¶ THE NEW ARIVAL OF the three Gracis, into Anglia.
Lamenting the abusis of this present Age.
¶ Cry now, as lowde as thou canst, leaue not of, list vp thy voyce like a Trumpet, and show my people their offencis, and the house of Iacob their sinnes.
To his moste Louing and frendly
Father: (V. Villiam Beeston Brewer) S.B. wisheth continuall health, with end-lesse felicitie.
WHen, and at such time, beloued Father, I had called to my remembrance, the great good wil, and wished benefites proceeding from you, towardes me: and on my part very slenderly deserued in comparison, the acquiting of suche curtesie: After many inuentions had, by what meanes to shew forth some such occasion, howe to gratifie you, as a sure shewe of obedience, thereby to occasion no lesse good will to folowe, then formally by you was begon. And calling to ininde one of the graue sentences of Seneca, which sayeth, That the remembrance of benefites ought not to be forgotten, and that a smal thing geuen willingly, is more acceptable then great riches with euell will: And that the will of the geuer, and not the value of the gift, is to be regarded: rhese documentes and such like, vrged me to deuise some thing, whereby you might perceiue in me, not only my obedience to fatherly parentage, but also to proue such a sonne (good will being first preferred) to be more worthy a benefite,Diogines then to haue geuen, which benefite that I looke for, is your continuall societye and fatherly affection, to abide wyth no lesse good will, then hitherto it hath bene: To that end therfore, I haue taken vpon me to write this worke folowing for you to loke vpon: And although it seeme barren for lacke of a more furniture, and altogether pore, like vnto the wryter: Neuertheles, I hope you wil except it with no les good wil, in comparison of mortall fieshe, then Iesus the sauioure of mankinde, who excepted the two mites put into the treasury by a pore widow,Luke. 21. being all the substance that shee had: so this small worke of mine, being all the substance that I possesse (as touching good will) haue with no les imparted the same vnto you, which woorke beareth the name of the three graces, Thankfulnes, Plenteousnes, and Liberalitie: which if you peruse [Page] thorowly, I doubt not, but it wil content your minde so, as occasion may serue to further remembrance, considering that to attain vertues, we haue good desire,Marcus but to obtaine vices, we put to all oure workes: such is our corruption,Aur. for the which cause, euery desiring minde to obtaine knowledge, oughte to take heede where vertue is to be learned:Socrates for the les time man hath to liue, which may be perceiued from the day of birth to the houre of death, with what spede it hasteneth, and the time stayeth for none: to be ready prepared to the hauen of peace, to the ende our mortal enemy raigne not ouer vs, the more earnestly ought man, in vertues study to be proceding in: my louing Father (therfore ler this my worke be so accepted, as good wil in his continuaunce, may further a greater: And as concerning this already finished, there can nothing be amended or rightly corrected, but by that, which surmoūteth, and is better then it,Plato. as vice by vertue, falshode by truthe: wrong by iustice: folly by wisdome: ignorance by learning, and such like. For the which cause euery perticular being considered, I doute not but that you wil as fauourably receiue this my trauaile with no les good wil, then I in presuming to dedicate the same vnto you, whome I account moste worthiest: not for affection but for your godly life and christian religion: in the which, the almighty father, sonne, and holy ghost strengthen with continuance, that bothe father, and sonne, by the holy ghost: with father, sonne and holy ghost, may praise the almight in the celestial heauens, worlde without end. Amen.
Your obedient sonne, Steuen Batman.
THE EPISTLE TO THE READER.
WHen and at such tyme, (belouid) as the miserable state, and maners of men were espied: the vntruthes, the craftie imaginacions and wicked practises, of peruersse, and frowarde persons: Thē by diuine sufferāce diuers learned and auncient Fathers began, no soner the euils perceiued, to set foorth against such (their abusis) with the threatnings of gods vengance for ye same, diuers and sundry ensamples, to the withdrawinge of such, as much as in them lay, from the infernall pit, prepared for offence: to that ende, that as carefull Parents, perceuing their children to wander from the line of obedience, mought in time, by mesurid correction, bring thē from such their disorder, to a better passe. In which so doing, although some children, by ouermuch sufferance, in the beginning of their enterance, through induranci, & hardnesse of heart, not only neglect theyr tymes from such obedience, but also as froward Imps continew in their vngodlynesse, shall for their so doing reape no lesse infamy then the Zodomits dyd,Example Gen. 1 Exod. 2. who refusing the intreaty of that auncient Father Lot, were consumid with Fyer: or as when Moyses, rebuked him that wrongid ye Hebrwe, very charitably, but he tooke it ill, and spake iniuriustye, saying, bout thou kill me, as thou dyddest the Egiptian, &c. Not far unlike, are the aunswers of sundry Scctarians, in these dayes, who for brotherly repprehensions geueth the like answers, Note h [...]w discreetly Nathan ye prophet rebuked Dauid, after he had committed adoultery & murder,2. Re. 2. he said not angerly, thou hast don wickedly, but with an apt [...] meete [...]militude, he intrappid him by the wordz [Page] of his owne mouth, Steuen being with the Iewes in coū sail, dyd boldly reprehende them, sayinge among other things: Dye stiffenecked, and of vnū [...]umcised heartes and eares, ye haue alwayes resisted the holy ghost, as your forefathers did, so do ye, a worthy note to such as will enter into iudgment in matters of religion, before they know what it meaneth: and although that among many, some may haue iudgment, yet after the maner of mē, it is not iustice, therfore most metest to be reformed, when the Thessalonians walked vnquietly, ye Apostle Paul, 2. Thess. 3. with brotherly reprehension saide vnto them: why walk ye in ordina [...]ly working not at all, but being curius, and busibodies: and therfore he rebuked them. Many diuerz and sundry ensamples ther are, which moueth brotherly affection, to consider such substaunce, for the which cause, after many auctorities vewid, and diuers historis redd, & being mo [...]id, not with a few griefes, to see this present tyme so alterid from kinde, deuised this slender, and vnfurnished woork, to the profit of my Countrey: & yet not altogither so vnfurnished, but that by diligent perusing, some good thing may be founde. It was good will, that forced me to write according to my skill: yet considering wt my selfe how far vnable I was to frame that which affection monid, after good will had inforcid: In remembring the Bee, with the same affection, went forwarde: For among the Bees, such order is, that whē the young beginneth to flye,Bartho. de pro [...]. and that he apply him selfe with carying: first he learneth by the greater to gather war, then to frame the work, which being don, thē to gathering the honey, that those neat wrought selles, may be filled, and in such tyme, as the season ferneth, that or euer the frosts appere,Gesnerus each Bee, may haue sufficient to preserue him from the baraine Winter or colde, so as a poore Bee, the Waxe being gatherid, from the substance [Page] of many flowers and by meanes of the sweete smelling blues, huny is increasid, wherwith to suffise each Bee in the extremitie of coulde, the war to keepe safe from cold, the honey to preserue life, and to comfort such young as in the meane time is increased. And as the wax is profitable,Isidorus Aristotle in the dark to yeld by art his light, to the greate comfort of the beholder, so is the hunney for the inward partes of men, being moderately taken, to keepe the body from putrified humors: by the Bee, the wax, and the hunney, I considered the diligent painfull Christian, the profet of actorites, the gift of the holy ghost: these three, moued mee, to this my sely labour, far vnfit to come among the master Bees, but for as much as the smaller or feebeler sort, are defended by the great, by the means of indeuer: so hope I to bee, because good will hath presumed in stead of learning, to frame that which may doo good to the most, and harme with the least. Thus gentill Reader vse my labour, with suche brotherly affection, as by my work, thou maist perceue my meaning. In which so doing, I commit thee vnto the tuicion (by prayer) of the almightie God for euer and euer AMEN.
SOMNIVM.
