Cap. 1.
Wee must examine the speciall causes, why God hath stir­red vp the Nation of the Spanyards to pursue England.

THough in the iudge­ment of God, there be many causes that maie moue him to take disple­sure against vs the peo­ple of England: yet be­fore I proceede to exa­mine them as behoo­ueth, to the ende they may be reformed: I will briefely (as necessarie it is) shew the chiefe causes that meerely mooue the Spa­niardes to this loud hoobub, without regarde of the occasions, why God would make them the executio­ners [Page 2] of his wrath against vs,The Spaniardes [...]egard not the [...]ause why God [...]oueth them [...]o inuade vs. and the instruments to put vs in minde of the breach of our league with him, who hath so long preserued vs in peace, and giuen vs freely the vse of his Gospell: the neglect whereof, and our contrarie fruites, no doubt, is the principall cause that God hath called this nation from farre,They haue a [...]wo fold blinde [...]eale in theyr [...]esire to inuade vs, who yet of themselues are drawen thereunto, as ra­uished by two blinde deuotions: the first and princi­pall is, in that hee is the Popes vizeroy, lieutenant, and chiefe martiall man, and hath the title generall of the Catholike King. The king of [...]paine y^e Popes [...]hampion In regard whereof hee is to stand as the Popes champion, to aunswere anie challenge that his holynesse shall vndertake, for defence and preseruati­on of his vsurped title and Empire. And in that respect this mightie Goliah, this blasphemous Rabsakeh, pre­tendeth a sufficient warrant from Senacherib of Rome, to pursue Hezechia of England with this hoobub, that our God shall not deliuer vs out of his hands, but that he onely as the chieftaine Catholike of that man of sinne, hath the sole power from him to conquere kingdomes, and therefore soundes vp this hoo and crie, Am I now come vp without the Lord to England, to destroie it? As if hee should saie, My Lord and master, Christs vi­car, hath commanded mee, and therefore howe dare English Hezechiah, or anie other, that trusteth not in the power of my masters holynesse, despise mee, his grand chiefetaine, or the least Captaine of his vnder mee? who are to pursue heretiques that haue rob­bed him of his honour and glorie, [...]ngland hath [...]obbed y^e Pope [...]f his credite of his power and authoritie, holynes, and credit, whereby hee is become of lesse estimation among the kingdomes of the world. The supposed slanders which England hath wrongful­ly [Page 3] laide vpon him, the dishonour and demerites which his locusts haue condignly receiued in England of lat­ter times, for their treasons, conspiracies, and murde­rous practises, are pretended to bee so high a blemish vnto that painted beast, that by no meanes the quarell is to bee qualified but by open force, and forcible in­uasion, that can take no better successe by deuillish de­uises. It is not vnknowen to all, how many secret prac­tisers, euen of our owne vnnaturall countrymen and others, hee hath sent to subuert the quiet of our state, pretending openly the winning of men to the church of Rome, wherein, and not else where (as they saie) is saluation: but couertly haue stirred vp rebellious thoughts and deeds in many, which otherwise myght haue shewed themselues loyall subiectes. And this ge­nerall practise hath appeared to be a deuice to steale a­waie the harts of the subiects from their due obedience to our most gracious Queen: wherby we might grow into ciuill rebellions within our selues, and so giue him the more ease to make spoile of all. And sith these se­crete workers haue not, nor can take no effect in their treasons, but condigne reward, deserued iustice, wher­by many haue bene rid most happilie out of our com­mon weale: and their dispatch (no doubt) to vs most beneficiall: and howsoeuer they be enchanted by the vaine conceite of canonization and reward at Gods hands, the whores deceiuing baytes,What reckning the Pope maketh of the death of our Seminaries. their confusion is no more regarded of his holines, than the fall of a drop from his nose: he loueth not the name of an English man, but flattereth them, onely to vse them to worke secret mischiefes, and that they may come to the more speedy confusion, And sith I say, by their [Page 4] secret meanes he cannot get againe and redeeme the decaies, that the trueth of the Gospell heere receiued; hath brought vpon his kingdome of darkenesse: he hath sent out this hellish hoobub, with his blasphe­mous coniurations, commanding heerein aboue all the rest of his adherents,The thinges whereof wee [...]aue robbed the Pope. this capitall King Catho­lique to take knowledge first, of his iniururies sustayned by the English Nation, who haue dispoyled him of all his Abbies, Priories, Monasteries & other reliques, of his forged deuotions: and with all, of our detayning of the annuall reuenues, and pensions which he vsur­ped from vs, greate summes of monie to maintayne his high abhominations: and which is more, that we haue bewrayed his darkenesse, which he would haue the whole world to imbrace as the true light: which things haue so deepelie discouered him, that he will be seene to pursue vs as robbers, with this peeuish hoobub, the destruction of England. This no doubt is the first cause that inkindleth a blinde deuotion in the king of Spaine, dignified with the high title of King Catholike, to pursue the matter, vi & armis, to dis­charge himselfe of the truste reposed in him. The other cause inuested meerelie in him selfe, without hauing anie eye at all on anie other end,The second [...]ause moouing [...]he king of [...]paine. is the desire and thirstinesse, wherewith he hath been long tossed to subiect this land to his dominions: for since his at­chyuing the gold of India, his thoughts haue neuer beene quieted, but still seeke howe to increase his power, and to become sole Monarch of Europe. And to this his ambitious desire, the holie father bringeth more stubble to maintayne the fire, to serue his owne turne, the better to support his blacke kingdome, well [Page 5] shaken by the thunder of the Gospell, which hee by the Spanish Inquisition, the court of hellish furies, endeuoreth (but in vaine) to extinguish.The Spaniard longeth for England. And foras­much as England hath been the best benefactor (in ignorance) to the Sea of Rome: and of whose sweet­nes this Catholike king hath some thing tasted, and finding it plausible for his stomack to digest, he lōgeth for it, as the purple whoore wyth child of ambition, longeth for her owne glorie: which ambitious thirste can hardly be quenched, as appeareth, till the throats of more of his inuincible troopes be stopped, with the waues of our narrow Seas. The remembraunce of whose former successe in the same, may argue in vs, if we retire to our helping God, an assurance of the like issue of his blinde ambition now. Which maketh him swell in regard hee seemeth to be master of land and sea, in both which hee is deceiued, and yet pric­keth him forward to equalize his territories with the great and large scope of the pristine Romaine Empire, which extended it selfe ouer three parts of the world, and yet could not satisfie the ambition of Casar and Pompey, whilst the one could abide no equal, the other no superior. The Pope for his part wil be king of kings, and will accepte neither superiour not equall, in cau­ses either diuine or humane: the Spaniard priuiledged by his title of king Catholique, coueteth superioritie ouer all the rest, not only of the Popes vassall kings, but ouer others, & therefore he wrestleth hard for Flanders and other prouinces of Germanie, How the Span [...]ard fis [...]eth fo [...] kingdomes he practiseth subtilly for France, suborneth impiously Ireland, and audaci­ouslye threatneth England. But (no doubte) as the fountaine of ambition yeeldeth no better licour [Page 6] than thus to vsurp other mens territories & kingdoms, so it will affoord no better end than it did to the Lace­demonians and Athenians, The end of [...]mbition the one being master of the sea, the other of the land, whose glory as it tooke begin­ning by ambition, so by the same they were brought both to confusion in the end: and therefore need wee the lesse to feare this ambitious hoobub, wherein wee seeme to be pursued: first for that which belongeth to God himselfe, namely, all glorie, power, vertue, veritie, sanctitie, and holinesse, which this beast of Rome vsurp­eth to himselfe, and woulde inforce vs to yeeld it vnto him from our louing God, whose cause wee shall de­fend, and not our owne, in resisting his chieftaine this Catholike king: secondly, seeing it pursues vs for our owne kingdome, countrie, lands, libertie, wiues, chil­dren, and liues, thinges peculiar (vnder God) to our Queene, and vnder her vnto our selues, he hath no co­lour to chalenge anie propertie, title, interest or hope in them, and therefore in defending them we shall pre­serue our selues, and that which is meerely our owne. And yet therunto will not that beast intitle him? Thus we see the causes that moue this loud hoobub against vs in the meere desire of the Spaniardes.

But forasmuch as we are in dutie and christian poli­cie to looke backe into our selues, and to take surueigh of the occasions which may bee argued to bee in our selues,The occasion is [...] our selues which hath stir­ [...]ed vp this hoo­ [...]ub why God in iustice should moue this Antichri­stian host against vs, hauing the title of Christians, and to examine whether wee deserue to tast of the plague which is threatened by this fearefull hoobub, or whe­ther wee may securely followe that which wee haue hetherto practised without reformation of our liues: [Page 7] It is found by experience, that the bodie may be most sicke when it feeleth no griefe at all, and a man that is most secure, may bee sodainely striken, as appeared by Herod in his greatest pride: a citie most carelesse and wicked may be confounded, as Sodome, Gomorrha, Sebo­im, and the rest,Causes of da [...] ger are not s [...] perficially to be glanced at when they least suspected perill, were destroyed with fire from heauen: so may secure king­domes, as was the secure world by the floud: and ther­fore much more may daungers bee feared, when there are apparaunt causes, which yet cannot vpon a sud­daine viewe so plainelye appeare, as when they are duelye considered. Our superficyall thoughtes of the causes of this rumour of warres, may bee com­pared to the iudgement of a Phisition,The diseases of a common wealth must be cured in time. who looketh neither vpon the partie grieued, nor vpon his state, and what counsell then can he giue to the patient? And therefore saith the wise man, A disease knowen is in manner cured; and as it fareth with the diseases of the bodie, which not beeing preuented, may suddayn­ly kill the person: so a common wealth diseased, by vn­punished vices, and ouermuch libertie, standeth in danger of sudaine subuersion. These causes therefore ought to be both knowen and cured: Fore-seene mis­chiefes hurt not so much as such as come vnlooked for; and therefore wisedome premeditateth by discretion, be­fore what maie happen afterwarde. But securitie,Al things haue a chaunge. which deeming all partes of the bodie well, may bee suddainely touched with a feuer, which groweth by reason of the superfluous and grosse humours that haue growen by fulnesse of the best daynties. So it fal­leth out with common wealthes, which foster securi­tie, beeing full of Gods blessings: whereby they be­come [Page 8] sick of superfluous abundance, & loose the true taste of the best things, and so fall sodainly. Euery thing vnder the Sunne hath a change, a time to grow, and a time to wither, a time to bud, and a time to be ripe▪ & when a common wealth is risen to the top of all glo­rie, then it is good that all men, but the magistrates especiallie, looke into the superfluityes and diseases thereof, and hauing duelie considered all thinges, to seeke how to roote out the superfluous, and to foster and cherish the best humors:Euery man must looke into him selfe. not onelie in a genera­litie, but euerie priuate man in himselfe, least euerie thing hauing his course freely in the commonwealth, the violence of type mischiefes breede a loathing therof, as it were, in God, who cannot abide such neg­ligence in anie commonwealth, especially of Christi­ans, no more than hee coulde abide Adam and Eue in paradise after they had sinned:The fire of A­dams disobedi­ence must bee quenched in vs. and surely the fire of the auncient disobedience of them lyeth yet couertly co­uered with the ashes of drousie securitie, not onelye in euerie priuate man, but in euerie calling: so that it seemeth our commonwealth, howsoeuer it seeme to go in gouernment and true religion before other nati­ons, requireth a kinde of necessitie, that this fire bee quenched before it flame foorth, to the consumption of our whole nation. If therefore wee looke to conti­nue safe (howsoeuer slender account wee seeme to make of these Spanish vauntes) wee must looke both euerie man into himselfe, and the magistrates into the whole state: so (no doubt) if they be not partyall in theyr searches, they shall finde in euerie man, in his particular examination of his owne deserts, as also the magistrates in their generall viewe of the whole, cause [Page 9] inough, whereby it cannot bee denyed but God may without iniurie vnto anie one, not onely fraie vs with this hoobub, but suffer vs to tast of the swoord of this am­bitious and blasphemous nation.

