MERVEL not that althoughe I (beyng most full of pacience and longa — nimitie) doo yet at length breake furth in this ma­ner of complaint and lamenta­cion, for the easing of my great doloure and heuinesse. Wherof many times the outwarde ex­pressing and opening is no smal aswaging and comforte, and it may so chaunce that the autour of all goodnes (inspiringe into some hartes pitie and compassi­on vpō me, or rather vpō them­selues, throughe this my com­plainte) may therby sende me some relief or mitigacion of my great paine and anguishe. The greater and more noble perso­nage [Page]that one is, and beyng fal­len into aduersitie, the moore greuous is the lamentacion, and the cause of greuous com­plainte is thought moore iuste and reasonable. As for me, I neade not to boste of my selfe, what I am, & wherof I came, for the world, thoughe it be ne­uer so blinded throughe wyc­kednesse and wylfulnes, yet it can not but graunte me to be the inestimable treasour of all goodnes, and confesse all thynges to come of me the grace of God. The blinde foo­les knowe the beginninge and roote of all goodnes, and the spring from whence it cōmeth, and where they maye haue it moste plentifully, and yet they either irke or disdaine there to take it (when it is offred), yea [Page]whan it is put into their mou­thes, as meate is ministred to infantes or sickefolkes), yet ab­horre they to receyue it, and so put it furthe agayne. Mine aū ­cientie is from the begynninge, whan the foundacions of the worlde were laied, & al thinges were created and brought forth by that almyghtie word, which was with God, and was God himselfe. By whom with hys Father and the holye spirite, I was apointed speciallie to wait vpon that creature for whiche the rest of y^e worke was made, that vnkinde creature, I saye mankinde with whom I was put in paradise, that I myghte conducte and guyde them, that throughe myne assistaunce they shoulde haue ben translated to a perfite and most sure state of [Page]felicite immortalite and blysse.Gene. iii. But that false serpent deceiued the womā, and by her suggesti­on the mā beyng ouerthrowen, both were expelled furth of the garden of pleasaunce into the vale of wretchednesse, to toyle vpon the earthe, whereof they were made, and so became sub­iecte vnto deathe, sinne, infir­mitie, and all kinde of miserie. This greued me not a litle that this my shepe (to which I was committed) throughe his owne faulte and folye was cast into suche calamite. But yet of pitie I lefte him not, but folowed & pursued after, that I might re­couer him againe, and euer sins there aboute I haue trauailed continuallie, sparinge for noo payne, thoughe God him selfe should suffer, as finallie in dede [Page]I brought it to passe, and yet al wyll not serue. So farre I en­treated for y^e pore outlaw (mā ­kinde) whan he was banished furth of Paradise, that promise of comforte was profered vnto him, whiche was, that his sede shoulde breake the Serpentes head,Gene. iii. & that of him at the tyme appointed, shuld come one that should destroy y^e power of Sa­than, who was y^e worker of all this wo, wherin mankind was wrapped, I thought longe for the comming of this time, for I knew that than I should beare greate rule, and myne honoure shoulde be dilated all abrode the worlde. But in the meane season o Lorde, howe was I troubled and vexed? litle, and of the moost parte nothing set bye nor estemed, but reiected & [Page]repelled ouer all the worlde, moost vnkindlye and cruellye. Malediction and sinne reigned euery where. Euen shortlye af­ter, in Adams lyfe time, Cayn (his vngracious sonne) stirred with enuye and malyce), slewe his brother Abell, and woulde not be aduertised by me,Gene. iiii. to hū ­ble him selfe and acknowledge his faulte, with trust in goddes mercie, but fell into desperaci­on, and became a runnagate vpon the earthe. And the moost parte of that generacion and posterite desptsed me, and sette me at nought, and folowed the steppes of their father Cayn, and were all gyuen to worldlye and carnall inuencions. Seth (the thirde sonne of Adam) was more blessed,Gene. iiii. and I was some­thinge more familiar with hys [Page]posterite, but at length I was cleane reiected of all sides, & cō ­temned of all sortes of people, and the more that the worlde multiplied in generacion, the lesse their regarded me, but gaue them selfe all to synne and ini­quite, sekinge onlye to satisfie their carnal lustes and worldlie desires, in so muche that God (seing them so wholy disposed and bent to al vngraciousnesse) waxed