O Anglia, Chius an esse by greece in the sea [...]e geū which as Sirab [...] writith that it cā not be re [...]embrid, [...] [...]rith in y• country was any adoulteri amōg thē selues cōmitted. thou of Chius, learne thy god and prince to feare,
OR euer, the fundaciō of the world was layed,Exodus. 3 The many names groweth to no var [...] etie: ye substāce is of one equalitie. The Lord Iehouah, the Iews dyd o [...], naming it Nomē in effabile, a name not to be spoken: because it cō [...] ye [...] of GOD. the great Elohim, (Iehouah) Adonai, Gubernator, Deus, or omni [...]otent God. When Moyses demaunded saying: who shal I say hath sent me, was aunswered, ego sum, qui sum, I am that I am, hath sent thée, euen that most triumphāt king of kings, who before al worlds, saw what should insew from time to time, did pronosticate, by diuers and fundry his seruaunts. Some Patriarks, Prophets, and Apostels, with sundry other people, out of euery nation vnder heauen: aforewarning to ye rest cōmō or vulgar people, som by proficy or prophisy, some by reuelacion, some by interpretacion, some by dreams, some by wonderfull Prodigius and most miraculus sightes, (to the end) that ouer what dominion, Realm or cuntrey so euer any of these appeared, eyther by sight in act, or show by word, the people in any such dominiō, what soeuer mought know, by such for warning to eschew, those daū ger [...]: y• else might insew. Dame Charities, being framed frō out of ye [Page] mightie Elohim, so wrought, as soone as she had auctorite, which was not, till man was framid in liuely substāce. And thē began she to show forth the substaunce of her fundacion, which was, is & shalbe, amōg the obediēt vnto the end. And those here associate were, Aglaia, Thalia, and Euphrosine, thankfulnes, plenteousnes and lyberalite, whereby these being settelid in man, shuld yelde forth some such fruit as it had recsued, to the honoure prayse, and immortall fame, of such a moste mercifull and heauenly father, Lord and king: in as much therefore,Gen. 4. as in the tyme of our forefathers (longe tyme passid) ther fell vppon the earth suche fluds of waters, wherby the whole world was ouerspred, and that al flesh died, by the rage of the same, sauing Noah, and his famely viii, sowles. And wherefore, bicause they regarded not, neither beleued the same to insew, till they saw the extremite of the flud, so spéedily to ouerwhelme them, all hope then frustrate, and past remedy: The preparinge of the Arke, made them not a frayed, neither the enterance of the flud, for so longe as any land, mountayne, or hill, was to bée gotten vnto, so longe hoped they of safety (such vayne hope deceyued them) wherefore they peryshed, such was the incredulite, at that tyme, and much worse, notwithstanding former insamples, in these our present tymes: from after the sayde, Deluuium, or flud, no soner being retornid to their former, or preordayned course. And that the Sunne, Moone, and Stars appeard in their pulcritude and kynde, then, euen in the very presence of the late slayne carcasis, such showed Obliuion, in the brest of Noah, that after a few grapes eaten, became so infebelid in the heade, that most disorderly laye, to the great sorow of his two sonnes,Genesis 9 Sem and Iaphet, although, Cham, being also one of their bretheren, did most vnreuerently laughe at his fathers nakidnes, for the which he was a curssud.Gene. [...]9 When (Lot) through wine, forgat him selfe, his offence was such as mouid a parpetual remembrance (to be ware) Zodoma, Gomorra, Adama, Zeboim, & Zoar, or euer they were destroyed, they had warning their of, by there forefathers, that perished through the flud, and also by the cōming of the messengers vnto (Lot). The children, of Israel, had warning also before they fel into captiuite,Exodus 1 for as long as Ioseph, gydid or gouerned Egipt, vnder Pharao, so long they continuid in peace, and tranquilitie. But there rose vp a new king in Egipt, Out of this saide chapter of [...] is [...] note or warning: not to trust y• [...] words of aliante. which knew not Ioseph. And he sayde vnto his folke, behould the people of the children of Israel are great and myghtier then wée, come and let vs play wiesly with them, [Page] least they multiply. And lest it happē, that if there chaunce any war, they ioyne themselues vnto oure enemies, and fyght agaynst vs. And so get them out of the lande: so the children of Israell were by the Egyptians, held in bondage, without mercy. Behould the skill of the Egiptians, they being in doute of such great increase, would not suffer the Israelites, no more among thē. &c. And yet for all that, reasid not to oppresse them in such sort, as this second booke of Moyses makes relacion. Be it knowen vnto thée, thou now florishing Anglia, whom God so gyde with continuance, that sence thy first a ryuall by that noble (Brutus) thou hast sufferid many greuous attempes, And also ben subuertid by forraigne powre, if thou wilt know by whom, reade Robertus de Auesbury, Rogerus Houenden, Iohu G [...] wer. Iohn bale Iohn slow Forsard, Harding, Mathae Paris, Mathaei VVestomasteriensis Policronicon, Supplementi Chronicarum. Polidory Virgilij cum alijs. The first subuercion of this eyle was by the Britans, (called Gigantes) as of Corineus, which inhabited Cornewal and such lyke, of whome came our originall, by successiue liue from Brute. But the second ouerthrowe was by Iulius Ceasar and his Romans who about fyue hundred yeares gouernid this lande,This [...]ē gist after the opinion of som author [...], [...] by [...] y• name of Englishe men came first callid Hengist men, then in pre [...]ces of tyme English mē: which said name cōtinueth to this present. but as touching the origynall from Brute. Iulius Ceaser, was the first that brought the Britans in subiection, and after the ende of the sayd yeres the Romaines left both tribut and cuntry, rather then to defend it agaynst the Scots, & Pysts. The Britons were afterward conquerid by Hengist king of the Sarons, vnto whom the Bretons vnaduisedly, had before geuē to much entry, which Sarons, were afterward cōquerid by Svvane, and other the Danes, and these Danes with the Sarons, & Britans remayning were all conquerid by VVilliam bastard Duke of Normandy. And since that time continued most victorius, to the perpetuall fame of English men, and long tyme may if gréedy desier be not the cause of her ouerthrow. This being dewly considerid in these our present dayes, would geue occasion, to foresée a greate mischiefe which else ere tonge will inshew. The cause is, the people of foraine nations, so fast do increase, and the commodites of this our natiue soyle doth so fast decrease, that it cannot be, but that within short space. Except the prudency of some foreseight, al to be trāsformid vp [...]down. The gracis mouid me (as in a dream) this farforth to speak wher in is (or ought) both thankfulnes to God, [...]ale. y• un [...]ig [...] of both churches. for such warning with thankefulnesse to God, for so happy a prince called Elizabeth, of the Debrues called Elischabeh, as much to say, as ye rest of my God, [...]aris. which [Page] when the ancient City Niniue was warned by Ionas, the Lords Prophet, they repentid so, that they were pardonid of all their sinnes, Ierico, for resisting, (the Lord miraculusly ouerthrew) as also Ierusalem, the often ouerthrow of kingdoms & Cities was for disobedience of the lawe, contempt of the worde, ne [...]ligence in not looking to the same in time,Luk. 6. Num 22. is so great an ensample before our eyes, Caecus caecum ducit, ambo in foueam cadunt, which if selfe wil, with laciuius lust, do so blind that it cannot be espied, thē, Asina Balaam admonet, if their remayn so much fear of gods v [...]ngans for oppressiō among such as pr [...] fesse Christ, and as yet deny the works therof, as remayned in Balaams Asse, who for fear of the Angell, shronke vnder his maister, thē I doubt not, but euery such Christian which shall happen vppon this my trauayle, shall finde no small commoditie, and thereby so occasionid to pray vnto God, for amendiment whereof, that ere long all euill actions may be amendid,Mat. 5. Mar. 9. which being don. Vos estis sal terrae, lux mundi, then shall Angliae florish, which God graunt, to the ouerthrow of Antechrist, to the setting home of those Strangers, whose cōming is neither for the loue of the Gospell, nor obedient of Lawes, but such as haue cōmittid murder, hourdome & thefte and obstinate Papists, as diuers honest and godly persons of their owne natiue counteris haue testified: not with rigour, but by fauor, not of pretendid force, but by princly auctorite. Ex fructu arbor cognoscitur. So God graunt in time an effect. La [...]brymae Croc [...]dil, (caucto.)
¶ In these three principall vertues, are contayned the liberalitie of a Christian, thankfulnesse, plentiousnes, & liberalitie.
Thalia, Plenteusnes.
