maketh men­haue beene euen in this life plagued with strange torments & vnacspected deathes for their great wickednes in this behalfe, it haue brought the ven­geance and iuste wrath of God vppon whole countries and nations: and for that no lawes are made to suppres and punish this offence on earth, God him selfe will punishe it with vengeance from heauen.

But O deere father I beseech thee, [Page] in the aboundance of that great mer­cie, which thou (the almightie creator ofheauen and earth) extendest toward vs the banishedbrats of Eue, at what time thou sentest into the worlde, the liuelye image of thy owne substance, euen thy word of promise, thy deere & only Sonne Christ Iesus, that hee by pouertie, humilitie, meekenes & cha­ritie, by buffers, whippinges and tor­ments, and finallie by the most cruell and shameful death of the crosse, shuld redeeme and ransome vnrighteous mankind, being in captiuitie (fast boūd with the chaines of sinne) vnder the great prince of darkenesse & of death, that it would please thee in the great­nesse of that mercy and goodnesse of thine, to spare this Realme of England from the punishmēt, which we (thrugh our wilfull periuries and odious blas­phemies) worthilie deserue, and as it were with strong hand pull vppon vs: Spare vs good Lord, spare the English nation, and especiallie the supreame head and gratious gouernesse thereof. [Page] Pardon our sinnes, and deferre thy ven geance, till thy wrathe be ouerpassed, and our penitencie purchase thy par­don. Consider ô almightie monarche of the celestiall world, how prone all mankinde is to sinne, by natural cor­ruption, engraffed in their fleshe by Adams disobedience, therefore & for the innocencie of thy son Iesus (which by firme faithe is ours) grant vs grace leisure and respite, to arise out of the cradle ofsecuritie, in which we are by sinnes delectation rocked asleepe. Let thy great mercy exceed thy hie iustice to vs wards, and lette thy holy Spirite (which we beseech thee powre on vs aboundantly) so preuaile with vs, that henceforth wee refraine our toonges from blasphemous swering, & our lips frō leasing, that we may speake of thee reuerently as becōmeth christians, & thinke of thee religiouslie as becometh thy seruants. So shall it come to passe that liuing (as we ought) vertuouslie, we shall possesse this peacefull plentie & long inioy this peereles tranquility.

[Page] YE contentious wranglers, & rest­lesse busibodies, whiche vnder the shewe of simplicitie harboureth hypocritical dissimulation, and vnder pretence of plainnesse doe shroud much peruersenesse, prosecuting lawe for eche lawlesse occasion, deuising driftes, to deceiue eche other by guile and falshoode, bending the powers of your wealth and wittes, to effect your contentious cauillatiōs, regarding nei ther the dutie of christian loue & cha­ritie, the admonitions ofholy writ, nor the comfort of neighbourly societie, but with inward delight, and outward cheerefull semblance, pursue your wilfull purposes, with such earnest de­sire of ech others downfall, that vntill your purses haue cast vp all their pence, no composition nor agree­ment will be had: and when beggerie hathe attached you by writ of want, then vntimely repentance strikes the stroke of agreement. Meane while the lawyers laughes, when you haue cause to weepe, they smile to see you sadde, [Page] they solace themselues in your sorow: whose peeuishnesse haue occasioned your owne impouerishments, whose coyne haue caused their credite, and whose wealthe haue supplied their wants, yet to preuent y ^e sentēce of law, you thinke your selues happie if they discouer ought y ^t may procure delaie, whicha shallow studēt may easily doo, for though y ^e lawes in thēselues be per­fect, yet hee that will bee contentious (hauing the golden engine, which is of force to wrest them awrie) may finde starting holes a number: for the galles of the laws are as bitter as worm wood, whiche to my paine I haue too lately prooued: for which (as for my greatest cause of griefe) al the Rubarbe in A­lexandria, will scarse purge my melan­cholie.