heuie and repented him of the creacion of man,Gene. vi and for vengeaunce and punishment of sinne, he determined to destroy the whole worlde (both mā and beast), and wylled me to with­drawe my selfe from the worlde that they might perishe in their vnhappines. But as God wold there was one good and vertu­ous mā, whose name was Noe, [Page]who euen as I was secretlye departinge from the earthe, founde me, & obtained of God, that I myght tarye with him, and God of hys goodnes was content that so I should. Than was I gladde to wayte vpon Noe and to be closed vp in the Arke, whiche God had caused him to make for sauinge of him selfe, with his smalle retinue, from the raging floode, whiche in the space of fourtie daies and fourtie nyghtes swalowed vp all the lyuinge creatures vpon the earthe. Me thought it a straūge thīg to haue so straight an habitacion, but for the tyme I comforted my selfe, in that I thought the worlde after thys wasshing, woulde amende and become muche fairer. And tru­lye here God shewed him selfe [Page]verie good vnto mankind, pro­uoking them to make muche of me, and as if he had euen than created the worlde a newe, he blessed Noe and his children, & badde them encrease and mul­tiplie, and replenishe the earth,Gene. ix. and gaue vnto them maistrie and dominion ouer all beastes of the earthe, foules of the ayer and fisshes of the sea, and bad thē eate therof as they thought good, whiche libertie was not expressed before that tyme, but shortlie after. When we were gotter: for the of the Arke, and beganne to dwell againe vpon the earthe, trustinge to haue founde some quietnes and rule than at my pleasure, I founde it muche otherwise, for vngra­cious Cham one of Noe sonnes beganne to renewe vngracious [Page]touches,Gene. ix. and became a mocker of his father, & than came ma­lediction in againe vpon Cha­naan, whiche so daylie encrea­sed and spred abrode, not onlye in that tyme and generacion of Cham, but also in the posterite of Iapheth and Sem, that I coulde scante finde anye quiet place where too abide. Than came Nembroth,Gene. x. that mightie hunter not so much for his hun­tinge of wylde beastes, as for huntinge of possessions & lord­shippes, he and his sort (oppres­sours, extortioners, enrychers of them selues (wherof manye were than, althoughe no thinge lyke as nowe) hunted so, that they almoost hallawed me out of the worlde. And sodainlie as I was wandering and sekinge some dwelling place, I sawe [Page]the people all set on madnesse going about to builde a citie & a towre, whose toppe shuld haue retched to heauen.Gene. xi. And whan I coulde not diswade them frō this arrogant enterprise, I cō ­mitted the mater to God, who confounded their languages & tonges that on of thē could not vnderstand an other, and so thei ceassed with shame and no smal punishment, and than were thei deuided and dispersed ouer all the earthe. I folowed and at­tended here and there, wayting where I myght finde rest, but all went to wracke, for sinne o­uerflowed euerye where, and than of synne came blindnes, ignoraunce, and forgetting of God, in so muche that the wy­sest nations (as the Chaldees) fell from the worshippinge of [Page]the onlye true lyuinge God, to most foule Idolatrie. And whā I sawe this abomination, I acacquainted my selfe with one Abram,Gene. xii. the sōne of Chare, and perswaded hym to obeye the calling of God, and to departe forth of that wycked countree, and by my meanes I gate him suche frendshippe and familia­ritie with god, that he gaue him his blessing, and made him pro­mise that vniuersall blessynge shoulde come to the hole worlde in his seede. I founde thys A­braham verie gentle and trac­table, and he attended diligent­lie to my monitions and was careful to kepe me, and refused no trauaile nor tribulacion, but alwayes humblye he folowed me and wayted vpon me. And I leafte him not, but was euer [Page]readie to preserue him in all daungers, and from al enmies. God lyked him well and made him eftsones free promise of the singuler benedictiō that should come by his seede, and that he should haue an heire: (although he were olde, & Sara his wyfe barrain) and that his posterite should exceade in noumbre the multitude of the starres.Gene. xv. And I taught Abraham to beleue and gyue credite to the promise of God, who is al trueth, and god accepted that wel, and imputed his fayth vnto him for ryghte­wisenes. Of this promise made by God vnto Abraham I re­ceaued greate comforte, & was wonderfully reuiued, trustinge by this benediction to be exal­ted, and