PLentifull are the works of the Lord,Psal. 130. in wisdom hath he made thē all, for with the Lorde ther is mercy, and with him is plenteouse redemption, for as by the plentifull gracis proceading from God, the children of Israell wer delyuerid, so shall euery such nacion likewise, that seeketh by obedience, obtayn the lyke: haue due consideracion then, of the plentifull gracis proceading frō God, héere on earth, to féede not only our corporall bodies, with the fruits growing on the same, for the tearm of our natural liues, but also, the vnspeakable vertues, which doo as mighty riuers so plentifully ouerwhelme, in manner the whole face of the earth, that scharcely or not at all, any one is able to say, he neuer haue passid by, or through them, or being at one tyme or other, mould so, that not one of the séeds of mankind is able to excuse him selfe for the not knowing of so plentifull gracis, proceding from so mercifull and heauenly father: in what damnable state, case, or being, are those mē, who lasciuiously liuing in this vate of misery, do séeke to escape from that, which séeks to saue them,Tantulus a gredy tyrāt being in the water can not dri [...], hauing food in seyght [...] cannot feed. and to imbrace that whi [...]h vtterly (if continuance remayne in ill) to consume and destroy thē,Polidori Virgil [...] vrbanitas aedagi orum li. Tantaleum, poculum libernus, the very heathē Philosophers hath not ceasid, to depict out dyuers and sundry warnings, and all to that ende, that vertues might be imbraced, and vice subuertid & ouerthrowen, because, that like as some festcrid vlcer being once rootyd in the flesh and toucheth the bone, seaceth not by littel and litle, till it haue by such infection, masterid the whole body, and brought it to subiection, forcing it, to geue place vnto death, the first ende of corporall [Page] life. Therefore,For that there are ii. deathes the first death is y• end of the body, the second of soule. as corrupt infections be the cause of the bodyly death, so the wicked thoughts ingendering contempt of godlines, hastens the soules distruction: who would not therfore, seyng so great daungers to inshew, by meanes of disobedience, séeke to please so excellent a Lorde and protector, that so mercifully and so plentifully powrith forth before vs, so many seueral gracis, therby to pluc [...] vs, (yea) as it wer by force, from so many euils, which for sinne is left to possesse vs: for as gold is tried in the fornace, so that good men be tried in tyme of aduercite, which aduercite is the dayly resisting, of the flesh agaynst the spirit. The awayting of our aduersary, Leo rugens, to none other end is, but to destroy, not the bodies of men only, but also their soules. And in getting inordinat goods through the desier therof, maketh such most miserable Beggers, from the knowledge of God. And the vayne hope in this life maketh them think to be frée frō such sinne, when in very déed they are most bond imppes of that infernall fuery.Ecce appropinquat hora. Mat. 26. Such is the sufferance of our iuste Judge, when he seeth whervnto man is inclined & in that his felicite is wholy set on those things which his fleshy eyes beholdeth, regarding it more better assurance, then the promised place to come, what followeth but a flat distrust of gods promises, to this ende therfore is Satan, sufferid to be amōg the sonnes of men, to styre vp strife, to vere and molest them, for which disobedience, first of all the great Dragon that olde Serpent was cast out, no more to be among the Juste, for enuy wherof, as a roring [...]iō, he séeketh to deuour the whole race & posterite of mankind, notwithstanding his power recheth no further then the Lord permitteth, as manifestly apperith by that pacient Iob, Iob. 2. whom the Lord of Ostes sufferid for a tyme to be molestid, saying vnto Satan: al that he hath, be it in thy power, only sée that thou spare his life, the constancy of that iust moueth euery true Christian to hope, that after dark and stormy tempest of tribulacions in this life, for the hauen of felici [...]e or triumphant glory, (not by due desert, but by grace) only in Christ, and none but he, a sufficient warning, is this, to those that haue [...]yes to sée, mouths to speak, ears to heare, hearts to conceue with a continuall wisshing, for the coming of our only Lord and sauiour Christ Jesu. But to those that haue eyes, & sée not, ears and heare not, because they loue not, mouth to speake, and doo not, harts to conceaue, and regard not,Rom. 1. in such the Gospell abides not. Because God hath geuen them ouer to vnclennes, through the lusts of their own herts, to defile their own bodies, among them selues, which chaunged his truth, for a lye, [Page] and worshipped and seruid the things that bée made, more then him that made them, which is to be praysed for euer and euer Amen. And as they regardid not to know God, euen so God delyuerid them vp vnto a lewd mynd, that they should do those things that were not comely being full of all vnrighteousnes, fornicacion wickednesse, couitousnes, maliciousnes, full of enuy, murther, debate, dicept, euil conditioned, whisperers, bakebiter [...], haters of God, disdaynfull, proud, bosters, bringers vp of euyll thinges, disobedient to father and mother, without vnderstanding, couenant breakers, vnlouing, trucebreakers, vnmercifull, which men though they knew the righteusnesse of God, consider not how, that they which commit such things, are worthy of death, not only they that do ye same, but also they which haue pleasure in them, that do them. What plentiousnes can be more then this, wher such store of ensamples are, to bring vs from vyce to vertue, from being in bondage, to perfect fréedom, frō sorow to ioye, from pouerty to riches, from werines to ease, from sicknes to health, from corruptible thoughts to selestial mocions, praysing and lawding God, for his so plentious gracis (worthy deseruing thanks) to him which liueth for euer and euer. The obstinate for all this will not be reclaymed, and therefore voyde of all hope by this my warning, without the greater grace & mercy of God, in Christ Jesus. The very heathen are to be preferrid, before such, whose words remayne, to the vtter ruen of all vnthankfull Christians.
Euphrosine, Liberalitas.
VNto liberalite belongeth mercy, and largnes, which hath had her proceading sence the first creating of all things, a vertue no lesse worthy then eyther of the rest, through mercy, compassion hath béen ouer all, which is the principal cause of our continuance, by mercy we are sauid, by obedience redemid, by liberalite sanctified, who is able to acquite such kindnesse, which prouoketh through plenty, in manyfould forewarnings, dew thankfulnesse, for as those things worldly séemeth vnfit, neither is conuenient to be red, being vntermixed with contrary matter, so ensamples diuine, requier to be ioyned with none other, then auctorite aduised will alow as fit examples to the same: what greater liberalite was ther, euer, then this, which when the eternall God plasmator of all things had made the round world so sure that it may not be remouid.Gene. 2. The Sun to rule the day, the Moone to gouerne the neyght, the gréene hearbes for all liuing beasts of the field, the Seas, fluds and waters, not only for euery kind of fish, but also for ships to flote vppon the same, wherby man may sée the great works of God, and out of the substance of earth, trées of diuers fruits growing from out of the same, with sundry sorts of hearbs, as wel for beasts, of all kynds, of Serpents, Byrds worms as mā, in bestowing the same, what greater liberalite could be showed. But aboue al these things, so liberall was our euerliuing God, that he prouided a continuall mancion, for all obedient and beleeuing soules, in the heauens ther to dwell and abyde, after this our passid pilgrimage, neuer more to be molestid and troubled, these and diuers other liberalites geueth occasions to euery carnall creature, to consider so great a liberalite. Rebecca, Gene. 24. Batuels daughter did most liberally aunswer Abrahams seruants [Page] sayng, drink my Lord. Moyses in defending Iethros daughterExo. 2. from the sheperds that would not suffer them to water their shéepe. The children of Israell with most prompt & deuout minds did geue to the work of the tabernacle,Idem. 36. and the holy vestments all thing that was necessary: and the artificers were enforcid to say vnto Moyses, the people bring to much and more then ynough. In which so doyng behold the large lyberalite of the Israelites, but in these our dayes, it is growen to the contrary: as conserning temples, ther néeds no new erecting, thanks be to God, ther are sufficient and moe then are well ocupied, in stead of liberalite, couetous desier hath brought two parishes to one, and the lyuing of both, to half of one, and yet out of that halfe, (a thyrd) by inordinat oppressiō, and although the word of God continue liberall, to the prouoking of each liberalite in his kind, yet is it not so amōg the sonnes of mē, for the which it is to be feared (not long to be among vs.) A hungry man being vsed to some slender apetite, and when of that little, day by day,Simule. he be abrydged and lessenid of that little, must needs in the ende consume his corrupt carcase: so like wise spirituall liuings being alredy so néere sifted, that the doner of many such liuings knoweth before he geueth it (as some of thē haue reportid) the valew therof, & yet notwithstanding the princis dewty, which euery good subiect yeldeth willingly, if he reserue no passel of ȳ same, yet some part of the fleise he wil be sure of, besid some brybe, at the enterance, ether in money, or ware. In what state shal that poore minister liue, in consideracion of dayly payment,Sequell, when the liuing to be in valew xx. or xxx. pounds by the ycare, he pay out of xx. pound x. pound, I will not say, out of xxx. pound xx. pound or out of xv.x. Such a doner forgiuing diserueth no lesse reward, then, Ahab, for taking of Nabothes viniard, or Iehezi for taking a brybe of Naaman the Assirian, contrary to the sayng of Eliza the Prophet,3. Reg. 21. 