And therefore my good and louing countriman, attende that I shall (in a word) vnfold vnto thee. I speake by costly experience, to the end thou maiest eschue the like experimentes. Our Lawyers for the moste part will [Page] more regard thy money then the mat­ter, for after hee hath once set downe the circumstante of thy cause in his baneful booke of Mementos and therein entered thy name: take this of me as long as there it remaineth, thou shalt neuer thriue, till either neighbourlie concord crosse thee out, or beggerie blot thee out: for though the lawes ought to bee free for all the Queenes naturall subiects, yet neither sergiant, chancellor, or atturneie will vnder­stand the cause without thy coine: for his case is best, that is best vnderlaid with wealth and worship, for though it be darke, the glittering shine of gold can illustrate the same, yea and though it be bad, yet if that soueraigne mettall be therto applied, it wil mend it much, and couer the defectes: for doubtlesse y ^e lawyers pleadings are most effectu­all, and his proceedings most iudicial, when he findes the giftes to be moste liberall: then wil they with their pain­ted eloquence, and rethoricall words ofslender substance, put such a glorious [Page] glosse vpon thy matter, that the darke shall seeme light, and the wrong right.

Heereof I aduise thee, that thou beware and be warnd by mee and o­ther poore men that too late haue ex­perienced the same, let it not grieue thee to loose a pennie, to spare a pound. Oppresse not eche other by riguor oflawe, and bee not auen­ged on euerie wrong, remembring that prouerbe which saith: He that will be auenged on euerie wrath, the longer hee liues the lesse he hath. Consume not thy goodes in suche vnhappinesse, expell those cotentious affections which wa­steth thy substaunce, so shall the same be multiplied aboundantly, thou shalt haue Gods blessing, if thou liue in charitie, and haue a good report of all men generallie, and long enioy this peace and happie tranquilitie.

YOu English Romanistes, you that plaie inordinately before the gol­den calfe, of your own inuentions, and [Page] commit spiritual fornication with the great whore, who (like hir selfe) in cen­seth you to seeke, by sundrie practises, the ruine and subuersion of our grati­ous Queene, hir state and kingdome, ô seeing she hath dealt so mercifully with you (as had you not first attemp­ted violence against hir sacred person) you might haue inioyed your liuinges and liberties, both of bodies and con­sciences. Surcease your treacheries & touch not the Lordes annointed, for Christ Iesus will suffer no violence, (as we to our great comfort haue seen and perceiued) to bee done vnto his deare spowse our Queene and gouernesse, but will manifest your conspiracies be they neuer so secret to your confusion and ignomies. But ifGod, for our de­serued plague, shoulde suffer you to preuaile in your tyrannicall attempts, ô what are your hopes? or what shuld you gaine thereby. Thinke you not to participate with vs the insuing cala­mities? O yes no doubt, for those that makes no conscience to set you on [Page] worke, to effect so damnable a villany will make no conscience to depriue you of liues and liuing for their owne commoditie. And therefore moste la­mentable it is to see, howe fowly you are bewitched and misled, by the insti­stigations and hand leadinges of such vnholie holie ones, who seeke to plant religion with the sword (vtterly forbid den by God) and to moysten the same with thebloud ofhis deare saintes. O cast your eies vpō the miserable plight of your natiue countrie, that haue nou­rished, fed, and brought you vp, if your treasons should (but I hope neuer shal) take effect: what hauockes, what spoiles what ruines, what rapes, what mercilesse massacres, what consu­ming with fire, what cities laid waste, what townes ouerthrowne, what fa­mine in our coasts, what miserie in our streetes, what lamentations on our walles, and finallie what calamitie is there on earth, that shall not in Eng­land then plentifully abound? Can you that seeme so holie, professing Christ [Page] as we doo (though not as wee doo) for common humanitie sake, (if not for our sakes whome you hold heretickes, endure so ruthfull sight, or brooke such barbarous crueltie. If so you can, then dare I auouch there remaines in you, neither feare of God, saint, or deuill. But I know (as farre forth as man may know) some of you are better disposed thogh too many ofyou be traiterously minded, which better sorte, I beseech God, as in duetie and charitie I am bounde, in his good time to inligh­ten with his trueth, that the mist of er­ror and ignorance, beeing taken from their eies, they may behold the bright sunne-shine of his sonnes glorious gospell, that we with them, and they with vs may, in vnitie osfaith, pray for the peace of lerusalem, all the daies of our liues: so shal God be pleased with vs & preserue vs from such calamities, that wee may liue in safetie, and inioy this peerelesse tranquilitie.