To begin the examination, although I bee the vn­worthiest to call men thereunto, yet in regard I am the worst, I cannot but acknowledge, and in deed I finde that in my selfe, whereof woulde God all others were free, namely, sufficient cause why I wretch should bee rouzed vp and pursued by this pernitious generation, & if I should flatter my self, to deserue to be freed from their tyranies, if I looke vnto my disobedience to God I should deceiue my selfe: and yet mine imperfections perchance no farther seene in the world, than of such as seem to stand in this dangerous time, as men worthy for their honest, zealous, & religious behauior, in their owne conceits, to be iustified by the mouths of all their neighbors. And therefore surely it will hardly appeare that we haue deserued to be punished, if wee looke no further thā into other men, & so let our selues passe like the scape goats: for if euery one couet to find the cause in others, and prie not into himselfe, there wil be neuer a free man, yet all free, for euerie man will condemne all but himselfe, and yet though none will condemne himselfe, hee shall bee condemned of all. And there­fore let euerie man acknowledge himselfe worthie to bee punished, so all men shall be condemned by theyr owne mouthes, and seeke no further witnesse. And this (no doubt) is the waie to finde the cause why God hath called this nation agaynst vs,Euery mā must looke vnto him selfe, and not vnto others as Ionah was founde guiltie by casting of lots. For doubtlesse if wee seeme to seeke the cause of this daunger without our selues, [Page 10] we doo wrong to the iustice of God, who is not as en­uious man, that will strike one for an other, but the soule that sinneth shall die. Lo then it is sinne that draweth on this hoobub to pursue vs,Sinne the cause of this hoobub euen to our subuersion, if wee repent not of our sundrie euills. Wee are called Chri­stians, and our aduersaries Antichristians, but if wee looke into the fruites of both, a man may bee in doubt who is lykest Christ, by the outwarde fruites. And surely, for that wee haue the fire with vs, and yet shewe no heate: for that wee are true Gospellers in know­ledge, if wee shewe our selues hypocrites in practise,Our fruits must approue vs. it must needes bee graunted, that our profession wyll not excuse vs: then must our fruites approue vs, or re­proue vs. It is as true as the Gospell is true, that wee haue the Gospell, and as true it is, that there is no true faith without it, and no saluation without faith in Christ, which faith if it bee not liuely and bring forth not onely leaues, but fruit, it is not onely lyke the figge tree that Christ cursed, but a tree that shall bee hewen downe and cast into the fire: so shall wee stande in greater daunger in our account, hauing receiued much, than the aduersarie that hath receiued lesse. And therefore it had beene better that England had neuer receiued the Gospell, nor the title of Christians, ra­ther than not bee seene practisers of Christian religi­on, whose effectes are not as the religion which is in the aduerse, that are doubtlesse Antichristians, for that the one is in spirite and truth, whose obiect is Christ onely, the other outward, carnall, and altogether false, making more Mediatours than hee: the one is cheri­shed in the heart,The difference betweene chri­stian and Anti­christian religiō by a liuely working of the inwarde vertues, the other in the tongue by outwarde behaui­our [Page 11] onely: the one in all things is diuine and heauen­ly, inspired into the soule by grace, the other is pro­phane and earthly, layde as heauie burdens vppon the consciences of men by force. Now then sith wee are in ours, as in a large field of libertie, hauing freedome to performe all things without scruple, doubt, or dan­ger, onely in Christ, how farre should wee excell in sin­cere practise, those that flatter themselues wyth the outward action of superstitious zeale, wherein they are restrayned to wade anie further in knowledge, than may keepe them in obedience, not vnto God whom they ought to knowe first, and then to honour him in spirite as hee is spirit: but vnto the pretended church Catholike, whose honouring God, who is a spirite, is by the traditions of men that are meerely carnall. God forbidde therefore that wee,In Gods mercie wee inioye the gospel of Christ who assuredlye in the franke mercie of Almightie God inioye this admira­ble treasure, the Gospell, whence proceedeth the true religion propounded by Christ Iesus himselfe, and practised by doctrine and example of the Apo­stles, shoulde so lagger in our liues, that Pharisies and meritours shoulde goe so farre before vs, that wee shoulde bee censured not onely of GOD himselfe, who seeth the heartes, but of men, who see onelye our workes, to deserue punishment in his iudgement, by our vnholye liues, at theyr handes, whome wee knowe most assuredly are enemies vnto the crosse of Christ Iesus, who pretend in themselues so much the more holynesse of lyfe, by howe much the more they see vs come short of them in zeale. And the greatest and assuredst hope which they haue of their conquest [Page 12] is grounded vppon theyr owne deseruinges,The Spaniardes build the hope of conquest vp­pon their owne deseruings whereby they seeme to challenge a speciall assistance of God, & vpon our fruitlesse profession, whereby they seeme to coniure the high power to conforme it selfe to their wills, and thereupon they build strong hope to bee re­uenged vppon vs. And surely, if wee reforme vs not, and conforme our liues more aunswerable vnto our profession, it is much to bee feared, that, as for sinne and disobedience hee suffered his owne peculiar peo­ple to be destroied, the citie which he chose vnto him­selfe to bee sacked, and the house wherein hee seemed himselfe to dwell, to bee burned by the barbarous na­tions, hee wyll deliuer vs vp to the will of this vncir­cumcised people, whose heartes are highly inflamed against vs, and whose hands tingle to bee in our bloud. The Lord of hoasts bee on our side, whome they blas­phemed in their last frustrate expedition, affirming that hee was become a Lutheran, in regard of his helping vs and confounding them. But howsoeuer they blas­phemed then, and howsoeuer they consult agaynst God himselfe and agaynst his chosen now, there is no doubt but it is to some wonderfull end, in the secrete wisedome of God:The Spaniardes blaspheming God and for our partes, let vs forecast the worst against our selues, and say, that for our sinnes for our neglygence, and for our disobedience, God may iustly delyuer vs into theyr handes, so shall God turne his purpose, which although it were to consume vs, as it was towardes Niniue, hee will spare vs, if we re­pent lyke Niniue, and let vs incourage our selues in the renewing of our affections, so shall that God drawe them on euen vnto the redde sea of theyr owne con­fusion, [Page 13] as hee dyd Pharaoh and his hoast, that his glorie may appeare, both in the force of his Gospell, which we professe, and whereby we reforme vs vnto his will, by casting awaie sinne, and apprehending true righte­ousnesse, as also by confounding them that seeke to persecute him in vs.