4. Reg. 5. as for such a minister he cannot escape vnpunished, if vnlernid (then is it for néed) if learnid then God hath séen according to his wisdome therby to cut of from the kindom imperiall both geuer and receuer. Such gredy doners or patrons, are glad when they haue gotten them vndiscréet,First booke, fable the 5. what profiteth a man to win ȳ hole world and lose his soule. I will not say Idiots, considering they would sayne haue somwhat, as Esopes Dog, de Cane & carne, hoping of better prosperite, found lesse, being glad of somwhat, excepting it acommodite, as he or they thinks (for that before they had nothing) not expecting the charge, but the gayn, not able to gyde him or them selues, much lesse the congregacion, in the mean space, the shéepe starue for want of food, and what shal be come of such [Page] shepperds or shéepherds, although by auctoritie of mā alowid, ye auctoritie will not discharge them, before god, except they haue such consideration of their vnabilitie, that they cease not dayly to frequent the counsaile of the learned, and so by little and little through diligent endeuour, come to a better perfection: very fewe ther are that so bestow their time. I omit such as he carders, dicers, ale knightes fornicators lasciuious spenders, coūterfet christians, disquieters of cōmon welth, sedicious persons, quarrellers, studientes in vayne and friuolus Arttes. And tourne them ouer to the Prophet Ieremi as foloweth. Vae pastoribus qui disperdunt, Ieremi. 23 Ezec. 34. & dilacerant gregem pascuae mae. Wo, vnto the shepherds that destroy and scatter my flock saith the Lord, wherfore this is the commaundement of the lord God, of Israel, vnto the shepherds that féed my people, ye scatter and thrust out my flocke and looke not vpon them.Consider Englād if thou hast not been brought home, accordinge to the promise. Therfore will I visite the wickednesse of your imaginacions, sayth the lord: and will gather to gither the remnant of my flock, from all lands that I had driuen them vnto, I will bring thē againe to their pastures, that they may grow and increase. I will set sheperds ouer them, which shall féed them. They shall no more fear and dread, for ther shal none of them be lost, sayth the lord: I haue séen folly among the Prophets of Samaria, that they preach for Baal, and deceyued my people of Israel. I haue séen also among ye prophets of Ierusalem, I warnīg to such as professe ye Gospel, to beware of shakinge handes & the enemy. soule aduoultry and presumtuous lyes. They take the most shameful euen by the hand, flattering them, so that they can not retourne from their wickednesse. All these with their Cities are vnto me as Zodoma, & the inhabiters of Gomorra, &c. Héere note the words of the prophets that preach vnto you, and deceaue you: truely they preach vnto you vanitie, for they speake ye meaning of their own heart,Let euery true and faithfull man, peruse well this chapiter, not for a tyme but daily. and not out of the mouth of the lord. Am I the god that seeth the thing which is neigh at hand, and not that is far of saith the lord: may any man hide him self so, that I shall not see him saith the Lord. Behold héere am I saith the lord, against those Prophets, that dare prophesie lying dreames, and deceaue my people with their vanities and miracles, whom I neuer sent nor cōmaunded them. Whether the papist haue thus don (or not) with diuers other sectarians. I leue it to ye iudgement of the Christian reader. Now consider if the charge be so great against false prophets, idel Persons, and loytering Ministers, what is ther to be said against those gréedy Patrons, spoken of before: the prophet Ezechiel, Eezc. [...]. in the person of God, speaketh as well to ye temporal as spiritual, to the king, as to ye officer, to the Duke, Carle, lord, [Page] Marcus, knight, baron, or others, none are exceptid, frō out of ye charg of gods commaundement. Lac comedebatis, & lauis operiebamini: gregem antem meum nō pascebatis &c. You haue eaten vp the milke, ye haue clothed you with the wol: the best fed haue ye slayn, but the flock haue ye not norished, the weak, haue ye not holden vp, the sick haue ye not healed, the broken haue ye not bound together, the outcastes haue ye not brought againe, the lost haue ye not sought, but churlis [...]ly and cruelly haue ye ruled them, was it not inough for you to eate vp the good pasture, but you muste tread downe the residewe with your féete, thus my shéepe muste bée fayne too eate the thinges, that ye haue troden downe, &c. Knowest thou not this:Iob. 20. namely that from the beginning euer sence the creacion of man vpon earth, the gladnesse of the vngodly hath bin short, and that the ioy of Ipocrites continuéd, but the twinckling of an eye: though he be magnified vp to heauen, so that his head reach vnto the clouds, yet at a tourne he perisheth for euer, in so much that they which haue séen him, shall say where is hée: hée shall vanish as a dreame, so that he can no more be found: and shal passe away as a visiō in the night, so that the eye which saw him before, shall haue no more sight of him, and his place shall know him no more. His children shalbe fayne to agrée with yt poore, & his hands shal restore them their goods. A chab the king of Israel, 3 Reg. 22. wold not héere Micheas our Lords prophets, because he prophesied no good vnto him, but euill, yet when Micheas was called, he sayd vnto him: héere the word of the Lord. So here yt which foloweth,Exempla to the end that the wickednesse of this world may be espied, the better to be eschuid. A certain man profered a benefice, of the valew as he sayd of xl. pounds by the yeare, and that he would bestow it one some honest learnid man: which when a sufficient man was presentid after sertaine talke had, his words were these.Some will not stick to professe & gospell: as though very good christians For as much as it is worth xl. pounds (and yet not xx. pounds in the Queens maiesties books, you shall giue me thrée yeres value which as he accoūpted came to vi. score pounds. I would know, what the person of that benefice should haue had for his portion to haue liued by, in the meane time. Judge whether this be liberalitte or no: or whether such a Caterpiller were worthy of a learned man or no. No maruayle though ther be so many simple Persons in the ministry, ( [...] yit not so many thanks be giuen to Go, as hath bin,) which some to serue for eight pounds yerely, must haue skil in one facultie or other, as gardening, graffing & such like, or else to serue for lesse wagis: in the meane time, when worldly extremities shall thus [Page] hinder diuine studdy:I o [...]it [...] oportunisse [...] gods aide for the a [...]omēt [...] when the shepherds perish for want of knowledge, what shal the shéepe doo. As for scruing of two cures, neglecting of sermons, when in some place report hath told in vii [...]x xiiii. yeres was neuer hard past, foure in some place [...]y one, & none at all. I meruayle not much, seeing the Patrons and giuers of such, is so prodigiously orderid. I will omit likewise the liberalitie of diuers toward such as haue trauelid in the country (but not Vbique) for then must it needs perish all to gither. That for their painefull labour, haue had a si [...]der reward, as much as Nihil. But now to retourne to one more example. A certaine man which profered a benefice, but not the benefit, to such a one, as he supposed would haue bin glad of his pr [...]ffer. I haue quoth he, a benefice in my hand, to bestow, and it is worth a hunderid pounds by the yeare. And if you know any [...]uett man, y• wold beare the name of person. I would giue him xx. marks, or rather then fayle xx. pounds, and discharge him of al dewties so that he shuld haue that quietly to liue with al, because the corne, and other tithes, wil be a great stay to my house keping, wh [...] perhaps he kepeth worse house with al that, then his predecessour before him did, with his own possessions. And as for the great liberalitie of others, who hauing y• gifte of diuers benifices, bicause they will not be séen to receue money thē selues, vseth this fetch, as soone as any suche liuing falleth into their hands, forthwith one of his or their seruants, shal vnder a culler haue it, so that when any of the clergie co [...]meth, crauing master or worship, to bestow it:wo be to that place wher spirituall pro [...]cion, [...] [...]ay temporall mens [...]age [...]: the ministrie brought to beggery, & [...] to ge [...]tilitie. the answer is made, with al my hart, you shuld haue had it, but it is now to late, I haue giuen it already, they y• suter as voide of all hope, taketh his leaue, which being no sooner gon, he to whom the benefice was ip [...]crised, taketh the person, vicar, or such curate by the sléeue, & saith, if to pleasure you with this benefice, (which may be better called a Malifice by that tyme all be considered) what will you giue a good felow to obtayne your sute, whose answer if it be nothing, then as short a farwel: if somewhat, according to the desire of Capax, then he shall haue it perhaps as much ag [...]yne, as the first frutes cōmeth to, he shall pay for that frindship, & such scape very well, if nothing be not taken from of the sayd liuing, for some yerely reward, such wicked dealing of men consumeth the one and other, as rust doth the yron, as mothes the closh, as sinne, doth the soule, which is not to be recouered. The occasion which moued Euphrosine to speake, is bicause the world should better vnderstand, the liberalitie diuine, and seing all things from thence proceadeth of loue: we therby [Page] should so loue each other, that the frutes of play [...] dealing (without Ipocrisie) might [...] [...]ode to our mortall fame, and [...] [...]elicitie, which till it be re [...]red, and vsed in his kinde, non [...] other thing is to be lo [...]ed for, then a subuer [...]ion generall. The greate aboundant liberalities from God: should moue vs to such liberaliti [...], as worketh each saluacion, and not damnation. But for as much as Sathan, the enemy of all flesh, hath to blinded