to bere rule in y^e world. And I continued still with A­braham, [Page]& brought him diuers times to familiar speach with almightie God. I fouude also some comforte and delite in hys cosin Loth, and taughte hym the vertue of hospitalite,Ge. xix. wher­by he receaued the Angelles in­to his house. And I obteined his deliueraunce from that ter­rible destruction of Sodom & Gomorre. These were Cities giuen to extreme abomination, and would in no wise suffer my tarienge amonges them, nor I coulde not get so muche as ten persons within the hole citie of Sodom to take my part, wher­by the citie mighte haue ben sa­ued. And so the iust punishment did lighte vpon them for an ex­ample of the iuste iudgement of God. After that Abraham was departed forthe of this worlde, [Page]I remained with his sonne I­saac. For in other places abrode in the world, I could gette but smal herborow. I would glad­lie haue ben also with I smaell, (an other son of Abraham) but I founde him ouer sturdie. I­saac was meke and gentle, and so was Rebecca his wyfe. He had two sonnes (Esau the elder and Iacob the yonger) I had a more delite vnto the yonger.Ge. xxv. For the elder was proude, im­patiente, a glotton, and giuen to pastime & pleasour, but Iacob was simple, sober, and no med­ler abrode, but loued to keepe home. And I taughte him (through his mothers coūsel) to preuente his brother Esau, in gettinge his fathers blessinge.Ge. xxvii. And after that, I waited vpon him into Mesopotamia, all the [Page]while hee serued his vncle La­ban, and by the waye I obtai­ned him suche familiaritie with God,Gen. xxviii that it pleased God to speake to him from the toppe of the ladder, vpon whiche Aun­gelles came vp and downe, and there God vouchesafed to re­newe the promise made before vnto Abraham of the vniuersal blessinge that shoulde come to the worlde. Whereat I greatlie reioysed, knowing that my full power shoulde not come before that tyme. Than I prospered Iacob in all his wayes, and all his busines, & gate him a good mariage of his vncles dough­ter.Gene. xxix. And whan Iacob was wel encreased in rychesse and sub­staunce, I conducted him into his countree againe, and saued him from the daunger of hys [Page]brothers displeasure, & endued him with suche strength that he wrastled with the Aūgell, wherby hys name was chaunged frō Iacob to Israel. I bare a great stroke in Iacobs house a cer­taine space, but sodainlie the clearnes of my ioye began to be ouercast. For Iacob had one sonne named Ioseph,Gene. [...]. and the rest of hys bretherne began to conceiue indignacion and ma­lice against him, because their father Iacob bare speciall loue and fauour vnto him. There can be no greater grife or vexa­cion vnto me, than to abide in the house where malice and ha­tred is entred. This malice of the other brethren against Io­seph, was also encreased by cer­taine dreames of Ioseph, wherof [Page]of he made interpretacions, whiche greatlie misliked hys brethern. Finallie, thei sold him to marchauntes Ismaelites, who passed throughe the coun­trie, and made his father beleue that a wylde beaste had deuou­red him. Thus Ioseph was ca­ried awaye and brought into Egypt, and thā Phutiphar the Chamberlaine of king Pharao bought him of the marchaun­tes.Gene. 39. But I was with him and he prospered in all thinges, and I gate him the fauour of hys Lorde and maister, who made hun ruler of his house, and put him in singuler truste. Ioseph was an innocent man, of great integrite and perfection, and there with all bewtifull & well fauored. His lady and maistres [Page]tempted vehementlie his cha­stite, but through my helpe and councell he refused to consente to that wicked woman. Wher­fore in despite she wrought him wo; forginge lyes and slaun­ders against him, and makinge false cōplayntes of him, wher­by hys maister (gyuinge ouer­lyght and hastie credence to his wyues tale) did cast good Io­seph into prison, where he was shutte vp, and closed a good sea­son. But I lefte him not, but conforted his harte with paci­ence, and brought him into fa­uour with the keper & maister of the prison, so that he bare cheife rule amonges the priso­ners, and was in greate truste and credite, behauinge himselfe in all thynges most vpryghtlye [Page]throughe my helpe. At length he was deliuered furth of the pri­son at suche time as the vnkind Butler remembred the true in­terpretacion of hys Dreame, whiche Ioseph had made, and than kyng Pharao caused him to be brought furth of prison:Gr. xli. & whan he sawe that Ioseph al­so had declared the meaning of hys