Now it is expedient that there be some examination of the especiall euills,An examinatiō of the speciall e­uils, which in y^e iudgement of God draw on the Spaniard. which seeme, aboue the rest, to call this nation in the iustice of God agaynst vs, for it is plaine that sinne is the cause in generall, which both preuenteth well dooing, and arraigneth vs before the tribunall seat of God, in regard of it selfe. But to make rehearsall of all the euills which are growen strong a­mongst vs, were a tedious labor, and beyond my pur­pose, and therefore I will briefely call to our conside­ration some particular sinnes, that seeme to bee as nur­series to all the rest,We make slender reckning o [...] grosse sins and such as glide thorough our thoughts, as oyle thorough our throates, without see­ling, and yet more lyke Elephants than gnats. Who seeth not, and yet who considereth the most capitall sinne of blaspheming GOD? Where is there anie lawe to punish swearers, cursers, abusers of the person, the maiestie,Blasphemie no [...] punished the sanctitie, and the sacred worde and name of God? How freely doo the lewde Atheistes in this lande, such as by theyr liues argue there is no God, behaue themselues in most vnreuerent taking into theyr vncircumcised lippes the name of God? How doo they rent him, as much as in them lyeth, in peeces? his heart, feete, nayles, soule, bodie, flesh, and euerie parte and member of him is abused and disho­noured, taking therein delight, as in a feast, And this [Page 14] sinne is not without some colour of a vertue. Heere is great magnanimitie pretended to bee seene in these lu­stie fellowes, nay, vngodlye wretches and cowardlye, I would it were free from great persons. And this is as farre from being punished amongst vs, that he is coun­ted too foolish and too precise, that will argue the same to bee a fault. God reforme it, for the faulte is greater than that which wee account fellonie, which robbeth but man of his goods, and is hanged: and this robbeth God of his glorie, and our selues of all shewe of the feare and reuerence of God, & yet is vnpunished. May not the lyke bee sayde of vnpunished dronkennesse, which is a most pernitious vice,Dronkennesse not punished. and the more intolle­rable, because it hath no shew of vertue, as other vices haue, and yet of late it hath gotten a coate, but a beastly coate, yet the best it hath, and that forsooth, in drinking carouse, it must bee to the health of some greate man, and sometime great men will vse the name of greater persons in this swinish sinne, vnder colour of wishing health to them, as if health could bee maintained by so grosse a sinne. It is intollerable, yet tollerated to the high dishonour of God, who of Christians requireth Christian sobrietie. Doth not this helpe to pull on the Spaniardes? Yes surely. And is this all that is amisse? Nay let pride come into the ranke of vnpunished vi­ces.Pride vnpuni­shed But by your leaue this is a neate vice, it is a come­ly vice, it is a courtly vice, and it is a vice that aboue all the rest may challenge place with vertue, if vice maye bee so bolde as nowe a daies it is, and it is so plausible, that they that should seeke to kill it by spirituall disswa­sion, haue taken it by the hand also, and walke as court­ly [Page 15] as the best: the verie clowne will snatch at it too, and euerie man exceedeth so farre, as if it were one of the cardinall vertues. And although many lawes seeme to tend to stop it, such is the force of it in all, that al drinke of one cup, and like birdes of a feather, holde all toge­ther: they strayne curtesie who shall begin to re­forme it, and yet contend who shall exceed in it. I haue no more to saie, but to assure you that this is one of the ankers that holdeth fast the shippe of our perill to the shores of our seas. And are these all? Alasse no. Let not couetousnesse be forgotten, which is a thirstie sinne, the sinne of the wiser fellowes, a husbandly sinne, & there­fore is not to bee punished in anie case, being condem­ned of none but of the beggerly minded, as affirmeth the vsurer,Couetousnesse vnpunishable the mannor-monger, the farme buier, the hoorder of golde and siluer. But alas, what fooles are these, either they neuer reade it, or neuer heare it, or els they forget it, that Christ cries Wo vnto the rich, for that they haue their consolation heere. But if this did turne but to their owne euils, it were the more tollerable. It rea­cheth to the ruine of the poorer sorte, and it is seene so apparantly, & held so dearly amongst vs in these daies, that it is a fault to be frugall, and therefore to spend all or spare all, are most imbraced: the one consumeth what another hath gotten, the other hoordeth vp what by force and fraud hee can get, and this is meere prodi­galitie in the one, and idolatrie in the other: the one spends lewdly, & is praysed for a gentlemanlike mind, and the other keepes wretchedly, and is counted to be a good husband: two horrible euils, but maiden euills, for neither of them was euer punished by any lawe, yet [Page 16] meerely against Gods lawe, and argumentes that they are nothing seasoned with the continuance and long vse of religion, which teacheth loue: where the rich is to support, relieue, comfort, and stead the poore that want his aide. And so farre are they from these vertues, that they not onely not comfort them, but seeke how to vncloath them, howe to vncouch them, and howe to vnfurnish them of landes, liuing, and all other ne­cessaries. And it is not lightly to be passed ouer, which by meanes of these cormorants hath euen nowe taken holde (as in the iudgement of God) vppon this lande: wherein (no doubt) and as is helde euen of such cut­throates themselues, there is sufficient plentie of corne, butter, cheese, and all other necessaries, and yet such is the decay of loue as it will not be brought forth but vppon prices at their owne wills, as though they only were Lords of Gods blessings, and that the poore haue no share in them but to stand at their colde de­uotion.Coldnes of loue appeareth by y^e present dearth where plentie is. And thus to rest vnreformed, and the crye of the poore not heard, is a maine cable to pull the e­nemie vpon vs.

It is a heauie iudgement of God, when there shall bee a common dearth in a common plentie, as nowe there is, and who so affirmeth the contrary is no good member of the common wealth, but sauoreth allto­gether of priuate gaine, who grinde the faces of the poore with want of that wherewith they abound. But surely, as for disobedience to God, there may be a feare where no feare is, so by our fruitles profession, whose effectes are loue, there may bee dearth where plenty [Page 17] is. And surely it were good it were considered why such a iudgement should light vpon vs in the time of the Gos­pell, and that the decay of loue should appeare so farre, as to shut vp, not onely Christianitie, but all humanitie among mē. Why may not a man glance at a great cause of this iudgement, which as (no doubt) it is one and the same with that which calleth our enemies, euen our sinnes? Yet there is a peculiar cause which stinketh in the nostrils of God, namely, the consuming of corne, the meere earthly blessing of God to preserue man,Spending of corne to make starch, a cause of dearths in plenty in Gods Iudge­ments. abut the strengthening of pride, in making of starch. A toe­ration intolerable. Woe vnto him that brought the de­uise first into our land. For it crieth out mainly to God, who will not abide that about our neckes, in pride, that should bee consumed which should feede our bodies in penurie. But it is made (they say) with the coursest part of the wheate. Alas, let not Magistrates bee deceiued, it is the most purest of the purest corne. Oh that it were reformed: for it is a wofull euill, drawing with it both famine and warre: and yet this among many other sins, trippeth on like a vice that maketh not only the vitious, but the virtuous to taste of her vanitie. Infinit euils there accompanie these former vnpunished sinnes, and they are assuredly the maine winde that filleth as it were the sailes of the Spanyards to inuade vs, whom the Lord hath stirred vp either in mercie to reforme vs, or in iudgement to punish vs. And surely as euery one hath his hand in these euils, and none can excuse himselfe from bringing, and heaping one sinne vpon another, bewraying thereby the breach of al our duties to God in generall, in not performing what we professe; let vs not perswade our selues of safetie, vnles wee can frame vs to [Page 18] repentance, and reformation. And as no doubt in this the negligent Minister hath much to answer, by whose careles discharge of his dutie,The negligent minister hath much to an­swere. & function, many of these euils haue crept in and taken deepe roote: So they must thinke that now is the time wherein they must redeeme what they haue long omitted, and so by their new dili­gence endeuour to roote out sinne, and plant faith, that there may appeare fruits of euery mans profession; that the cause of this fearefull hoobub being taken away, wee may still possesse our libertie; and that our religion bee not in shew onely, but in the simplicitie of our hearts: so shal it be vnto vs as the bloud of the paschall Lambe, stri­ken vpon the shores of our seas, that the destroying An­gell may passe by vs, and cast our enemies into the de­uouring gulfe. Yet let mee speake a little more without suspition of being too officious, or too forward. Sure­ly the delayes of poore mens causes in our courts of England,Delayes of sutes. and the procrastinations of dispatch of causes before Magistrates, hath a share in this matter, & the free oppressions of the poore by the rich, without remedie: doe crye among the rest to God for iustice, and God a­gaine calleth the Spaniards to execute the same. Would God wee could shew our selues no lesse tractable then children, who can leaue their wantonnes, if they see but the rod. And if wee could leaue our vices, and imbrace religion, God would not proceede further to strike vs, but like a louing father would cast this his rod into the fire.

CAP. 2.
What is to be done to escape the iudgements of God, intended by this Antichristian hoobub.

FOrasmuch then, as no man can denye, but that the cause of this daungerous hoobub of the Spanyard is our sinne, which foldeth vp our feare as it were in a foure folde mantle, answerable to the foure folde causes thereof: whereof two are in the aduersary meerely, and two in our selues, as before is proued. It is time for vs, in regard of these dangers, to call our selues home againe, who haue long strayed in the course of our Christian profession: and for that we are now found out by the iudgement of him that seeth vs,We must re­forme quickly or be pu­nished seuere­ly. being able no longer to dissemble our sins, but either to reforme them speedily, or to bee punished for them seuerely. Who seemeth to bee called into the action against vs? not meeke Moses, but blasphemous Senacherib, whose Captaines are more furious then O­restes, more hastie then Aiax, more tyrannous then Phalaris, more beastly then Sardanapalus. But seeing that religion is the gift of God, and the work of the ho­lie spirit, which cannot be brought in, or driuen out, by the violence of these men; how is it to bee feared that these wicked ones, out of whose nostrils proceede the furious flames of madnes, and out of whose mouthes is­sue fountaines of blasphemies against our alsufficient God,Religion can neither be brought in or driuen out by man. shall preuaile against this pure religion which wee imbrace? Surely there is nothing more true, then that the force of man can neither bring it in, or banish it out: [Page 24] for then had the tyrannous Emperours long since, vtter­ly ouerthrowne it. But the sinne that we commit, & the neglect of our calling, hath force and power to lose it quickly, which hath been many yeares in obtayning. And though the Gospell be a more inuincible protector then an inuincible enemie, yet may we by abusing it, be punished seuerely, and yet the Gospel continue safe. And therefore there must bee a speedie meane vsed, that sinne may bee reformed, and godlines imbraced, that our pro­fession bee not in shew, but in deede, and in righteous­nes. But