the eyes, of the greater noumber, no maruaile why the world continueth in such great wickednes, for the which may wel be sayd.Mat. 22. Multi enim sunt Vocati, pauci Vero electi. For many be called and fewe are chosen. If to speak of the liberalitie of the heathen, read the auncient Philosophers, whose notes are sufficient to reasonable mindes, and although, far from the knowledge of the true god, yit notwithstanding in their liues,Theater [...] of the heathen was call [...]d Iupiter. & maners, (more iust) for that the one sought not to oppresie nor v [...]s the other, neuerthelesse confessed one principall God, whom they called Iupiter: y• which they held as chiefe, aboue their other gods, by whose intelligence the world was made. And that he was the first, before al other creatures. O you auncient Britons who hath bewitched you, to flye from the vengaunce to come, bring forth therfore the workes of repentance, and behold how mightely god hath deliuered you: frō falling into many vayne & supersticious errours, aboue those Nations, which for ensample folow: be no more such gréedy gatherers, for y• which shall perish: but be liberal, with such Christian consideracion, as may increase a perpetuall fame,Aristotle for wher honest & vertuous men be aduancid, and well rewarded, it stireth the courage, of them y• haue any sparke of vertew, to increase therin, with all their force and endeuour, wherfore next to the helping, & the reléeuing of a commonaltie, ye greater part of liberalitie is to be imployed, on men of vertew, and good qualities: wherin is to be required, a good election & iudgement, that for hope of reward of fauour (vnder the cl [...]ke of vertew, be not hidden the most mortal poyson of flattery.) Liberalitie that is vpon flatterés imploied: And vpon gréedy Caterpillers, which when they know not how to liue, procure aduantages of actes, to spoyle a common wealth, not sparing temporall, nor spirituall, though for a time florish, is not only perished, but also spoyled and deuoured [...]e is liberall that delighteth more in good renoume,Seneca. (then in money) for as liberalitie maketh frendes of enemies: So pride maketh enemies, of frindes,Socrates. Paucunius reporteth ye greatest part of godlines is to knowledge ye greatest part of gods goodnes, toward vs, & to giue only prayses [Page] vnto him, from whence all thinges are yeldid to our purposis: The aunciant Panimes, Pagan godes. had gods of dyuers sorts; how beyt, the chese of all were these, which they callid, Dijs electi, chosen gods, from heauen, which godes, as they thought somtime, dycendid from heauen to earth, as Ianus, Saturnus, Iupiter, Geminus, Marcurius, Apollo, Mars, V Vlcanus, Neptune, Sol, Orcus, Vibar, Tellus, Ceres, Iuno, Minerua, Luna, Diana, Venus, Vesta, with as many strange & seuerall gods and goddesis esteming some of more dignite then other, as of one Cautius, a God so namid among the rest, whom they much honoryd, also the goddice Lunica, whō they comendid their women quick, and great with child, to send them safe deliuerance: the God, Opes, among the gentils, was callid, the God of the Babe new borne, euen as Lucina, was goddice of the mother which b [...]re it, their custom was, that during the time of ye mothers quickning, she carried the image of their God Opes, vppon her belly, made fast to her girdle or garment, till the houre of her deliuery, so that if the child were wel born, the parents that day made greate oblacions to the Idol, if it happenid the child to bée dead born, strayght way the parents, of the child, dy [...] beate the image to poudre, or els bourn it, or drown it: The gentils also had an other God callid Vaginatus, which God, was hanged, about their childers necks, to kepe them that they wéept not, much, for that they supposid, if their children dyd wéepe much in thier youth, they should suffer great troubles, in ther agée: with diuers other Gods as Cumius, Victoria. The old Romayns lykewise had also diuers godes, as Ruminus, Stellinus, Adeon, Mentallis, whom they called the God of wit, such wit among the supersticius Romaynes transformid into ydolatry, as it appearech not shaken of vnto this present. The Iewes also had diuers godes, for the which they were diuersiy plaged, in that they reuoltid from the trew and eternall God,Exo. 32. Num. 21. Iudg. 7. 4. Reg. 17. 4. reg. 19. 3. reg. 18. 4. reg. 21. Daniel. 6 as for ensample the golden Calf, as for Baalim Astaroth among the Israelites, Rempham, Moloh, Rimmon, a God of the Assirians, Dagon, among the Philistians, Nefrah, Baal, Bell, the men of Babilon made Socote, Benoth, the men of Cutha made Nergall, the men of Hamath made Asima, the Auites made Nibbaz, and Tharthake the Sepharnites, burnt their childrē in the fier, for Adramalech, & Anamelech, with a pe [...]iferus cōpany, of gods, besid it doth appere in the sacaryd scripturs how & in what maner they were plaged, which ensamples are left vnto vs to beware whō y• [...]nds of the world are come vpō, or at y• least not far of, it is come to passe in these [Page] dayes among such as are namid Christians, to haue as many godes, [...]dealtery, waywardnesse, a l [...]c [...]rer, one that telleth more thē all, abstinate persons, [...], [...]atter [...] with the [...] wherof [...] all disorder. 1. Cor. 15. as euer had any other nacions before vs which seemeth very strang, which is the only cause, why the greater n [...]umber, are drawē, frō the feare and obedience of the myghty God, by whom we haue our being. As Maechus, Morosus, Carnifex, Pantolabus, Pertinax, Rapax, Colax, Philopolemus, Philosarchus, Pigricia, Inuidia, Luxuria, Auaricia, [...]a, Gula, Insolentia, Poliphagus Inuentus, Mergus cum Asinus, with such ara [...]lement as were not to be supposid to dwell in one such, so little eyle, where as so many godes, are raygning & possessing the bodies of men, no maruayle though their be so littel liberalite, for ye euery such person hath not inough to make dew sacrifice to each of their gods, no maruayle though mens mynds, be thus wandering & dayly forgetting of their dew obedience to God, Prince and cuntry, when they are drownid by carnall corruption, to be aquainted with so many: no maruayll thought man hath ben like [...]id to the Moone, which seaceth not her changing, for that man continueth not in one stay, nether in mind nor body, and that in the midest of life we are in death, but then to whom ought euery one to flée, not to fancy, not to carnall friend, but vnto God, and seing that in the midest of life there is none other help, but in the crosse of Christ crucified, by the which we are dead, vnto the world, and lyuing vnto God, how much are wée bound to thanke him for the same, felix quem faciunt aliena pericula cautum, then all th [...]se deuouring godes, would soone be ouerthrowen, for as much as the dyuell vseth, in diuers and sundry of his ministers, dayly to poscesse and torment the minds of men, therby, to with draw them from God, how much are those bound to the al mighty, which geueth them warning in such liberall sort, as in these our dayes is most manifestly sene, the ensamples are many, of y• which I wil resit one Zacheus Luke 19 I cōtrary insample to the mind of some. in distributing of his goods, and making of restituciō was very large, and liberall, thus he sayd vnto our Lord, (behold Lorde the halfe of my goods I geue to the poore) if I haue don any man wrong I restore foure fold, a good exāple for these present dayes, to euery such person, whose consience dayly accuseth them, for wrong gotten goods, frō the poore, from the fatherlesse & widow to restore to euery one his owne, then would God his kingdom increace, and Sathan [...]s diminish, consider what a speciall grace is geuen to euery one that is torne in the tyme of Christian lawe which is the Gospell. And seing the innumerable fancis of men, in the which they haue seperatid them selues from [...] now through the bright shi [...]ning Gospell of Christ all [Page] these detestable fancis are [...] that dareth take the name of a Christian, and [...] folow that which in the e [...]erance of this [...], but to God: some [...], [...]hat at the tyme of his enterance, he had neither [...] reason to performe, thē may it be [...], if he neuer heard the Gospell preachid, thaught, or réed, if he aunswer no, then apperith n [...]ligence, if yea, then indigent or con [...]ptions, b [...]th are rewardid with death, the one in that through negligence he did not, the other in that to folow sensuall appetite, he wold not, & therefore could not serue God & Mamon, which Mamon, is the God of worldly delights, as also Esculanus, the God of mynes of gold & siluer, Pecunia, of metals, Fessoria, of traualors and pilgrims, to kepe them from wéerinesse, Pelonia, to dryue away enemies out of the lande, Esculapius of sick men, Spinensis, to kepe corne, frō thystels and such like. Rubigo, the vines, Fortuna, of fortunate successe, with Silla, Marius, Muta, Genoria, Stimula, Murcia, with many others, not worthy the rehearsall. These people long tyme past, were not more troubled, in deuising gods, for such their purposis, as the most part in these dayes are, by dayly practising, how to begyle each other, so that the craftiest marchaunt, is counted the wisest man, the common drunkerd, the best felow, the riotous Ruffian, the best companion, the filthy adoulterer, the amorus louer. The blasphemist swarer, the truest dealer, the most Ipocrit, the perfectest Christian: &c: the wicked in their generacions are wiser,Psal. 7 Eccle. 8 Luke. 16 thē the childrē of lyght, neuerthelesse, they shall perish, the wraught of the Lorde shall consume them, for their delicate fare in the world, they shal suffer hunger of soule, for their oppression, payne, for their easy lyues,Apoc, 22 most horrible ends, come Lord Iesu, for the dayly oppression of the faythfull, is great: and ease them from out of this misery, when and at such tyme, as thy Godly wisedome shall apoynt.
¶ Significacions of the later day to bee at hand with approuid prophises, auouching the same, taken out of the holy scripture, by auctorites as followeth.