dreames so wonderfullye, he had him in great veneracion, (seinge hym to be replenished with the spirite of God) and ex­alted hym, and made him hys lieutenaunte and nexte in dig­nite and honour to him selfe, in all the lande of Egypt. And by his prudente pollicie and pro­uision bothe the people were quietlie pacified in tyme of the darthe, and the kynge enriched. [Page]At that time hunger and gene­rall scarsite of corne compelled Iacob to sende his sonnes our of the lande of Chanaan into Egypt,Gen. xlii. to bye some graine, where they founde their bro­ther in principall authorite, but they knewe him not, he dalyed with them for a season after a straunge facion, and at the laste he shewed him selfe with all gentlenes what he was, so that they knewe him, and than after comfortable wordes, he com­maunded them to go and bring their olde father Iacob into E­gypt,Gen. xlv. & to retourne themselfes with all their housholde stuffe and substaunce, and so they did. And king Pharao (for Iosephs sake,) receaued thē with greate benignite,Ge. xlvii. granting to them cō ­modious [Page]habitaciō in y^e coūtrie of Gersyn. Al this I brought to passe, and continued stil with Ioseph and his father Iacob during their lyfe. And although I was not so wel entreated as was meete, yet I remayned a­monges the reste of Iacobs sonnes, and continued for the most parte with that generati­on and people, which daylie en­creased & multiplied in Egypt. In other places I coulde beare but smale rule, for Idolatrie had infected the worlde. Yet I founde one good seruaunte a­brode amonges the other naci­ons, whose name was Iob, whom I instructed with singu­lar pacience, and preserued him in perfitte innocentye, so that neither his wife, nor his frēdes, [Page]nor Sathan had any power to peruerte his godlie harte: he was lyke a strōge tower which bye no enemies coulde be ouer­throwen. Nowe, whan Iacob and his sonnes were deade, I was conuersante most amōges that people whiche were called Israelytes. But certaine yeres after, there fell vnto them great afflictiō and trouble, by reason that the kynge of Egypt began to haue them in despite,Exo. i. and the people of the countrie enuyed them verye sore, & so they were put to great vexation, and op­pressed with labour in daw­bing and tyling, that they were werie of their lyues, & wyst not whether to turne them. Than it pleased GOD to sende one whose name was Moyses,Exo. iii. vpō [Page]whom by Gods wyll & apoint­ment I wayted diligentlie frō tyme of his byrthe tyl the houre of his death. He was takē furth of the ryuer, and brought vp by kinge Pharaos doughter in the court.Exod. ii. He was taughte and in­structed with al kinde of science and conning of the Egyptians, but throughe my motion and aduertisement he (refusinge & renouncing all worldlie honour and preeminence) fled awaye & conuated him selfe into the lāde of Madian, and there he was cōtent to kepe shepe in the wyl­dernes, where God appeared to him, and cōmaunded him to go and deliuer the people of Israell further of the sclauerye that they were in,Exo. iii. in Egypt. This Moyses was meruelous [Page]in the famour of God, and had reuelation of the essential name of God, and a Rodde deliuered to him wherewith to worke wonders and miracles.Exo. iiii. And than by goddes commaunde­mente, he with his brother Aaron entred vnto kinge Pha­rao charginge him in Goddes name that the people should be deliuered. But Pharao, obsti­natlie refused the monition and wyll of God, and hardened hys owne harte and styll oppressed the people. But God declared hys almyghtye power by the hande of Moyses,Exo. v. and did send diuers plages vpon Pharao & all the lande of Egypt, so that finallye he was gladde to lette the Israelites departe.Exo. xiiii. But so­dainlie his harte chaunged a­gainst [Page]them, & being all blynded with cruell malice, furiouslie he and his people persecuted them, purposing vtterlie their distruc­tiō. But I wrought so mighte­lie with Moyses, that he and the children of Israell escaped throughe the redde Sea, in which Pharao with al his host was ouerwhelmed & drowned. Than I taught Moyses & the people of God with him, to giue laude and praise to God with ioyful songe, sayinge: Cantemue domino, Exo. xv. gloriosè enim magnifica­tus est. After this whā Moyses had brought the people into the wyldernes of Surria, I taughte him by his praier, to chaunge the bitter and sower waters in to swetenes, wherby the mur­muringe of the people was pa­cified. [Page]And after that also in the wyldernes of Syn, God graū ­ted