alas will some say, what a world of busines wil this be? what an impossible thing is it to make such a sudden change now,What naturall reason flesh & bloud will ar­gue in this dā ­gerous time. when the enemie is at the gate? we must now looke into our Armories for Munition, into our stables for horses, into our prouinces for men, and into our treasuries for monie, to withstand the force of the aduersarie. Wee haue no leisure to looke into our thoughts, and actions for sinne, or to measure our liues by religion, hauing matters of warre in hand. We must haue more care of Captaines then desire of Preachers; we must stand to the sword more then to the word; we must flie to the field to fight, and not to the Church to pray. These things indeede are to be regarded: but is it not to be feared that this is the consultation of many in these dayes, that are awake? And truely the most I feare are yet slumbring, who see no occasion to steppe out of their secure thoughts, out of their counting houses, out of their worldly studies,The conceyts of the worldly. who think this as merry a time as euer came. While there is peace they dreame not of warre: while they be ful, they feare no famine. There­fore it behoueth that there should be a very diligent care had, how the people in generall seeme to stand affected, [Page 21] both to warre and peace. And although few haue tasted the one, and all haue had the fruites of the other: let none be left secure, and let the least care be of worldly things,Our duties to God carry with it a great traine of vir­tues. which no doubt will be well supplied, if there bee due respect had of our dueties to God. For that carieth with it such atraine of vertues, as there seemeth nothing wan­ting to supply any place in warre and peace. And with­out that efficient duetie, what auaileth all the prouision beside? which will stand as a man without legges, and steede vs in fight, as a man without hands. And where it may seeme an harde thing for vs, being so great a multi­tude to reforme vs in so short a time before the ariuall of the Spaniard, which is sayd to bee at this next spring: Let vs call to minde that Nineueh, a bloodie citie full of lies, and robberies, Nahum. 3. 1. for which the Lorde threatned to make it desolate, and wast like a wildernes, Zeph. 2. 13. which Ionah published in the streetes, say­ing,The repea­tance Nineueh Yet fortie daies and Nineueh shalbe destroyed. Io­nah. 3. 4. Yet such was their obedience to the Lords mes­sage, that they generally repented & obtained Gods mer­cie, before the fortie daies came, and were spared. And shall we thinke that God was more mercifull then, then he is now? nay his mercie seemeth greater to vs, for that Nineueh sawe no daunger, but were all secure. But hee sheweth vs before hand that hee hath stirred vp a nation, a puissant people against vs, who seeme to threaten,The practise of Nineueh an example for vs to follow. Yet this sommer and we will destroy England: and therefore what is to be done? The king of Nineueh proclaymed a faste, let the Queene of England proclaime a faste, and what more? he caused his people to crie mightily vnto God, and commanded euery man to turne from his euill way, & frō the wickednes that was in him. Let Queene [Page 22] Elizabeth command all men to crie vnto God, and com­mand them, yea compell them to turne euery man from his euill waye, and from the wickednes that is in him. Let her constraine her subiects to bring forth the fruites of loue one towardes another; and let vs all submit our selues vnto her proclamations therin: to shew our selues not onely good subiects vnto her, but good Christians vnto God. And what then? may we say with the Nine­uites, It may be God will haue mercie on vs: What wil fol­low vs, in our following the reformation of Niniueh. nay we may assure our selues that God will spare vs, God will defend vs, God will continue vs, and God will confound our enemies. And doth this require so long a season? no: for not onely in what yeare, in what moneth, in what weeke, in what day, in what houre wee rep [...]t God will pardon vs, but in what minute of time w [...] [...]urne vnto him, he will receiue vs. Oh then let vs detra [...] [...]o time, but with speed returne home againe into our owne con­sciences:How we must reforme vs. let vs examine euery one his owne waies, his disobedience to God, his greedie following his owne will, his rashe receiuing the pleasures which flesh and bloud, the world and sinne doe offer. And his obstinate refusall, not onely to heare, much lesse to practise the words of the Lord, which he hath sent vnto vs as it were from farre, to the vttermost bounds of the earth, as if his peculiar care,Gods peculi­ar loue to England. loue, and mercie were such to England, as that hee would teach vs onely and leaue so many other nations ignorant. Oh, who can measure the depth, the height, length, and breadth of his wisedome, his mercie, his iudgements, and his prouidence: if wee looke into the huge circuit of the earth, & measure in our thoughts, the quantitie thereof, distinguishing this little angle from the maine globe of the earth, wee shall see that it is not [Page 23] the hundreth part of the whole: and yet hee hath vouch­saued himselfe to be known in this little part, more then in all the worlde beside:England not the 200. parte of the earth. And therefore expecteth of vs to be serued in sinceritie and trueth, more then of all the rest. What fruites expecteth he of the Turkes, who are his professed enemies? who yet possesse the greatest part euen from Transiluania, to Persia, East and West, and from the southmost parts of vnhappie Arabia, (as it may bee called) to the sea Euxinus Northward, wherein are those holy places where God was first honoured,The Turkes possesse the places where Christ was borne first preached. nowe most blasphemed, as Palestine which was the holy land the land of Canaan: where were sometime his peculiar people the Iewes, whom he for their disobedience, hath cast out, not onely of this blessed land, but into a repro­bate sense: and hath made them runnagates vpon the face of the earth: not allowing them any peculiar coun­trie or citie to dwell in. The Turke also possesseth those seuen Churches of Asia, mentioned in the Reuelation: and in their places, GOD hath most gratiously chosen England farre from thence, among fewe others in these northerne and northeast partes, many leagues from the place where he was first honored: which indeed might strike in vs the more admiration of his prouidence, and the more duetie and reuerence in our callings to his maiestie. For that hee hath cut off the naturall to engraffe vs the vnnaturall braunches into his loue. It were needlesse to shew how hee suffereth the most part, yea almost al the world to cōtinue blind, & yet giueth vs light, for there is no light without the truth, and no truth without the spirite, and the fruits which proceede from that spirit againe, is the true light. And therfore no com­mon wealth in generall, can so farre be charged as Eng­land, [Page 20] who only hath had the free vse therof many yeres.England is more to be charged for breach of our league then a­ny other nati­on. If we should bee found yet in darknes, which is argued by the fruites of sinne, we could not haue so much hope of safetie, as they that neuer had the light. Alas shall we be then more blind then the Papists, who are zealous in carnall ceremonies? Shall wee suffer the Turke in zeale of his Mahomet, to go beyond vs in zeale of our Christ? and shall the Iew bring forth the fruits of the law, more precisely then we doe the fruites of the Gospell? Surely if it be so, wee must thinke that God will deale no more fauourably with vs, then he did with them: whom hee cast out for not receiuing his sonne, borne among them, preached, and preaching vnto them, whom they slewe bodily,How we kill Christ againe. as we doe spiritually, if we speake of him truely, and followe him falsely. What then is required of vs now in this dreadfull hoobub? England shall bee de­stroyed? for that no doubt seedeth the Spanyard that he may possesse it. The way for vs, is to retire our selues to the Gospell, and what wee are thereby taught diligently to follow, both to the confirming of them that are alrea­die sealed, with the knowledge thereof, as indeede ma­ny are in England: and to turne againe the most ob­durate, and wilfull sinners from their obstinate rebel­lions, against so louing a God. And surely vnlesse the dew of Gods spirit bee meerely dried vp in our hearts, the word of God, ioyned with the reuerent and faithfull vse of his holie and blessed Sacraments, shall worke our regeneration, and shape in vs new thoughts, new affec­tions, new endeuours, and new hearts: so that we shall so faire forget our old vanities and naturall inclinations, as Abraham forgat his owne countrey and his fathers house: and wee shall haue as longing a desire to frame [Page 25] our selues, according to the will of God, and to goe to him in well doing, as Abraham had to goe to the land of promise.

When God would stirre vp the children of Israel to turne from their iniquities, which in their hearts they had so long practised: hee vsed no other argument, but putting them in minde of the miseries wherein they were borne, namely, in idolatrie, and bondage in Egypt a cursed citie, where they were made slaues, Exod. 3. 10. and that their fathers were Idolaters, and themselues gi­uen ouer to all voluptuousnes and pleasure, not regar­ding God, nor seeking his religion. And surely the same argument may hee make against vs, whom hee hath brought out of Romish Egypt, and spirituall bondage wherein our fathers liued, and many of vs were borne: yet God in his diuine loue, beholding vs in this wofull state, pitied our miserie and thraldome; and when wee were greedily following our owne destruction in dark­nes, he sayd vnto vs as vnto his children of Israel, ye shall liue, and so anew (as it were) breathed into vs his di­uine light, by giuing vs the free vse of the Gospel. Whē Iosua had brought them into the lande of Canaan, as Queene Elizabeth hath brought vs into the lād of truth, into the light out of darknes, he declared vnto them the benefits that God had bestowed vpon them, to the ende that they might bee the more stirred vp by the remem­brance thereof, obediently to follow GOD, that had brought that mightie thing to passe for them.We must call to minde Gods blessings, which will giue vs cause to reforme out liues. Therfore let vs also call to mind Gods wonderfull and many bles­sings towards vs, which as they are infinite, so deserueth he all our studies, thoughts and deuises to be bended to his glorie. And among the rest of his mercies, let vs not [Page 26] forget how he caused the winds and the sea to fight for vs, against these pursuers in their former inuincible strength: and how hee tooke the quarrell into his hand and determined the same, both to his owne glorie and our safetie. And if we remember this, we shal auoyd the occasions to displease so mercifull a God, so louing a fa­ther, so seuere a Iudge; who dealt with our enemies as hee did with Pharaoh and his hoast. Let vs there­fore bee reformed in our actions, and renewed in our mindes. For as GOD no doubt chose vs before wee thought on him,God chose vs when wee thought not on him. so he will defend vs, if now we trust in him, hauing such experience of the riches of his mer­cies, wherein he loued vs, euen when wee were dead in trespasses and sinnes, when wee were Idolaters. Let vs not shew our selues now dead in sinne, but let vs bee quickened in all obedience, and let vs no more bee allu­red with the golden cup of our owne vanities, which is full of poyson within. Is it not a sweete thing to re­member that wee were once bound, but now are free? we haue been in danger, but now are safe, and is not the contrarie dreadfull? and shall wee by our sinnes, which are the death of the soule and the subuersion of king­domes, aduenture to liue in them for a moment, and bee in danger of captiuitie, or the sword here, and after dye for euer, rather then leauing thē for a moment, bee freed from this present daunger and liue for euer? Oh let vs make haste to returne vnto the Lord: let vs not lagger behinde, and so our captaine Iehouah