W [...] vnto thée,Esay. 29. O Ariel Ariel, thou Citie that Dauid dwelt in, goe on, from yere to yere, & let the Lambs be s [...]ayne, I wil lay séeg [...], vnto Ariel, so that ther shalbe heuy [...]es and sorow in it, and it shallbe vnto me, euē as an aulter of slaughter, I wil beséege thée round about, and fight against thée through a bulwark, and will reare vp diches against thee, thou shalt be brought down & shalt speake out of the ground, and thy spéech shall goe lowe, out of the dust, [Page] thy voyce also shall come out of the ground,Ariel, after [...] ▪ Dieron [...] interpr [...] tacion, [...], y• [...] mind [...] of the faithful, which is the Citie of god, Leo dei mei, which being oppress [...], because of offence, is as a Leō that lost hath her young. like the voyce of a witch, and thy talking shall whisper out of the dust, more ouer, the noyse of thy [...]raing enemies, shallbe like thinne dust, and the multitude of tyrants shallbe as dry straw, that cannot tarry, euen sodenly and in hass, shall ther blast go, thou shalt be visited of the Lord of Bosts, with thunder, earthqua [...], and with a great noyse, with storm & tempest, and with the flame of a consuming fier: and the multitude of all nacions, that fyght agaynst the Ariel, shalbe as a dream, euen so shall all they be that make warre against it, and strong houldes to ouercome it, and that lay any séege to it: in conclusion, it shalbe euen as when a hungry man, dreameth that he eating, and when he awaketh his soule is empty: Or as when a thirsty man dreameth, that he is drinking, and when he waketh he is yet faynt, and his soule hath appetit, euen so shall the multitude of all nacions, that feyght against Sion: pon [...]er these things, once, in your mynds and wonder, blinded are they themselues,Let the wise learn what is ment, by ye dronkē and vnstable. and ye blynd gyds to other, that are dronk, but not with wine: they are vnstable, but not through strong drink, for the Lord hath couerid you with a [...]umbering spirit, and hath closid your eyes: your Prophets also, and your rulars, that should sée, thē hath he couerid: And the vision of all the Prophets, is become vnto you, as the words of a book, that is sealid vp, which mē deliuer vnto one that is learnid, saying: read thou it, and he sayeth I cannot, for it is sealid:A notable mistery, for this present time, be twixt [...]. stoles, the tayle lighteth on the ground. Admirare. Deut. 6. So hath he from ye bondaige of papall tyrany. Iocl. 2. And the book is geuen vnto him that is not learnid, saying: read thou it, and he saieth I am not learned. Therfore thus hath ye Lord sayd: for so much as this people, when they be in trouble, doo honour me with their mouths, and with their lips, but ther hart is farre from me. And the fear which they haue vnto me, proceadeth of a commandiment that is taught of men, therfore will I do maruayles amōg the people, euen merueylous things, I say and a wonder: and when thy sonne asketh thée in tyme to come, sayng what meaneth these witnesses, ordinācis and Lawes, which the Lord our God, hath commandid you. Then thou shalt say vnto thy sonne, we were Pharaos bondme [...], in Egipt, and the Lord brought vs out of Egipt, with a mighty hand, and the Lord showed signes and wōders for the deliuery of his people Israel, therfore sayeth the Prophet Ioel: Ye shall wel know that I am in the midest of Israel, and that I am the Lord your God, yea and that ther is none other, and my people shall no more be brought to confusion, after this wil I powre out my spirit vppon all fléesh, and your sons, & your daughters shal prophisie, your old men shal dreame dreames, [Page] and your young men shal sée visions: yea in those dayes I wil poure out my spirit vppon seruantes and maydens:Admirabilis. I wil shewe wonders in heauen aboue, and tokens in the earth, be neath, blood, and fier, and the vapour of smook, the Son shalbe turnid into darknesse, and the Moone into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come:A liberall and most merciful proffer, to miserable fleshe. A principal note, by the way, of the right vse of the Sabboth Exo. 31. And the tyme shall come, that whosoeuer callith on the name of the Lord shalbe sauid. And the Lorde sayd vnto Moyses, speak vnto the children of Israel, and say: in any wise sée that you kepe my Sabboths for it is a Signe, betwéen me and you, in your generacions, for to know, that I the Lord, am he, that doth sanctifie you, kéepe my Sabboths, therfore, for it is holy vnto me, he that de [...]ileth it, shalbe slayne, for whosoeuer worketh therin, the same soule shalbe rootid out, from among his people: Six dayes shall men work, and in the seuēth day, is the Sabboth of the holy rest, of the Lord, whosoeuer doeth any work on the Sabboth day, shall dye: Wherefore let the children of Israel kéepe the Sabboth that they obserue it throughout, their generacions, that it bée an appoyntement, for euer, for it is a Signe, betwéen me, and the children of Israel for euer. Such wonderous Signes hath the Lorde shewed from tyme to tyme, to the end that euery Christian man should haue dew regard, to this so holy a commaūdement: from Mount Sinai, ye thundering voice,Exo. 20 Exempla Gen. 2 Exo. 16 Exo. 20 Nume. 28 Nume. 15. 2 Esd. 13 1. Mach. 2. 2 Mach. 15 Mat 12 1. Reg. 21. was a signe of force which ought not to be brokē, not a rest for man only but also the whole familie and cattaile. The obseruacion of the Sabboth, had his originall, beginning of that that is sayd, & written, God blessed the seuenth day, and sanctified it, bicause that in it, he rested from all his workes, the Isralites gathered the vi. day a double quantitie of Manna, bicause that on the Sabboth they should rest, to the intent that man should labour to get the true rest. And on the Sabboth day ther wer offered two lambes, & vpon the other dayes but one, except in solom fea [...]ts. The man that was taken gathering of stickes, vppon the Sabboth day, was by gods commaundement stoned to death (of Nehemias, the Gentiles, Iudas, Machabeus Nichanor, with others.) Concerning the obseruacion of the Sabboth, for farther proofe réede the auctorities: The Pharises said vnto the disciples of Christ, that did pluck and eat the eares of corne, ye do that which is not lawful to doo, on the Sabboth day, but the lord said vnto them, haue ye not read, what Dauid did &c. Then foloweth:Mat. [...] Luke 6. the sonne of man, is also Lord of the Sabboth day, there are diuers insamples why it was lawfull for Christ to heale the diseased on the Sabboth day, for that being perfect [Page] God,Idem 1 [...]. Idem 13 Idem 23. Iohn 19 Act 1 [...]. Luke 14. and man, he did not only heale the festerid or putrified bodies, but also their sowles. The Sabboth day, for vs Christians, is moste apte, and conuenient to heare the word, and law of God, and the Prophets. The which are red euery Sabboth day: Likewise our sauiour Christ, in fulfilling the law, gaue vs this commaundement saying, which of you hauing an Oxe, or an Asse, fallen into a pit, and wil not pul him out on ye Sabboth day. Num licet Sabbato sanare, they to whō Iesus spake which, were ye Lawiers & Pharises. Answered nothing therfore, as the sabboth ought to be kept, holy from bodely workes, so ought all men to eschue vicious thoughtes: and craftie imaginacions. And when any occasion of doing good, by any maner of way, ought to be shewed, that then it be don, with Christian endeuour, and puritie of mind. In which [...]o doing, the sabboth is both reuerently, and holily obserued. But the crabbed & wayward natures of this time, present, haue so much presumed vpon this text and others, that some hath and doth, as blind baier [...]s, not spared to labour and trauayle, on the Sabboth day, without any need or occasion at all, aleaging, notwithstanding, that necessitie hath no law, so that vnder the culler of necessitie, they vse al daies a like. Applying the text of the sacred scriptures, not to the will and commaundement of god, but after their owne carnall fancies: for the which ther so great abusing of the reuerend Sabboth.Ioel. 3 The Lord will show strang signes from heauen, fier, & brimstone, storme, and tempest, which shalbe the porcion for the wicked: The Sonne, and Moone shalbe darkenid, and the starres shall withdraw their light, the Lord shall rore out of Sion, and crye out of Ierusalem, that the heauens, and the earth shall quake with all, but the Lord shalbe a defence vnto his own people, and a refuge for the children of Israel:Ieremi. 25 I haue rysen vp early, I haue geuen you warning in season, but you would not heare. Behould therefore the words of the Lord, that are at hand, to plage vs, as he hath plagid others, and that euery (obstinate) shalbe scatterid as dong, vppon the earth: Pray therefore to God, to blesse his preachers, that the Gospell may flourrish (as it ought) or els we perish.
¶ Prophecis by perticuler.
VVHen thou art in tribulacion,Deut. 4 By this word [thou shalt) the spirit of God mou [...]h men tore pentāce. Esay. 2. and when all these things that be here spoken of, are come to passe, thou shalt retourne agayn to the Lord thy God, and be obedient vnto his word.
[Page]THis is the word that was openid vnto Esaie, the son of Amos, vppon Iuda, and Ierusalem, it will be also in the last days, that the hill where the house of the Lord is buldid, shalbe the chéefe amōg hils, and exaltid aboue all little hils: and al nacions shall pray vnto him, & the multitude of people shall goe, speaking thus, one to an other, let vs go to the hill of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Iacob.
HHare the word of the Lord, O ye children of Israel, for the Lorde must punish them, that dwell in the land. And whyle ther is no truth, ther is no mercy, ther is no knowledge of God in the land,Oseas. 4. but swearing, lyeng, manslaughter, thefte, athoultry haue gotten the vpper hand, and one bloud gyltinesse foloweth an other. Therfore shall the land [...]e in a miserable case, and all they that dwell therin, shalbe rootid out.
IN the later days, it wil come to passe, that the hil of the Lords house shallbe set op hygher then any mountayns or hils, yea the people shall prese vnto it,Macheas 4. and the multitude of the gentils shall hast them thither saying: come let vs go vp to the hill of the Lord, & to the house of the God of Iacob, that he may teach vs his ways: and that we may walk in his pats, for the Law shall come ont of Sion, and the word of God from Ierusalem, and shall geue sentence among the multitude of the heathen: and reforme the people of far countris.
FOr mark the day cometh, that shall bourn as an ouen, and all the proud, yea, and all such as do wickednes, shalbe as straw:Mala. 4. and the day that is for to come, shal bou [...]n them vp, saieth the Lord of Hostes, so that it shall not leaue them, nether roote nor branch: But vnto you that fear my name, shall the Sonne of righteousnesse arise, & health shalbe vnder his wings.