ANd lastly let vs protestantes bee thankefull to God, for that it hath [Page] pleased him in his vnrecountable lar­gesse and good will towardes vs, by meanes of Elizabeth our Queene, his deare daughter, to prosper the passage ofhis sonnes sacred Gospell, and let ech of vs in our seuerall degrees, and callinges walke worthie of so blessed a benefit than which none can be more blessed, let vs expresse our faith as wel by deede as words (because our good Phil. 19. 10. 11 works setteth forth the glorie of God) 1. Pet, 2. 12. that by our vertuous conuersations, and charitable inclinations, wee may stop the mouthes of Christes enemies and ours, and by our good example of liuing, they may be allured to embrace the faith of Christ, not in varietie of kinde, but in vnitie and concord, that loue and charitie may hold vs all togi­ther in band of peace, that the churche militant may florishe, and the churche triumphant reioyce, that soueraigne Elizabeth may ioy in our obedience, and we reioice in hir gratious gouern­ment, that the cloudie piller go not from vs by daie, nor the fierie flame [Page] by night, that a sweete hermonie may be heard amongst vs, and disonnancte be vtterly banished from vs. That loue may inflame our heartes with desire of eche others good, and enuie excluded that would ech others harme. That the lion may be reconciled withthe lamb, and the wild asse pastured with the sil­lie kid. That the poole of grace maie flow ouer this realme, and the flames of our enemies furies bee quite extin­guished. That the abhomination of desolation may be remooued from the holie temple, and the sonne of man exalted in his owne kingdome. That Babilon may put on Sion, and Egypt become our owne. That of wild oliues we may become y ^e true garden plants ofMiscreantes, Christians, of Ismael, Israel, ofheathenish Idolaters and An­tichristian Romanistes, Euangelicall & sincere worshippers of God in spirit and veritie. That hee may blesse our Queene with a long and prosperous raigne for our sakes, and wee hir sub­iectes with peace and plentie, for hir [Page] sake. That our soules may be fed with the heauenly Manna, and our bodies with the fatnesse of earthly aboun­dance. That neither cost bee spared, time ouerpassed, paines taking omit­ted, nor occasion neglected, to winne that is withholden, to bring home that is straied, to finde that is lost, to re­paire that is decaied, to refreshe that is wearied, to heale that is wounded and to restore that is ruined. That we here­by may preuent these calamities, liue without feare of treason or treaherie, and long enioy this thrice happy tran­quilitie.

O that it would please God to honor me so much, as to giue power to the perswasions in this booke contained, to touch the heart but euen of any one whose conuersion might bee wished, and whose amendment might ensue, I should then thinke the hower of my birth as happie as my selfe, whose hap pinesse herein cannot be expressed. O that I had (to this end alone) the toong of an angell, that my words might bee [Page] powerful, to bring them to knowledg, that their greatzeale might inuiolably be coupled therewith. O that I had the spirite of God in as great measure as had blessed Paule, that my exhorta­tions might pearce their breasts and altar their minds to this resolution. So should my soule be rauished with ioy, and all my vaines replenished with vn speakeable consolation. But forso­much as I am vnlearned, my wordes (I know) shall bee contemned, and for my presumption I shal be condemned and for that I am yong, I am the more vnfit to aduise the olde. And for that I am my selfe, beyond all measure sin­full, I doubt my perswasions will bee the lesse powerful, bicause I haue here tofore shaken handes with vanitie, I shall be deemed most vnmeet to deale with Diuinitie. But bee it as pleaseth God, who knoweth the care I haue of my Soueraignes safetie, the zeale I owe to my natiue countrie, the desire I haue of my brethrens conformitie, hath caused me to publishe this lyttle [Page] treatie. Whiche although it bee not fraught with the entising wordes of mannes fleshlie wisedome, yet is it re­pleat with plaine perswasions, tending to good purpose. The argument wher of (being for reformation) then which nothing is more common, yet nothing more needfull ( Quia mundus totus in ma­ligno positus est) which although I maie wish it, yet can I not procure it, but to my power I will euer seeke it, though I cannot but confes, my selfe do great­lie need it.