depart from vs, and we fall into the enemies hand. But to whom doth it belong to see this weightie and most worthie worke of the reformation of our liues done?Euery one hath a court in his owne conscience. Surely to all in generall, euery one of vs hath a court in his owne con­science, [Page 27] wherinto all our thoughts, words and actions must be presently summoned, and inquisition must bee strictly made, what error is found in himselfe, and fin­ding himselfe guiltie of any negligence in performing his dutie to God commaunded, or pronenes to offende God in things forbidden, he must as a Iudge farre from partialitie, giue sentence against himselfe, and commit the euils done to true and vnfained repentance: & bind himselfe by the law of obedience, not to sinne agayne. Which were it performed of al men in particular, there were no neede of the Magistrates sword, to compell the same in generall. But sith our corrupt inclinations, doe fight daily against this godly course,Now is the time for the Magistrate to shew himselfe zealous in the Lords good. the Magistrate, who beareth not the sword for nought, must now, if e­uer he did, shew himselfe zealous in the Lords cause, for the good of al the land in general. Which as it seemeth much missed with negligence of euery mans particular dutie to God, and his Soueraigne, whereby God is not honoured of vs as he ought, nor the lawes of the land o­beyed as they should be, there must be a generall care in the Ministrie, to teach euery man his duetie: for hee is bound to teach, to reproue, to approue, and improue, in season and out of season:The worde and the swor must concur. and in the Magistrate an en­deuour to see euery man performe it, as farre as to his power and authoritie belongeth, who must compell thē by force, that will not doe their dueties in loue. And if then the vulgar and inferiour sort striue not to amende, and to cōforme themselues to the word of truth taught, and to the example of the godly Magistrate, propoun­ded before them, they shall all dye in their sinnes but the Minister and Magistrate shall be excused. But if there appeare negligence in the Ministers, the watchmen of [Page 28] the whole flocke, the people will also bee negligent: if they be ignorant, the people will be ignorant: if they be wicked, the people will be wicked: as Hosea saith, Such priests such people. Therefore now call your dueties to minde ye Ministers, and speedily with diligence per­forme the same. And thinke it not enough to bee called the messengers of God, vnlesse you speake & pronounce the will of God truely: and disdaine none that shew their good willes to speake as the occasion of this time requireth: For they that feare the Lord vnderstand his will. The feare of the Lord is the beginning of wisedome. And therefore euery one from the highest to the lowest, Prince and Ministers, Magistrates and subiects,Euery man must begin his dutie at the feare of God. must here begin. As a Prince coueting to gouerne prudently: as Ministers endeuouring to speake truly and boldly: as Magistrates desiring to rule in their places righteously, and couragiously: and as people willing to liue obe­diently and religiously. So shall there bee a most happie concord, and pleasant harmonie in al estates. There shal be no want of blessings, no cause to feare the enemie, no cause to complaine one of anothers wrongs in our land. Sinne shall beare no sway, but godlines shall flourish in all parts of this land: and then as we haue alreadie seene, how God hath fought for vs, so he will giue vs new en­couragements. And as Christ sayd to Nathaniel, we shall see greater things then these: not onely in his fighting for vs, but in powring out his heart vnto vs, causing vs to vnderstand his word,God wil keepe our aduersaries blinde, if we feare God and desire to see. Prou. 1. 23. when yet [...]ee will hold our aduersaries still blind, that seeing they shall not see, in hearing they shall not heare, and nothing that they imagine against vs shall prospet: but all shall turne to their owne confusion. Therefore let the eyes of vs all [Page 29] be towards the Lord, and with Dauid let vs all the day stretch out our hands to him that is one and the same for euer, louing and powerfull. And forasmuch as Princes, and Magistrates, must in this necessary reformation giue such examples, as may tend to the amendment of the in­feriour sort: it behoueth that they be learned and wise, vertuous, and valorous: so shall the people follow their steppes, as it were a light in the darke. And therefore the Magistrate must pray for wisedome,What is requi­red of the Ma­gistrate. not to seeme singular in policie, but religious in zeale: applying the same to the glorie of God, to discerne betwixt good and euill, that by them sinne (the cause of our daunger) may bee remoued, and faith and religion, the strength of our land, may bee increased: that the vngodly bee not more set by then the righteous: that vice be not more aduan­ced then vertue: so shall euery Magistrate be able to say freely, Be thou my Iudge O Lord, for I haue walked inno­cently. Surely as the Israelites thought themselues hap­pie,A good song for a Magi­strate if he sung it truely. when they had gotten Debora to gouerne them: so most happie are wee that haue Queene Elizabeth to go­uerne vs. For as Debora seemed so much the more to be a carefull mother of Israel, by how much she liked those gouernours which were likest her selfe, which appea­reth by that she sayed, My heart is set vpon the gouer­nours of Israell: so doubtles the godly care of our gra­cious Debora, to haue all the causes of Gods displeasure to bee taken away appeareth, in coueting,Moses and Aa­ron, the Magi­strate and Mi­nister are to be Martialed to­gether in a christian com­mon wealth. as much as in her lieth, to place godly Magistrates vnder her: God make them apt to answer it. She matcheth Moses the Magistrate with Aaron the Minister, the Word and the Sword: which both truely executed, must needes make due obedience in the people to the Magistrate, and [Page 30] like in the Magistrate to the law, and consequently in all to God. And then as the Magistrates are placed aboue other men in authoritie, so they will goe before the rest in pietie: and then no doubt but our Common-wealth shall be secure, and bee in the protection of the King in­uincible, who iudgeth them that iudge vnder him, and he will subdue the disobedient hearts, to loue and reue­rence rulers, and to fight couragiously against the ene­mies of our state, as he subdued the people vnto Dauid, and made them all incline to his will: That whatsoeuer the King did, pleased his people. Wee see then that wee neede not feare this vaine hoobub of the Spanyard, if eue­ry one would forsake sinne, and conforme himselfe tru­ly to seek after God. And to the end that God may blesse the hearts of all, it behoueth all to pray, which shall bee considered in the end of this sillie labour.

CAP. 3.
That all men ought to yeeld their vttermost power to resist the pursuers of this blasphemous Hoobub, by experi­ence of the power of God, shewed vnto our fathers of old.

HAuing, as it is before sayd, taken away the causes why God hath intended to moue this fierce nation against vs, by a general reformatiō of our liues, which if it appeare by the fruites of our rege­nerate mindes, let vs rest resolued, that God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Iacob, the God of Israel, the God of the faithfull, will bee assuredly on our side. The Lord our God as saith Moses, shall fight [Page 31] for vs, therefore let vs not be afraide of them, that in so high a malice haue lifted vp their thoughts, and prepa­red their weapons, not only against vs, but against Christ himselfe, & let vs take courage by the euidence of things before done, for VVhatsoeuer is written before time, is written for our vnderstanding. All things are written for our instructiō. And for our better en­couragement wee may examine some particular exam­ples out of the sacred scriptures, imploying them to as­sure vs of Gods loue towardes his, and of his power to confound his enemies by vs, if wee yeeld our hearts to follow him as our guide. No doubt but this spanish hoo­bub may something dismay the weake, in regarde that it soundeth with so open an exclamation, as if the breath of their mouthes could ouerthrow our Churches, and their little fingers great mountaines. But let vs thinke,The Spaniards in strength are not like the sonnes of A­nake. and we know them to bee but men, and men of no such stature as were the Anakimes, whom the little Israelites did master at their willes, as long as they feared God, al­though at the first they were afraid of them, because the spies returned such newes of their terrible strength and fiercenes. But the newes dismayd not their captaine Io­sua, who by the spirite of the Lord gaue them such en­couragement as qualified their feare, when hee sayde, Feare not the people of the land, for they are but bread for vs. If such an inuincible courage came vpon them that they feared not mightie Giants, and to enter into the territories of such strong men, because they were assu­red by Iosua that the Lord would fight for them,Which parte God taketh hath the vic­torie. being assured that whose part the Lord God of hoast took, that side should haue the victorie: It were more then weake­nes in vs, for whom the Lord most assuredly will fight to feare these men of farrelesse puissance then these Phi­listines [Page 32] who also come to inuade vs, who are more apt to resist them, then they to oppresse vs: they must land, wee are on shoare, they must pause and refreshe themselues wearied, wee are readie suddenly to receiue them: they are of number fewer then we, and therefore for any mat­ter in themselues, or of themselues, we need not to feare them. And the lesse, for that as Iosua sayth, Their shield is departed from them: they haue forsaken the Lords truth, and they are led by a blind zeale on the one side, and by ambition on the other: they are conducted by falshoode and pride; and the Lord no doubt is with vs, his promise assureth vs that he will be with them that feare him.Warre offered by inuasion, is fully furnished with militarie necessaries. Al­though by the way it is fit to consider that warre offered by inuasion, neuer commeth without absolute prouision of military necessaries. He that will inuade commeth in all points resolute, resolute to enter, resolute to fight, re­solute to die, and resolute not to retire: but to the last, to hope for victorie. This resolution appeared in VVilli­am the last Conqueror,William the Norman, took from his men hope of retire. when hee fyred his ships to take from his followers all hope of flying: and it may be said that this resolution is in al that endeuour a conquest. Al which being grāted, let vs enter into our own thoughts, whether the theefe that commeth resolutely to rob, can bee so freely resolute to fight as the true man, although no doubt he be desperate, yet is he fearefull: but in the other it is otherwise, who in true magnanimitie is truly resolute to keepe his owne. So fareth it with vs, and them that make this proude alarnm, to take away our good, liues, and liberties, they come no doubt as men desperate,Wisdome and trueth beare a­way the victo­rie. but wisedome and trueth beare away the vic­torie. And were there in vs but ordinary hardines which resteth in Paynims, and Moores, Turkes, and Barbari­ans, [Page 33] we should thinke our selues more able to keepe our owne, then to bee dispoyled by force. But wee haue the Lord himselfe on our side, who notwithstanding manie of our imperfections who are but flesh and blood, will not, though not for our sakes, yet for his gospels sake,God will de­fend vs for his Gospels sake. which wee holde inuiolate in it selfe, and haue the true seales of our obedience vnto his maiestie in our procee­dings: suffer this Antichristian power in their owne o­pinion inuincible, and therein most weake, to preuaile against him in ouercomming vs. And to assure vs fur­ther herein, let vs looke into the time of king Hezekia, in whose daies the blasphemous hoast of the proud Se­nacherth made inuasiō vpon the inheritāce of Gods chil­drē in Iuda; hauing like right as the spanish Senacherib to England, but