IEsus, went out, and departid from the Temple:Bartholome de proprietatibus, [...]erūi [...] Lib. de cimo quarto. And his Disciples came to him, for to shew him the bulding of the Temple (in Ierusalem) and Iesus sayd vnto them, sée ye not all these things. Verely, I say vnto you ther shall not be left here, one stoue vppon an other that shal not be cast down: And as he sat vppō the Mount Olsaete, to in Iurie neigh vnto Ierusalem, & so namid because, of the plenty of Oliues y• grow ther on, at the foot of the sayd moūtayn runneth the brook torrens, Ce [...]ron, which brook christ passed ouer to the gardē Gethsemane, [...]ousing there to walk. Mathae 24 4 Esdras 13.mount Oliuet, his Disciples came vnto him saying: tell vs when these things shalbe, and what signe shallbe of thy comming, and of the ende of the world, & Iesus aunswerid & sayd vnto them: take head that no man deceyue [Page] you, for many shall come in my name saying: (I am Christ, and shall deceyue many) and ye shal here of warres, & of the rumors of warres, but sée that ye be not troublid, for all these things must come to passe, but the end is not yet: For nacion shall rise against nacion, and realm agaynst realm, and ther shalbe Pestilence, hunger and earthquaks, in certeyn quarters, all these are the beginning of sorows. Then shall they put you to trouble, and shall kill you, and ye shalbe hated of all nacions, for my names sake: & then shal many be offendid, & shall betraye one an other, and shall hate one an other, and many false Prophets shall aryse, and shall diceyue many: and because iniquite shall haue the vpper hand, the loue of many shall abate, but he that indureth vnto the ende, the same shalbe safe.
MOreouer when ye sée the abhominacion of desolacion, whereof is spoken by Daniel the Prophet: Stand where it ought not, let him that readeth vnderstand, then let them that be in Iuery, flée to the mountayns, and let him that is on the house top, not decend down into the house, & let him that is in the féeld, not tourn back agayn, vnto the things that he left behind him, for to take his clothes, with him, wo shalbe to them that are with child: and to them, that geue luck in those dayes, but pray that your flyght be not in the Winter, for ther shalbe in those dayes, such tribulacion, as was not frō the beginning.
BUt before all these, they shal lay their hands on you, and persecute you, deliuering you vp to the Sinagoges, and into prisons, & bring you before Kings and Rulers for my name sake. &c.Mar. 13 Sinagoge, were huge temples of ye Pharises and rebellious Iwes. Luc. 21 Yea ye shalbe betrayd of your fathers, and mothers, and of your brethren, and kinesmen, and friends, and some of you shall they put to death: and hated shall ye be of all men for my names sake, yet ther shall not one heare of your heads perish, by your paciens possesse, your souls, (after these and other things) ther shalbe signes, in the Sonne, and in the Moone, and in the Starres, and in the Earth, the people shallbe in such perplexite, that they shal not tell, which way to tourne them selues, the Sea, and the waters shall rore, and mens hearts shal fayle, them, for fear, and for loking after those things, which shall come on the earth, for the powers of heauen shall moue, and then shall they sée the sonne of man, come in a cloud, with power and great glory, when these things beginne to come to passe, then loke vp and lift vp your heads, for your redempsion draweth neygh.
[Page]VErely verely, I say vnto you, hereafter shall ye sée heauen open:Iohn 1 D [...]phan sew the heauens opē being the first Bart [...]r. Actes 7 Iohn 16 And the Angels of God, ascending and descending vnto the sonne of man: These things haue I sayd vnto you, because you should not be offendid: They shall excōmunicate you, yea the tyme shall come, that whosoeuer killeth you, wil think that he doeth God seruice, and such things will they doo vnto you, because they haue not knowen the father, nether yet me, but these things haue I told you, that when that houre is come ye might remember them, that I told you.
THe spirit speaketh euidently, that in the later tymes,Paule 1. Epistle 4. cap. to Timo. some shall depart from the faith, & shal geue héede, vnto the spirits of errour, and diuelish doctrine of men, which speak false, through Ipochrisi, &c.
THis vnderstand that in the last dayes, shall come perelous times,Paule 2. Epistle 3. cap. to Timo. for mē shalbe louers of their owne selues, couetous, bostars, proud, cursed speakers, disobedient to father and mother, vnthankful, vnholy, vnkind, trucebreakers, stobberen, false accusers, riotous, ferce, dispisers of them which are good, traytours, heady, hie minded, gredy vppon volupteousnesse, more then the louers of God, hauing a similitude of godly lyuing, but haue denyed the powre therof and such abhore.
THis first vnderstand, that ther shal come in the laterdays, mokers, which will walk after their own lusts and say, where is the promise of his coming, for since the fathers died, all things continue, in the same estate, wher in they were at the beginning, for this they know not,2. epistle of S. Peter. and that willengly how that the heauens a great while a goe, were, and the earth that was in the water, aperid vp out of the water, by the word of god, by the which things, the world that then was perished, ouerflowid with ye water, but the heauins verely, & the earth which are now, are kéept by the same word in store, & reseruid vnto fier against the day of Iudgment, & perdicion of vngodly men.
BEhold the Lord shal come with thowsands of Saincts, to geue iudgemēt against al men, & to rebuke al that are vngodly among thē, of all their vngodly déeds, which they haue vngodly committed,Iude epistle. & of al their cruel speakings which vngodly sinners haue spokē against him.
VNto him that louid vs, and wasshid vs from sinnes in his own blood, and made vs kings, and prestes, vnto god the father,Reuelation. be glory and dominion for euer and euer. Amen.
¶ Ane aduised prophesie.
¶ In Anno 1041. this picture was found in the temple of the Iacobines in Geneua, against the wicked gouernement of papall dignite.
This picture was made by Iacobus Iaquiri de C ui tate Taurini 1041.
The substance of the Latin h [...]rce.
AS from the beginning, from the first token, or appered show vnto Noah: the Rayne bow, the fier from heauen, the prophising by the Prophets, the starre at Christ his birth, the prophises sence, the innumerable Cōmets, Hailes, Thūderings, Earthquakes, strange deaths, prodigius birthes as well of creatures as beastes, famins, hungers, sedicions, false religions, sectes, opinions, fantasies, with an innumerable inormities, all these suffiseth not to be forewarninges to y• most part of the world, for the which cause, as the end of these few insamples, so shalbe the end of such insolent persons be.
SIbilla Albunea, or Tiburtina, one of the tenne Sibelles, Polichro [...]con. Cro [...]ica [...]nm prophised of the ruen of Romae, which came to passe in that tyme, when Iulius Caesar, came with sword to race the same, the Ancient figures weare these. R.R.R. F.F.F. which signified. Regna Romae. Ruet.
IN Anno. 315. Constantine the great contended against Maxencius: for shewing shameful crueltie against the Christians: about which tyme was great persecusion in the church: there appeared in the aier a banner or [...]isplaied ensigne, wheron was figured ye figure of Christ on the crosse, after which figure cusued great persecution.
CElestinus same time Pope of Romae, Warning before death. Fasciculus temporum. Warning by viūo [...]. prophised of Bonifacius the eight, which came to passe accordingly he came to his Pope [...]m, by crafte, like a Foxe, he raigned by force like a Lyon. And for his crueltie, was put to death like a dogge.
IN Anno. 1046. as histories relate. Benedictus, the ninth Pope, after his buriall, he was, or the deuil in his likenesse, séen in an horrible [Page] figure,Licosthines. Platina Loke in Bartholomeus. and Gesnerus for the propertie of a Beare The glory of this world is folishnes before goe, he must be worshipped in spirite and v [...]ritie. Mar. Anno. Warning by v [...]sion and death hauing the body of a Beare, the tayle of an Asse, clothed in his pontificall vesture. And being asked why he was so deformed, should answer, bicause without lawe he gouerned, and as a cruel tirant vsed oppression. In this straunge figured apperance, should séeme some aduised interpretacion: the appering of the Pope in ye shape of a beare séemeth contempsious and wilful, and as the Beare aboue all thinges loueth honey, so the popes for the most part hateth not money. And where as to such a monstrous body, was ioyned the tayle of an Asse: by the tayle may be signified: the whole rable of papistical prelates, which as concerning the true acknowledging of the Gospell are but Asses, for y• some knowes & wil not, others not knowing regards not, the rich and costly garments or vesture, may signify the golden copes and costly ornamentes, where with suche beares are clothed in the church, esteming more such glittering attier: with ye tradiciō of men, then a plaine or comely garment, with the gospel of Christ.
IN the yere of the foundacion of Romae, 720. and in the 42. yeres of Marcus Aurelius, the xx. day of August, about the going down of the Sunne, in the realme of Cicil, in the Citie of Palermo, a pert of ye sea, ther chaunsed a meruelous and terrible tempest no lesse miraculous, then wonderfull. A hideous Monster sitting, in a caudron fastened to fower whéeles, like a Chariot or Waggon, drawen of two Lions & two beares be hind casting out fier, with horrible stinck, which sight amased not a fewe, the feare was so great through out the Citie, that women with childe were with great daunger deliuered: and diuers being fainte harted died through feare. After this Monster had bin in the most partes of the Citie, he came to the Palace or place, wher the pirates were,A good ensample for such as seekes to liue by other mens goo [...]es. or robbers on the sea, being inhabitantes of the sayd Palerna, who had robbid certain of the Numidians a people so named, of their substance, staying at the gate, which being shut did cut of one of the Lions eares and with the blood therof wrote as fo [...]weth. R.A S.P.I.P. which carectes signified. Redite, Aliena Si vultis, Propria, in pace, Possidere, render to others that which is theirs, if you in quiet will possesse your own. Although this figure, with diuers others, did terrefy the people in time past, and their conuersions likewise from their euiles: an ensample to vs of our amendment. Notwithstanding such is time present,Mat. 4. Vigillate, et Orate. that neyther the Prodigious births, the miracuculus signes, nor dreadful threatned plagues withdraweth the world from contempt, for the which such careles liuers shalbe plaged with. F.S.H.P.D.D. Fier, Sword, Hunger, Pestilēse Death Damnaciō.