BVt by the waie, I deeme it verie conuenient to speake (though to very small purpose I doubte) of that wherin the diuel is so much delighted, and where withall the worlde at thys daie is so greeuouslie infected. Name­lie, the impious, deadlie and damna­ble sinne of pride and vaine-glorie, which is the root of all vnrighteousnes, and the verie keye that openeth the gate which leadeth to eternall destruc­tion: the least iot of whose venom if it once but touch the hart (except the pre [Page] tious oile of Gods grace bee thereon speedilie powred) it will neuer cease swelling, till both bodie and soule bee brought to consusion. Howbeit the noblest harts are herewith bewitched, and with the poison thereof, euen as it were suffocated, pride is the confoun­der ofmeekenes and vertue, it subdu­eth the soules and bodies of manye, that otherwise are noblie minded, and causeth them many times to doo that, whereof ensueth their downefall and destruction. For true is the prouerbe proue it who shall, that at first or at last Pride will haue a fall. The first offendor in a sinne of this kind as the scriptures testifieth, was Lucifer; which not being conten­ted with the glorie of the highest hea­uens, and the societie of Archangels, Cherubins and Seraphins, woulde yet presume to make himselfe equall with God his creator: for which his pride and ambition (as being well worthie) hee was throwne headlonge from the height of heauen, to the depth of the bottomlesse pit of hell, where now he [Page] is damned perpetuallie, there to abide and endure the violent paines whiche God hath ordained for him and his damnable associates; and he that be­fore shined in heauen as bright as the sunne in his highest beautie, is nowe through pride, transformed to a feend yea and that a most vglie and fearefull feend; whose horrible shape no mor­tall man can abide to looke vpon. Let a man haue wisdome, beauty, strength vertue, knowledge, honor and riches, and he shall vtterly obscure & eclipse the glorie of them all, by vaine glori­ous pride and statelinesse of mind. But this sinne generally hath more domi­nation in women then men, whiche plainlie appeareth by their high looks, sumptuous ornaments, and fantastical attire, that it may truely be said, pride hath so infected them, that they be e­uen sicke of the fashions; whence it commeth that men are allured to lust that else might liue chast, the blazing beauty of women brightned by arte, so dazell the eies of their mindes and bo­dies, [Page] that they are therevnto subdued and vnto wanton desires captiuated. As Holofernes y ^e proud Assirian, with the comelie shape and beautie of faire (yet chaste) Iudith, by whose feeble hands (God so preordaining) his hate­full head was deuided from his shoul­ders, so greatly was he ouercome with hir beautie.

Cruell Iezabell (that Diuell incar­nate) which through pride painted hir face, thereby to allure and betray Iehu with hir fairnesse (although it nothing auailed hir for God procured Iehu to abhorre hir) was for hir pride and ty­ranny, by Gods iust iudgment, thrown downe from an high window & dogs did deuoure hir, as he before had pro­mised.

Had not Bersabe in bathinge hir selfe negligentlie discouered hir beau­tie, Dauid had not cōmitted the foule offenses of murther and adulterie, and consequentlie Israell had not bin pla­gued with such calamitie.

Therefore gaze not ouer greedilie [Page] vpon the fraile beautie of a woman, least thine hart be intangled therwith, and so thou become a slaue vnto sin, & thy soule a subiecte vnto Satan, their shewes are but shadowes of a vaine substance, the rewarde of whose pride is eternall paine.

Pride is a sinne of sinnes, fro whence (as branches from the tree) al and eue­ry sinne proceedeth: it troubled the angels ofheauen, yea and Christs deer saints and holy disciples on earth. It offendeth the maiestie of God, and plungeth man in maine seas of sinne and waues of wickednesse. Happie is the man or woman, whom this vnthrif ty vice of pride and vaineglorie, hath not bewitched: & happie is he, whom titles of preheminence hath not ledde captiue to so odious a sinne, & earth­ly pompe that procureth pride is vn­stable and subiect to sudden alteratiō, for when it is at the highest, it wil sud­denly discend, as it fared with y ^e proud Babylonians, at what time they pur­posed to raise their tower to the toppe [Page] ofheauen, that so they might preuent the purpose of the highest, who seeing their pride and ambition, brought vp on them such confusiō, that the whole world to this daie participateth there­of.

O pride! thou damnable and infer­nall furie, bred in the deepest bottome of the lowest hell, fie on thy frailetie; that hast destroied so many kings and mighty potentates with thy poison, for wheresoeuer thou goest shame in­sueth. By thee is Lucifer damned in hell, and perpetuallye excluded from the presence of God. By thee al man­kind endureth miserie, for that thou prouokedst Adam to desire the know ledge of good and euill; and so conse­quentlie to disobay the commande­ment ofhis creator, for which hee and all we his vnhappy ofspring are accurs sed, and (without faith in Christ) for euer damned.

By thee, Nabuchadnezer was trans formed from his former fashion, vnto the shape of a brute beast.

[Page] By thee Agar aduansing hir selfe, for that she had conceiued, & cōtemning hir lady and mistresse, was sharpelie punished as she well deserued.