only to enlarge his dominions: & therfore did good Hezekia by helpe of his counsell call together his captaines and souldiers, preparing them against this mightie king and huge armie, who were not to come by sea, as this king Catholique must; but he was come as it were to the walles of Ierusalem alreadie to besiege it. But bee strong saith Hezekia vnto his people, Be strong & couragious, feare not, neither be afraid for the king of Ashur, neither for al the multitude that is with him: for there be moe with vs then is with him: with him is an ar­me of flesh, but with vs is the Lord our God. So doth our good Hezekia Queene Elizabeth, by the aduise of her discreet Counsell, prepare against this threatning hoast of Spayne,Queene Eli­zabeth goeth forth in person to incourage her people. and in her we are al encouraged to withstand the same, who in person goeth foorth with her armies, and consulteth not onely with her Counsell, and expert martiall men: but with the almightie, of whose power, mercie, and prouidence, she hath deepe experience both [Page 34] before she tooke on her the Diademe of gouernment, as also since: and therefore she saith also, Feare not the Spanyards (my English subjects) whose strength is flesh, the Lord is with vs that will fight for vs. But loe Hezekia prayed against this mightie multitude, and the Lord out of heauen fought for him, who by his Angell slew all the valiant men of Ashur, the princes, captaines & soul­diers, to the number of 185000. men: and in like man­ner, as we haue had experience, shall he doe with this in­uincible nauie and mightie hoast: for hee is that consu­ming fire that shall deuour our aduersaries as dry straw, and by the breath of his mouth confound them that stand against his word, to peruert his trueth. And there­fore Queene Elizabeth (no doubt) humbleth her self in prayer, as Hezekia did, an argument of like victorie, Let vs all ioyne with her Maiestie therein, and then assured­ly shall that God that sought against Ashur for Israel, fight against Spayne for England. Yet some amongst our selues, our vnnaturall contrimen, I know, seeke to put feare in the hearts of our people, saying most blas­phemously that wee are heretikes, and that God cannot prosper vs; wee are sinners, and God cannot blesse vs. These are English Antichristians,Our secrete Papists dis­courage our people. Spanish hirelings, and deceiued and deceiuing papists: who lurke amongst vs as snakes in a corne field, no more deseruing the libertie of English lawes, her Maiesties protection, or benefits of our peace, then did the Philistines amongst the children of Israel, to whom they were as prickes in their eyes, and thornes in their sides, because they preferred humane policie in preseruing them to Gods commandements in extirping them. They argue against our trust in God e­uen to our faces, affirming vs to haue no such cause of [Page 35] hope of our deliuerie as Israel had: and yet say they, and it is true, Israel was plagued with sword, and captiuitie for their sinnes, being the peculiar people of God; and how can we escape that are (as they say) fallen from the Catholike Church?Whence we are fallen. Which is false: but from Rome, which is Babell, from papistrie, which is bondage, and from the traditions of men, meere idolatrie: and idola­trie, worshipping strange gods, was the cause why Israel was within the space of 339. yeares, six times oppressed by their enemies: when they went a whoring after straunge gods, then and not else were they oppressed. And although, no doubt, wee cannot excuse vs of offen­ding our good God, by our manifolde sins, which doth deserue correction: yet assuredly God is amongst vs, and by many true Christians of England sincerely ho­noured,In regarde of the truth im­braced, not­withstanding our sins, God is with vs. his Gospell truly preached, his word freely im­braced, and thereunto the liues of many truely confor­med. And on the contrary, let these Locusts that are flowen abroad out of the bottomles pit, into this land, not onely the wicked Iesuits, but also obdurate papists, who so much obrayd vs with our euill liuing, learne this, that they only in their idolatrie, blasphemie, & spi­ritual whoredome, are aptly compared to Israel in their falling from God, and not in the weakenes of flesh only falling, as did Dauid, Salomon, and many other, whose kingdomes in the best seruice of the liuing God, were not free from sinne, wherein no flesh can be cleered. But holding the maine point, the Christian and true Catho­like religion sincerely preached amonst vs,The true ca­tholicke religi­on is with vs, an argument of Gods pre­sence. and gene­rally imbraced of the most, (vnles it bee of such as like subtile serpents stoppe their eates) confirmeth strongly that the presence of God himselfe is still with vs: assu­ring [Page 36] vs also that his hand for their rebellion against his trueth, is turned against them. And therefore let no man beleeue them, howsoeuer they dispute to defend their owne holines which is onely outward, their hearts be­ing inwarldly seared with the yron of obstinacie, the marke of the beast of Rome, deprauing vs by reason of our frailtie. But it is necessarie such prickes should be a­mongst vs, to the ende our liues, but especially our reli­gion, should bee the better approued: for trueth appea­reth then most plaine, when it is opposed by error. How is the Romish religion discouered by the sincere writings of sundrie learned and deuout men, to bee a spirituall bondage? who seeking the sincere trueth in the light of the sacred word, haue left testimonie vnto all posterities thereof, which the most learned of the ad­uersarie can neuer confute: but in striuing to maintaine their darknes, they haue vndermined themselues, & are readie to fal by their wonderful stumble, at the view of the heauenly light, which glimmereth in their eyes as a candle farre off in the darke. How many sillie men, whose hearts haue been inwardly taught by the holie Ghost, without learning, haue stopt the mouthes of these Catholike Doctors? approuing their faith by the fire,Poore vnlear­ned Christians haue stopt the mouthes of Romish doc­trine. The truth will confound An­techrist. which they haue imbraced without feare or fain­ting, not as desperate Seminaries, suffering as Iudas did, for treason: but as patient Christians testifying their faith, builded vpon the vnresistable trueth by martyr­dome, as Stephen did? This truth hath broken the neck of Papisme, and this trueth will put him from his glo­rie, and his glorie from him, that seeketh to depriue vs of this trueth. Why then should wee distrust God, and thinke that hee will deliuer vs into the hands of this Ro­mish [Page 37] nation? Admit our sinnes do deserue puhishment, and surely we cannot, nor dare iustifie our selues, as they that haue nothing but meere deseruings in them,The enemie standeth on his owne strength, we on the bles­sing of God: they on the popes power we on Christs merrits. & can of themselues atchieue hauen by their own works: we only rely vpon Christs merits, and disclaime our owne worthines, wee stand to bee defended by the power of God, and not by our owne strength, like this inuincible nation, whose trust is in themselues: wee trust in God: they stand dissolute by the delusions of Antichrist, who pretendeth to coniure the seas to be calme, & the winds to be prosperous vnto his Catholike armie: and we re­ly vpon the meere blessing of God, that by the breath of his mouth did lately blow them from our coasts, as hee did the swarmes of lice from the Egyptians, at the praier of Moses and Aaron; hee cast them into the sea, as Christ did the swine, And let vs assure vs that in the same his mercies, hee will performe it in a greater mea­sure: that his glorie may more appeare, in being the protector of his owne. But what if wee please our ad­uersaries in his vaine hope a little, & confesse our weak­nes, as they pretend it? saying, our gouernour is a wo­man, and therefore weake, and the people in her not strong, our Nobilitie are not many, and our Martiall men fewe, and therefore the kingdome weake. But let them know withall, that wee haue in her Maiestie, vn­der GOD, whom she serueth,Queene Eli­zabeth shall cut off the power of An­techrist. absolute hope that she is the Iudith that GOD hath ordayned of cut off the head, namely, to dispoyle the man of sinne of all his glorie: she is the Iael that shall pearce his stemples with the naile of consufion, if at last he refuse to haue his hart pearced with the trueth of Christ, whō now now he persecu­teth. [Page 38] And if weak Debora got such honor in deliuering Israel from Iabyn king of Canaan by Barake, notwith­standing his 900. chariots of Iron, will it not bee ho­nourable to Queene Elizabeth, to breake the force of the inuincible nauie of Spaine? and if it pleased the mighty of mighties to assiste Deborah beeing a wo­man of no such reckoning for the shewe of her out­warde glorie, dwelling but vnder a palme tree, yet fearing God: shall hee not assiste Queene Elizabeth his annoynted, his chosen, and her that hee of meere prouidence preserued and aduanced to that high calling? the gouernour of his people of England? whom by her as by the hands of Moses, he brought out of most cruell bondage, vnder that purple harlot of Rome, and vnder her hath this 37. yeares preserued vs from all forraine inuasion, affoording vs peace in his apparant truth. But these Romists degenerate not from the ground of their religion which is al outward, they relie only vpō flesh & bloud,The romish hope al in out­ward things. They are strong inough and neede not God. arguing therein that God is exempted out of their companie, that is full alreadie: they are mighty enough, and strong enough, and need not his helpe. They reason as Senacherib did, that because he was strong, God could not resist him, and therefore shall they receiue as Sena­cherib did. They forget how God chose Gideon a poore labourer to be a captaine of his people, who also at the first began to reason with flesh and bloud as they do, say­ing, Oh my Lord, whereby shall I saue Israell, beholde my father is a poore man in Manasseh, and I am the least of my fathers house: wherein he reasoneth against the pow­er of God as they do, but the Lord answered him, I will therefore be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midia­nites as one man, therefore will I be with thee (sayth the [Page 39] Lorde) because thou art meane and weake. What saye these inuincible Giants to this? do they thinke our God is not that God that spake this to Gideon? God is strong in weakenes. do they thinke it is not that God that gaue them successe in the frustrate last expedition? They know not that God is strong in weaknes, but let them dally with God, God will be ear­nest with them in our behalfe: and let vs not feare them, for God chooseth the weake to ouercome the strong, who sayth, Looke not vpon his countenance or stature: for that is not it that fitteth the glory of God, who seeth the heart, wherein resteth the fitnes to performe the things of God He fought by vnarmed Dauid, and ouer­came armed Goliah: he fighteth by a few, and ouercom­meth manie: hee regardeth not the number inuading, not the weakenesse of the inuaded. Iosua with a small companie destroyed 31. Kings and their people: Dauid with 400.Few ouercōe many. men encountered the Amalechites, and slew of them a huge companie, hauing the killing of them from the twilight, to the euening of the next day. Elea­zer one of Dauids captaines, alone smote so many of the Philistines, that the people followed to spoyle and not to fight. Admit then that the number of our nobles were lesse then theirs, and wee had fewer captaines and souldiers then they, should we yet dismay? God forbid, for we see the inuincible hand of the Lord shall destroy them: but we exceed them also in number. They pro­ceed to feare vs yet with another skar-crow,They feare the weake in dimi­nishing our munition. that they exceed vs in munition and experience of warre: for the first, who amongst vs all doth not see the contrary? for all are by due regard of her Maiestie and Counsell, suffi­ciently furnished: but admit it were not so, and that wee had nothing but the protection of our professiō, which [Page 40] euer hath beene