A Saxon Monument.
Multi enim sunt vocati pauci Vero electi.
This picture folowing on the other side of the leafe, was made by Namtab a Saxon, in Anno 3751. against the abuse of that present time.
[Page]Times past hath beene, as nowe to be seeene.
| Ezechiel. 4. | As wise as Serpents. |
| Esay. 3. | As suttle as Deuels. |
| Timothe. 3. | As craftie as Foxes. |
| Amos. 2. | As rauening as Wolues. |
The long schull betokeneth Craftie imagination: The pleasant countenaunce, Flattery: The long necke, Excesse in eating and drinking: The right arme being shorter then the left, betokeneth small Deuotion: The bagge of money Couetousnesse: The left arme, Wilfulnesse: The sworde Crueltie: The straunge disguising in apparell, Pride.
[Page] ¶ The prayse and commendacion of holy men, to the end, that such works may procead, as may grow to the like commendacion of those which be liuing with a remembrance of certain wicked ones, which do prognosticat that hole number.
BEhould euery one of you that professe Christ, (without decimulacion) the substance of verite,3. reg. 18. leaue of your halting betwéen two opinions, if God be the trew creator follow, him, if the proud Antechristian, be a deliuerer, then follow him, if the tradicions of men, be, to be, preferrid, before the lawe and testimony of Iesu Christ thē mark ye ensāples as they folow: Enoch, Eccle. 44 walked right and acceptable, before the Lord, therefore, was he translatid for an ensample for a mendement, of the generacion.
NOah, was a stedfast & a righteous mā, & in the tyme of wraught, he became a reconsiling, therfore was he left a remnant vnto the earth, when the flud came, and an euerlasting couenant,Gen. 9. was made with him, that all flesh should perish no more, with the water.
ABraham, was a great father of many nacions,Gen. 22. in glory was ther none like vnto him, he kept the lawe of the hiest, and came into a couenant with him, he set the couenant in his flesh, and when he was pr [...]uid, he was found faithful. Likewise of Moyses, Aaron, Phinches, Iosue, Caleb, Samuel, Nathan, Dauid, Salamon, Elyah, Elyzeus, Hezekiah, Esaye, Iosyah, Ieremy, Ezechyel, Zorobabel, Iesus, Nehemyah, Enoch, Ioseph, Simon the sonne of Onias, with diuers other Prophets, & kings. These in that they walkid, according to the commandement of God, haue left behind them, a perpetual cause, of prayse and commendacions, and as these in godly life practised, to please God, so the wicked, by contempte of the same haue left behind them, a discomendacion of their wicked and most pestilent behauiour.
Abimelech, Iud. 9. the Sonne of Ieroboam, flew thrée score and ten of his brethrē, to the intent, he might raygne alone, and yet he ruled not long ther, but sustayned great misfortune, and made and euill ende.
NOtwithstanding that Ioab, was a valiant man, at armes, yet in as much as he deceytfully flew two men, al that euer he had done before was counted as nothing. And so Salomon, causid him to be [Page] slayne,3. reg. 2 notwithstanding, he heald the corner of the aultar.
IOas, 2. Para. 24. the king of Iuda commandid Zacharias, the sonne of Ioiada, the Preste, to be stonid to death, and yet his father restorid him the kingdom, and slew Athalia.
PTholome, 1 Mach. 16. the sonne of Abobus, made the hie Prest, and his two Sonnes a banquet. And when they were mery, and had drunk wel traiterusly he slew them.
It was showed Holofernes, that the childrē of Israel, preparid themselues, to make resistāce against him,Iudith 5. for the which he was exceding wrough, and at the last in his drunkennesse, he was slayne by Iudith.
THe cruelty of Antiochus of Nabuchodonosor, of Pharao, of Herod, of Zambrye, 2. reg. 17. Achab, Achitophel, Benadab, Aman, Balthazar, Alchimus, Ananias and Saphira, 3. reg. 16. Herod, Dioclesian Astiages, Maxinilian, Emperour of the Romans, 1 Mach 9 Cambices, Tomiris, Tullia, Tarquine, Nero, Iulianus, with an infinet numbers,Acto. 2 who Sathan hath not a litlte triumphed at their ouerthrow,Cronicarum. I omit to speak of the Sea of Rome who hath not sparid to put more to death, by tyranicall deuices, then before their originall, was euer heared of, sence the flud: Milions of thowsands, whose blood requirith no small reuenge.
THe very heathē, in their kind, are to be preferrid, before those, and such like, percecuting tyrants, and in especiall the Philosophers, haue left behind, a worthy comendaciō of their wisdoms, to the great discomendacion of such tiranny Papal, as Anacharsis, Anaxagoras, Archelaus, Alex, Seuerus, Augustus Caesar, Chilon, Cicero, Crates, Diogines, Democritus, Demostines, Epimenides, Hermes, Homer, Horace, Isocrates, Iustinus, Licurgus, Marcus Aurelius, Pitagoras, Pline, Plato, Solon, Socrates, Seneca, Thales, Xenophon, with many others, whose wise senteuris, and faythfull sayings, are to be found, in our vulgar tong, by such worthy members, as diserue perpetuall fame, for such their paynfull labours.
THe wise, graue, learnid, and ancient Doctors, of the Church, did not in their time more paynfu [...]y studie to kepe the Church in purite of doctrine: then the wicked generacions, of papisticall inuenciō, haue laborid to bring all to ruen, and decay, to this ende that such [Page] lawes as they deuised might take place, and yet in despit of satanicall tyrany, the Lord hath reseruid some since the tyme of Quintilianus, Timotheus, Victorius, Dionisius, Ignacius, Policarpus, Hyreneus, Corinthorum. Origen, Cypranus, Erasmus, Hilarius, Athanasius, Gregorius, Basilius Magnus Ambrosius, Hilarius, Cyrillus, Hieroimus, Auguistinus, Naziazenus. that haue valiently defendid the Gospell to their perpetuall fame, and worthy comendacion, not by writing only, not by preaching and teaching of the sacarid word and Gospell, but also with their blood haue sea [...]id the sayd testimony of truth: the most part hereof, if not by present death, yet by inprisonment perceusiō,Romae vniuersalis, inquisitionis. with diuers strange maners of punishmēts, as Huldricus Huttenus, Adamas Sibertus, Albertus Brandeburgen, Alexander Alexis, Andreas Musculus, Andreas Osiander, Antonius Anglus, Arturus Britanus, Antonij, Reuclim, Bartholomeus, Bernardi, Bernardus Zieglerus, Bullingerus, Caluinus, Hieronimus, de Prage, Carolus Molinaeus, Cornelius Agrippa, Conradus, Gesnerus, Gulielmus Tindalus, Ioannes Frith, Ioannes Fox, Ioannes, Hoperus, Oecolampadius, Ioannes Oldecastle, Ioannes Bale, Nicolaus, Herford, Nicolaus Ridley, Robertus Stephanus, Vuolfangus Musculus, Erasmus Rotorodam, Ioannes Iuel, with a number more, which would requier no small volume, to be nominatid at large: All, and euery of these, with the rest godly professors and martiers, although, their bod [...]ly presence be absent, yet their works remayn, to aperpetuall encouraging, of those which be leuing. The omnipotent God so graunt that this my small enterprise, occasion some that are learnid, to note at large this my short collectiō, which being done, wil deserue dwe commendacion, for as the enemies of the Gospel of Christ Iesu, haue made Books, by the name of an vniuersall inquisition, and therin haue named, not only the names of the Christian sort, but also their Books, to the ende, that their generacions may ye better know what they alow, & what they hate or dislike, so were it as necesseray, for these present dayes, some such Books to be made wherin, the true Christian may both sée and [...]now which Books, were to abolished, as well for the maintenance of christian religion, as the wicked ones haue for the glory of theirs which glory shalbe don away.rom. 1 The God of peace and loue, so blesse vs, that in all our workes, words, and déedes,Idem. [...]. it may be to his glory, with the preseruacion of this our Déene, and countrie: with due obedience in the same, that Satan, may be suppressed: Antichrist ouerthrowen: & that ye gospel may haue cléere passage, through the whole world: And that those which are blinde, may thereby [Page] be made sée, through the dimned cloudes of supersticion the cléers lighte of Euangelion, the Gospell, and those which are gon astray, may once finde the way home. And that those which are at home,Luke 15. may depart in peace, ye after this Pilgrimage here on earth, we may rest with Abraham, Isaack, & Iacob, in the kingdom of heauē. Amen.
¶ A commendacion of such, as desier knowledge, with a wished mind, of the numbers increase.