By thee Moab, Holofernes, Hamon Nicanor, Pharao, Balthazar, Antio­chus, Herod & many thousands more mentioned in the old and new Testa­ments, were brought to shame & vt­ter confusion.

Thou bereauest men of their wise­domes, and women of their wittes, as nowe (to the great griefe of the godly) is daily experienced, for this part of the world, where Christ is and ought to be professed, seemeth rather to be the lo­call place ofhel, then a state of christi­anitie, so great is the superfluitie vsed in apparrell, and so monstrous are the fashions wherewith both men and wo­men are now commonly attyred: and where before our fathers coueted gar­mentes onely to couer their naked­nesse: now we rather desire such, wher­in our nakednesse may be most disco­uered.

[Page] But no more of this, least this trea­tise bee therefore despised, for hardlie can it come to the hands of any, whose hearts surfet not with this sinne, whose eies are not blinded with this vanitie, and whose mindes are not addicted to this enormitie. But in a word, to shut vp all: if the tauerne be known by the luy bush, & an Inne by the signe: then verily a minde vnchaste, enclined to wantōnesse, is by no one thing better known then by the outward habit, for they whose garmentes are newfangled and sumptuous: most commonly their mindes are vnstaied and lasciuious. Frame thou thy communication (saith a wise philosopher) according to thy garmentes: but if men and women in these daies should followe his aduise, (beeing apparrelled as they are) they shoulde speake as if they were (as in­deede too too manie are) depriued of their wittes, if their speache should be as fanaticall, as their garmentes are fantasticall, hardly should they be vn­derstood without an interpretor: for as [Page] there is no meane, nor measure in the one, so should there bee no rime nor reason in the other, but God end it or amend it, or els it will neuer be amen­ded, till all be ended. And to returne where (by occasion of this vanitie) I left) Call to minde, gentle Reader, the tyrannicall persecutions, and cruell martyrdomes perpetrated in the blou­die and pitilesse raigne of Queene Marie, imagine withall thou seest (as then to the griefe of many thousandes was seene) the tormenting furnace of Nabuchadnezer glowing hote, scor­ching and consuming the fleshe and bones of Christes deere saintes and blessed martirs. For professing y ^e trueth ofhis Gospell. Imagine thou hearest and seest (though to thy small edifica­tion or profite) the administration of his blessed word and sacramentes in a toong to thee vnknown. Imagine thou seest deuine honour and spirituall ado­ration performed to stocks and stones, and other sencelesse shadowes, and thou (on paine of death) compelled to [Page] performe the like. Imagine yet further thou seest thy Christ robbed and di­spoiled ofhis honour to be geuen vnto saintes and other his creatures, & thou not onely to be in danger of life: but to be excommunicated and held ac­cursed, if thou doo not participate of this blasphemous impietie, and when thou hast called to thy remembrance these, and thousandes such like extre­mities, then compare that time of ty­rannie, with this sweete time of mercy: and thou wilt bee constrained to say. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he hath visited and redeemed his peo­ple, & hath raised vs vp a Queene, by and vnder whose godly and gratious gouernment we may serue him with­out feare, in true holinesse and righte­ousnesse before him all the daies of our life. And therefore let all true Israelites praie for hir, from whome (as from the instrumentall cause) these manifolde benefites and irrecompensible bles­singes, are deuolued to vs. Let vs not not with Isops frogs growe wearye of [Page] hir gentlenesse, least Ioue in requitall of our great ingratitude, send the stork to deuoure vs. No man hath managed the charge of any one priuate house­hold more duly & orderly then (since the beginning of hir reigne) she hath doone this populous kingdome.

Therefore O England, let thy yoong men and maides, old men and babes, thy beasts and cattell, thy fish & foule, thy mountaines and hils, thy riuers & welles, thy plants and trees, thy corne and grasse, thy fieldes and meades, thy citties and townes, thy woodes and groues, thy downes and dales, each in their kinds laude and praise the Lord; for giuing vs such a Queene, in and by whom we are so happy; for & thrugh whome we are blessed, and in whom as in a streame of Maiestie and prince­ly magnanimity, all the gifts and gra­ces which God bestoweth vpon the children of men doo swim, and to his praise and hir perpetuall renown (with out fault or imperfection) doo supera­bound. O but some will saie (if so they [Page] durst) Sir you are too too extreame in hir commendation: you infringe the bounds of trueth, whereby it seemeth you aime at hir fauour by the leuell of flatterie. Shee is not so endowed with giftes and graces as you vainlie and most vntruely affirme. Neither is she so faultlesse and praiseworthie, as you make hir. Indeed, did not hir de­serts merite my praises, my flatterie were too too palpable, but beeing no more then hir proper right, the repeti­tion thereof (I know) is vtterly repug­nant to hir pleasure, and therefore they are deceiued, whiche imagine, that I (poore snake and contemptible worm) aime at so high a marke, with so grosse a shaft.