in it selfe a forte offensiue, and defensiue in all ages sufficient, being testified by true fruites, and warranted by God as was Gideon, who with 300. men discomfited the Mydianites a strong people, not with canon, bow, or sword, but by blowing of trumpets, and breaking pitchers, with burning lampes, as appeareth by the storye glorious to God, and comfortable to vs, men­tioned Iudg. 7. What weapon had Shamgar when he slue 600. Philistines, but an oxe goad? wherewith did Iosua ouerthrow Iericho, but with the sound of Rams hornes, and the shout of mens voices? Iosu. 6. And sure­ly these are necessarie examples for vs, whereof we may make a twofold profite; for thereby is seene the power of God performed in weaknes, which may also bee ap­plyed to a spirituall vse: namely, that as by blowing of trumpets, and shoutes of men, the walles fell downe: so by the sounding of the trumpet of the gospell, by the voices of his preachers, the defence of Romish Babylon shall fall, the earthen pitchers, carnall conceits being bro­ken, the lampe of the trueth shall giue light vnto their hearts.Queene Eli­zabeth a cho­sen woman to confound Romish Ihe­richo by the protection of the word. And surely to this weightie enterprise (as God alwaies dealeth by the weakest to performe the greatest action for his owne glorie) is Queene Elizabeth, a cho­sen woman of God, ordained in the meere prouidence of the almightie; and therefore let vs all yeeld our harts, hands, and helpe thereunto, as well as to withstand theis loud Hoobub, the pursuers whereof, no doubt God hath sent to beginne the way of their own confusiō, to­wards the destruction of Babell. For a small companie of the house of faithfull Abraham will serue, not onely to withstand this antichristian king, but put downe that red Dragon, and turne the vsurped glory, power, and au­thoritie [Page 41] of that purple whore into shame, and to lay o­pen her filthines which she now so cunningly cloaketh, to cause not onely the Spaniard, but many other kings, nations and people to commit fornication with her. For the promise of the Lorde is generall to the godly, who warre either in defence of his trueth professed in them­selues,God will assist such as war ei­ther to defend his truth pro­fessed, or to winne anye thereunto. or to procure it to be receiued of others: that fiue shall chase an hundred, and an hundred shall put 10000. to flight. And therefore assuredly, if we truely serue this our God, this threatned inuasion shall turne to the glory of God, and our notable comfort: for God shal no doubt giue them their deserued hyer, who as they are become drunke with the wine of Romish inchaunements, so shal they fall into deserued shame. And their hoped victory shall turne to their owne ouerthrow, though they haue alreadie cast lottes of euery mans land: nay the kingdom it selfe is disposed in conceite, and cunningly by the aide of some notable diuell intituled falsly, to beare the bet­ter colour, as did the French buy and sel our English no­bilitie at the field of Agencourt in France, Agencourt fielde. in the time of Henry the 5. where the French in regarde of their multitude, and the paucitie of English men, cast lottes for their furnitures before the victorie: but such was the power of God in abating their pride, that the English got the field, and slue a mightie companie of them, toge­ther with the most of their nobilitie slaine, or taken. This is the reward of pride, let vs therefore so much the lesse feare this cacholique king, by how much he vaun­teth of his inuincible power. And where they seeme to flatter some with the conceite of our want of militarie experience, although therein there is no such necessitie, as that without it there is no hope to stand before these [Page 42] supposed Martialistes: yet let them know,The Spaniard hath tasted English power and policie, to his paine. The Spaniards no doubt would not ad­mit the tryall of the contra­uersie to equal multitudes. as indeed they haue wel paid for the trial, that the English natiō cōmeth not short of the Spaniard, neither in policie not courage. And were the quarrell to be referred to the encounter of equall multitudes, who dreameth but that if the equitie of the cause seemed indifferent, the Spaniard woulde stand? they haue too well tasted the sharpnes of English valour. But as is prooued before, God is seene to bee strong in weaknes: yet for that we stand not vpon my­racles now, wee no doubt are so sufficiently prouided in all things, as behooueth watchfull Christians: If not, what resteth but a speedie supply of the wants? And re­ferring then the issue of the matter to the wisedome and mercie of God, who finding the prince, the ministers, the magistrates, and subiects euery one in his place watch­full, with reformed hearts and prepared hands, hee shall neuer giue vs a pray vnto the enemie.

CAP. 4.
A Christian caueat to English Papistes, how to an­swer this Antichristian Hoobub.

ONely thus much for the loue I beare you, in regard you are my countrimē, I aduise you, whome GOD forbid to stād in these perilous times, either zea­lous papists, in regard you would bee seene constant in error: or not dutifull to your Queene, Gods annoynted, in regarde of any se­cret vow made to be true to Antichrist. To reason much of the controuersie of the religious, I leaue to the lear­ned. [Page 43] But I will only speake of the danger whereinto you fall, if you in the least degree harbor any desire, liking, or loue to the enemies of your countrie.Inward desire of the Princes danger or sub­uersiō of your country, is be­fore God high treason. If your thoughts haue entertained but a willingnes to see the subuersion of your naturall countrie, your prince, & people, vnder whatsoeuer colour; albeit you haue in shew kept your hands from armes, your tongues from speech, & al your outward actions from suspition of being disloyall sub­iects: you are ipso facto within the compasse of high trea­son to your Prince, before God, who knoweth aswell your harts to harbour it, as he knew what Anna desired when she spake nothing. In this short discourse I will not only cōfirme what I speake, by approued exāples of sacred scripture; but also of others witnessed elsewhere. And by the way, before I proceede further, know this, that the Spanyard, who seemes to haue your hearts, and to bee sure of the vse of your hands for his purpose, al­though he finde you fit agents to sound vp this hoobub, howsoeuer he may vse plausible and kind words by his ministers, to draw you into this his societie; as Achito­phel secretly wonne Dauids people to affect Absolon, and to rebell against Dauid their annoynted King: bee you assured, that you shall finde no more fauour in his faunnes, or better wages for your wickednes, then Baa­nah and Rechab had of Dauid for killing their master.The Spaniard abhorreth traytors, though he make much of thē for a time. For howsoeuer euill this nation bee, in most capitall of­fences els: it, of all other nations, is noted to abhorre try­tors, and treasons. No Chronicle reporteth of any such matter among themselues, not being done in their be­hoofe, can endure it, but to make vse of it, only flattering the parties for a time, but at last giues them what they deserue. And therefore let this bee sufficient, you shall [Page 44] haue the reward of traytors of them, for your treasons done against your Queene. It may be, you take view of some English runnagates, that haue thought themselues bound by their alleagiance to their holy father, to break their sworne obedience to their naturall prince, and to conuey themselues to these people, with aduertisements against their countrey, prince, kinsfolke and friends: and you haue a will to follow them in hope of large enter­tainement: they haue been most coursly handled, euen the best of them, the Earle of Westmerland, the Lord Pa­get, and others of highest estimation, who as your selues haue heard,The course entertayne­ment of the best of our English run­nagates. if you be not willingly deaffe, haue, and doe receiue hard measure at the hands, not onely of such as were in calling their equals, but of Spanish slaues, who haue called them trayterous villaines to their faces: and they kindly digest it, making necessitie a vertue, abiding that perforce that they can not amend. You also know they liued there in poore estate, for men of their place in England, yea more base then an Artificer vnder Q. E­lizabeth. If these men had so colde comfort amongst them, being great, what thinke you to receiue? It may bee you may thinke that if traytors were so odious vnto them, they would giue them their condinge rewarde quickly,The cause in policie why the Syaniards hangeth not traytors pre­sently. and not foster them at all. But their policies teach it otherwise, and so doth cōmon reason. As if you couet to take vp two dogs, if whē you haue one, you be­gin to beare it, be assured the other wil flie you, but if ye cherish the first, the other will fawne vpon you, and of­fer himself vnto you. So it fareth with you traytors, and their policy: they make of thē that they already haue, but stales to allure you; & when you are al in his net, as your selues desire, he then will make short worke with you, [Page 45] hee will handle you like dogges, and the stales too: for then he shall haue no more vse of you, & therfore soone dispatch you. If you beleeue not this, but play about his allurements, like a flye about the flame, when you feele it, it wil be too late to cry Solon Solon: your end is mise­rie in the best sense,The best end of our traytors if the Spani­ards should preuaile. if this good master should preuaile, whose shamefull end and yours will first appeare. In the meane time, what shall become of you? you will neuer be quieted in thought. Will your desires be so smothe­red in the ashes of hypocrisie, that you shall not appeare at all? Truely either you will flame out at some narrow chink of your hot desires, or els you wil consume with­in,If God haue wrought a meane be­yond reason to dicouer a murder, much more will he discouer treasō. and burne as Iudas did. For thinke, that if God in iu­stice hating murther, haue ordayned so admirable a meane to discouer the murtherer, as your selues knowe, by the bloud of the murthered: how much more shall he discouer a traytor, that seeketh to murther Gods an­noynted? whereof you haue seene proofe enough, if you could beware. If you say you goe not about it, you belie your owne consciences: for if you desire a stran­ger to come in, to take the Crowne, you cannot but ac­knowledge you desire the subuersion of the state, and consequently the death of your gratious Queene: for either you must loue, or hate, there is no third. If you loue, your loue will appeare in obedience: which if it be not counterfeit, and so no obedience, it cannot but wish well to your Soueraigne:There is in al subiects loue or hate, which will show it selfe by the fruits. and in that regard to none els. If you hate, your hate will be seene by the contrary: and if your obedience be such as it ought, you wil conforme you also to her proceedings, which are most holie, foun­ded on the true Catholike religion. If it otherwise ap­peare in your conceits, referre you to the learned and [Page 46] godly of your owne countrey, and if you can conuince them of error, your worke is done: and no doubt but Queene and Councell, Ministers and people, will shake hands with you, and imbrace that which appeareth by the trueth to be palpable error. But if they conuince you, as you are conuinced, become one and the same with them, and flie from error. Lye not in such secret wayes, seeke no couert, come foorth and appeare, you haue the most merciful Prince that euer raigned vnder the Sunne: therefore feare her not, if you doe well: and shew not your selues one thing without, another within: for Ci­cero that knew not God, sayth, that all they that speake one thing and meane another, ought to be takē for faith­les, wicked, and malitious men: whereas a good man will neither faine nor dissemble in any sort, either to buy the better cheape, or to sell the dearer. The difference betweene plaine dealing and dissimu­lation. Therefore it is a great fault in you, and a blemish to your wisedome, that doe dissemble to buy your owne destruction