But for that which first I did attribute vnto hir, besides hir zealous forward­nesse, in the execution of Gods will, and the matter of hir and our soules welfare, hir exact knowledge of the toongs, hir deepe sight in the sciences, hir quicke capacitie, hir swift vnder­standing, hir mercie to offenders, hir [Page] care of hir subiectes and hir peaceable regiment, doo plainely manifest: All whiche and manie other such like, as inuincible arguments doo proue mine assertion.

To the second, be it graunted, that she is not vtterly faultlesse, and there­fore not vtterly blamelesse, I replie: she is (though a most gratious Queene as I said) a mortall creature, framed of the same substance that we be, and therefore subiect to those passions and infirmities that we are. But so was Da­uid of whome GOD saide, I haue chosen a man according to mine own heart, euen Dauid my seruaunt, yet whether he were faultlesse or no, his owne wordes doo manifest, when hee saide. The woundes in my soule doo fester and stincke euen thorough my Psal, 38, 5, owne faultes, and offences, and a­gaine. Turne thy face (O Lord,) awaie from my sinnes, and blot out all my misdeedes, and againe, My sinnes are more in number than the haires of Psal, 51. 3, mine head. And again I acknowledge [Page] my faultes, and my sinnes are euer be­fore me, and they thrust me down euen as an intollerable burden: but if thou wouldest know wherein he offended, the holy Ghost will resolue thee in the second booke of Samuel, and the 11. chapter. And letting passe all the holy kings and prophets mentioned in the old Testament, y ^t acknowledged their infirmities, and yet God tendered as the apple of his eye: come we to sainct Paul, who although he were no king, yet was he a blessed Apostle, and had the spirit of God in great measure, yet said he ofhimselfe, as his owne Epistle to the Romains testifieth. The good that I would doo, that doo I not. But the euil that Rom, 7, 18, 19 I hate: that doo I. If then it appeareth by these and such like vndoubted testimo nies, that mankind vnder heauen are sold vnder sin, who can then be so ma­litious to entwite hir maiestywith that which is proper to all in generall? Nei­ther can she be touched with any blot of infamie, other then that which is in­cident to the most vprightest liuers. If [Page] this be true (as what man liueth, & fin­deth not the same so tobe.) O then ye priuie whisperers, and secret backebi­ters whose toongs are as the stinges of Scorpions full of deadly poyson, cease to sting hir, whom youshal neuer hurt, or haue power to defame, though like vnnaturall paracides, you seeke it with all greedinesse, and as by hir gratious gouernment you breath & haue your being, so acknowledge it, and be not such vngratefull monsters as to render hir euill for good, but requite hir lo­uing kindnes, with thankfulnes, & hir princely beneficence, withall dutifull obedience. Think reuerently ofhir, for Gods sake, and in respect of the great perils she still sustaineth for our sakes: for the paines she taketh for our onelie profite, and for the waightie charge, imposed vppon hir, and if (as one wise man saith) the cares that attendeth a crown were duely considered, it is not worth the taking vp if wee found it in the streetes: then what a worthlesse iewell hath she ofhir crown, in respect [Page] ofhir cares, no one can expresse them, saue shee that hath them, and for our sakes doo indure them. Therefore ma­ligne hir not by worde nor thought, But wish hir well, and saie, Good lucke haue you (O gratious Queene) with your honor, according to the great re­nowme, wherewith the king ofkings hath ennobled you. Peace and prospe­ritie, be vnto them that loue you, but confusion of face, and horror of con­science be vnto al them that hate you. For your diuine giftes and graces all people doo praise you, and for the peace and plentie wee enioy by your meanes, wee will euer honour you. Wherby you shall highly please God, in accomplishing his will, who hath by the mouth ofhis Apostle comman­ded all men to praie for kinges and princes, and all that are in aucthoritie, to the end they may liue a godly and peaceable life vnder them. According to which commandement, let all that be truely English fall prostrate before Gods mercie seat, with al feruent deuotion, and say.

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