deare, and to sell your saluation cheape. It is ill for you to aggrauate your fault, by denying this, sith your consciences be­wray this. And howsoeuer you flatter your selues, that all your desire argueth your Catholike zeale, the confu­sion of your countrie, the spoyle of your Prince, the losse of your lands and goods,The end of blinde zeale. the destruction of your wiues, children, kinsfolke, and friends, and your owne perpetuall thraldome, you purpose shall tend to Gods glorie, thinking you shall please God therein. Alas sillie deceiued wretches, you shall please God as they that in the like blinde zeale burned their owne children, & sa­crificed their owne bodies to diuels. But bee not decei­ued, your inward thirst is but the drouth of treason: and although you carrouse not with Ballard and his heroi­call [Page 47] crue,The thirst of papists is the drought of treason. to quench yet the least drop of your desire to see this wicked practise performed, is high treason. For whosoeuer followeth not Pauls counsel to submit him­selfe to the higher powers: let him thinke in resisting them, he resisteth the ordināce of God. If you wish pro­speritie to the Spanyard, you obey not your Soueraigne: If you disobey her in so high a measure, how can you be free in your soules from wishing her death? which is meerely treason. And in whose behalf doe you it? in the enemies of God, the professed enemie of the English nation, who, howsoeuer hee seeketh your loue, for the time, with promise to loue you still; assure you hee will not only answer you,A glasse for traytors. as Caesar Angustus did Kymetalces King of Thracia, who had forsaken Antonius to ioyne with him: and boasting of his treacherous act, Caesar dranke kindly to the rest, and said to him, yea Kymetal­ces I loue treason well, but I loue no traytors. Marke what was the rewarde of a King, who breaking his faith with one to whom he was not bound, as you to your Queene. And what, will you thinke that this newe master will loue your treasons lesse, or you traytors more, then did Caesar? Nay assure you, hee will not onely not drinke vnto you, but hee will vomit you out of his conceipt euer to be true to him, that are false to your lawfull annoynted Soueraigne.The Spaniard thinke them neuer true to him, that are false to your a­noynted prince. It is not your painted religion, beautified with counterfeit zeale, that can draw him to dreame of your loyaltie, and there­fore be sure your reward shal be as of deseruing traitors: and thinke in the degree of his loue what wil be offered by the basest of his people, who will not cease bee sure to giue you your right titles trayterous villaines, where­with our former ignobled rūnagates are wel acquainted [Page 48] in Spaine, as Lasthenes was in Olintham, where hee was an inhabitant: who hauing betrayed the towne to Phi­lip king of Macedon, The spaniards are rude like the Macedoni­ans, to call a traytor a tray­tor. was to his face by euery raskall called traytor, who complaining to the king for reme­die, had this conceited answer. The Macedonians (saith he) are naturally rude and grosse, calling a spade a spade, and all things else by their proper names: by which an­swer the king couertly called him traitor too. And ther­fore you may thinke that if you seeke reformation of such slanders, by actiō of the case against the Spaniards, the iudge in your action, is as rude as the Macedoni­ans, to approue traytors to bee traytors: and so to giue you the rewarde of traytors. Loe what a glorious thing is it to bee a traytor,The state of a trayor. whose beginning is blinde zeale, whose continuance is vaine hope, & whose end is death, and whose death is death eternall. Be not therefore still like such as sharpen their tongues like a serpent, for all your stings you see are in vaine to hurt whom God pro­tecteth: for the poyson that is in your thoughts doth but inuenome your soules to destruction. But it may be you wil say that your Romish schoole master telleth you, that you must not hearken to any other scripture then to his decrees, for that hee hath power to dispense with the scriptures, and with your treasons as he list. And it is he, as he makes you to beleeue, that knoweth more then the auncient, more then the wise, and more then the lear­ned. But take heed, for hee that cannot say with Dauid, My heart meditateth a good matter: cannot say, My pen is the pen of a direct writer. So that all his decrees are counterfeit zeale, not written by the pen of the holie Ghost: they are founded vpon the fonde inuention of man like Mahomets. And that spirit teacheth not him [Page 49] to write a dispensation of your disobedience, that taught Peter to say Christ was the sonne of the liuing God.Distinguish the spirits. So flesh and bloud teacheth him, and the holy ghost taught Peter: hee plaies the serpent with you, If you will eate the forbidden fruite (sayth he) your eyes shalbee opened: The pope is like the serpent that comman­deth forbiddē thinges with promise of re­warde. If you will followe his forbidden lies, and refuse the word commanded, you shall be saued. He will not haue you associate your selues with the godly; nor reade the scriptures that testifie of Christ, and teach you obedi­ence to your prince, and whereby you may prooue what the will of God is. And this i [...] you bee not blinde, you may see tendeth to no other ende but to intrap you, not only with treason against your Queene, but in rebel­lion against the high GOD, that will haue the Kinges whom he hath ordained to be truely obeyed. It may bee wondered at,A wonder that Papists wonder not at their blindnes. that you wonder not at your selues, that you should degenerate by his magicall enchauntments, not onely from the rules of humanitie, but from the na­turall disposition of bruit beasts, who euer loue the place of their education:Beasts loue the place of their education, shewing bet­ter loyaltie thē papists. a dogge affecteth that house, a horse loueth those fields, a lyon that desart, and all other beasts those places where they haue had their beginning or bringing vp, and do as it were respect there allies and fa­miliars. But you countrarie to all naturall ciuilitie, seeke to dispoyle your owne countrie farre beyond the liber­tie of the affections of heathen men, who haue beene moued to abhor to do il to their vnkind countrey from which they haue beene banished by their cruell coun­trimen. Themistocles a heathen man, being vniustly ba­nished from Athens, and kindly receiued of the King of Persia, from whom he receiued so great benefits, as that he to comfort himselfe and his children in banishment, [Page 50] sayd, VVe had beene vndone, if we had not been vndone: Could not yet be wonne to serue the Persian king in his warres, which was betweene him and the Athenians, although hee were offered a place of great honour, but chose rather voluntary death then to bee treacherous to his countrie. How vnnaturall are you thē, that being not onely not banished, but fostered, euen in the bosome of your naturall and louing countrie, should so farre im­brace the counterfeit loue of a straunger,The pope fawneth on papists like a Crocadile, who sheds teares when he will destroy. that fawneth vpon you like a weeping crocadile; as that you should in heart wish, much lesse by armes offer any shew of dis­loyaltie to your countrie or gratious Queene? Thinke this, that beside the sweete affections which nature it selfe hath imprinted in the hearts of all men towardes their country, the benefits that you haue receiued with­in yours, and the protection which her Maiesties lawes hath yeelded you,Benefits recei­ued in our na­tural countrey, is an obligati­on to bind vs to be true vnto it. should bee vnto you as an obligation to bind you (if religion and diuine equitie were not) to serue the publique wealth of your owne countrie, to the vttermost of your powers. Much more are you tyed to this duty, sith the truth it selfe, the bond of al obedience, calleth you back from your disloyall thoughts, wherein you seem to steale couertly away from the substance of naturall loue, to run after the shadow of impious zeale: zeale not onely without knowledge, but zeale builded vpon meere treason,Antechrist the head corner stone of blind zeale. Antichrist himselfe being the head corner stone. And therefore doubtlesse your vnderstan­ding is much obscured, how wise soeuer you seeme in your selues, and howsoeuer you bee flattered by them that would make vse of your wickednes. And you can no more perceiue their cunning, as appeareth, then Da­uid could conceiue of the cause why God prospered the [Page 51] wicked in his daies, and punished the godly.The waye to finde out the cause of blind­nes, is to re­paire to the truth. But as hee found it out by entring into the sāctuary of God: so seek you how to apprehend your true duetie, by becomming conformable to the true word of God, casting away the idle inuentions of the man of sinne. And as Aaron might not enter into the sanctuary where God did answer, vn­till he had sanctified himselfe: So sanctifie your obedi­ence, and enter into league with Christ, by becomming loyall subiects to his annoynted. And beleeue them not that giue you counsell to lie as you do, lurking to looke for a good houre, as you are made to beleeue it: beware it will bee a dismall day vnto you, that you so greedily gape for:The daye which the pa­pists wish to see, will be to themselues most fearefull. by what badge soeuer you seeme to be distin­guished: you will be vnknowen to the Spaniards, your speech will bewray you: you will not bee able to pro­nounce Shibboleth, as the Spanish Gilliadices doe, but Sibboleth like English Ephramites: you will as easilie be discerned as the Guelfes from the Gybelines: they are a subtill generation that shall deale with you. And there­fore gather your selues together, and before that daye come, ioyne with God against Beliall, take parte with Christ against Antichrist: receiue light and abandon darknes: flie treason, and become euery man true vnto Queene Elizabeth & your countrie. Take counsell not o [...] me, but of Zephaniah the Prophet, Seek righteousnes, seeke lowlines. Submit your selues to her Maiestie, be­fore the fierce wrath of the Lord come vpon you: Imi­tate the counsell of the wise man, who willeth you to Put away a froward mouth, and let all your waies bee or­dered aright. And thinke not your owne blind conceits to be the way of life:The waye of the foole is right in his owne conceit. for the way of the foole is right in his owne conceit: but he that is guided by counsel is wise. [Page 52] And therefore refuse not to knowe this, that if the peo­ple of Israel were commanded to pray for the peace of Babylon, wherein they were held captiues, and to pray for him that had dispoyled them of all their goods and possessions: how much more ought you not onely not to rebel or wish euil vnto your so gracious a soueraigne? but to pray for her, and for the peace of your countrie, wherein also you may haue peace.We ought all to pray for the peace of our countrey. Learne of Dauid who said, God forbid that I should lay hands vpon Gods annoynted: for (who saith he) can lay his handes vpon the Lords annoynted and be guiltlesse? It is needlesse to tel you how the pope, that lyar doth yet encounter Da­uid, and saith, goe and lay thy handes on the Lordes an­nointed, and thou shalt merit heauen: oh impious wretch that commaunds forbidden things, and forbids thinges commanded. And yet alas wretches, how are you blin­ded that will not see? Learne therefore that it is your du­tie aboue all things to beware of contemning or viola­ting the authoritie of your prince, who is replenished with vertue, religion, and Maiestie amongst you: and all confirmed by God, whose ordinance you breake in contemning her, much more in your treasons against her.How our pa­pists might be­come happie. Therefore most happie were you, if after these your dangerous consultations, and rebellious practises, you againe would returne and imbrace obedience: conse­crating your soules to God onelie with vnfained dedi­cation of your bodies, liues, and goods to the seruice of her: that in so doing will louingly imbrace you; and God most assuredly will pardon you. Come out from a­mong them then and be saued.