vnto them Quailes and Manna.Exo. xvi. And in Raphydim I stirred Moyses vnto prayer,Exo. xvii. wherbye he obtained water out of the rocke, to quenche the thirst of y^e murmuring people. And I taughte him also by lyf­tyng vp his handes in prater, to vanquishe Amaler, which came and made assaulte vpon the Is­raelites. After all this I came with Moyses, Aaron and the children of Israell into the de­serte of Sinay, and there I brought Moyses to more fa­miliar cōmunicatiō with God,Exo. xix. who vouchesafed to appeare vnto him vpon the mountayne in fyre, (the Mountaine also smoking in moost terrible ma­nuor, [Page]with thonders and light­ninges, and an huge cloude co­ueringe the Mountayne, & the trumpette fearfullie sounding, that the people were al affraide and astonied). There Moyses receaued the tenne cōmaunde­mentes and the lawe, and made dedication of the olde testamēt, sprinkling bloude towarde the people. But beholde my con­trarious chaūces. Whan Moy­ses was ascended againe vp to the Hyll, to receaue the lawe in tables of stone (wryten by Goddes hande) while he was learning the misteries of God, remaininge throughe my helpe vpon the Moūtain by the space of .xl. dayes and .xl. nyghtes, the vngracious people assembled them selfes,Ex. xxxii. & compelled Aaron [Page]to make them a Calfe, whiche they worshipped, and fell to eating and drynking and spor­ting them selfes in their Idola­trie. This excedinglye greued me, and made also God angrie, who bade Moyses go downe from the Hill, and thretened to destroy that hard and stiffenec­ked people. But I stired Moy­ses to feruente prayer, wher­by the angre of God was aswa­ged that he with drue his ven­geaunce. But Moyses cōming downe and hearynge the reuel­linge and singinge whiche the people made, and seinge their calfe (for vehement angre) cast the tables furth of his handes, and brake them at the foote of the Hil, and toke the Calfe and burnte it, & beate it to pouder, [Page]and gaue it to drynke in water to the chyldren of Israell, and than for great zeale and indig­nariō, wherwith Moyses was e [...]la [...]ed, he caused one of them to kyll an other, to the slaugh­ter of .xxiii. thowsande. Yet I so moued the hart of Moyses, that he moost instantlie prayed vnto God for the offense of the people, wishinge (rather than that God shoulde not for­gyue them), to be blotted furth of the booke of lyfe. Thus I continued with Moyses and hys brother Aarou▪ and a fewe other whiche were contented to be ordred by me.Exo. xxxiiii. And I hel­ped Moyses to recouer agayne the tables of the lawe, and to erecte the tabernacle, and than God taughte him the maner [Page]and fourme of all sacrifices and oblations, with all the rites, ceremonies, & maner of iudge­mentes, whiche God thoughte mete and conueniente for that tyme of the olde testament. As for the nombre of the Israeli­tes they were euer stubborne, styffe necked, harde harted, doubting and mistrusting god­des promises, euer crying and murmuringe againste Moyses and Aaron, yea of Aarōs kins­folkes there were some as Na­dab, & Abin, whiche despisinge my preceptes, for their presūp­tion were consumed with fyre: yea I had muche a do to kepe Aaron him selfe and Mary the sister of Moyses.Leu [...]. xi They were almoost vanquished away from me, for their murmuringe a­gainst [Page]Moyses, and Mary, was stryken with Leprosye. And by and by the hole people made insurrection,Nom. xi. and would haue stoned Caleb and Iosue, because they exhorted the peo­ple to be constante in their iour­ney,Nom. 13.14. and did animate them to the cōquest of the lande of Cha­naan. God was for thys Re­bellion (as he is for all other) verye angrye and thretened de­struction, but Moyses by fer­uent prayer ouer came him for that present vengeaunce. Than sodainlye arose an other Rebel­lion agaynst Moyses and Aa­ron, by Core,Nom. xvi. Dathā, and Aby­ron, with diuers other, whiche were of the principall sorte of y^e Synagoge. But their end was horrible & wōderful distructiō. [Page]And yet could not the vngraci­ous & wycked people be stayed, but fell in murmuring, & began newe tumult and busynes, but the wrath & plague of God fell vpon them, and they were con­sumed with fier, to the numbre of xiiii. thousande. And all this would not helpe, styll they con­tinued murmuring when so e­uer their wāted the satisfiyng of their carnal desires, insomuche that Moyses was faine to get thē water out of the hard stone.Num. xx. But here alas, I was almoste vtterly reiected altogether, not onely of the people, but also of Aaron and Moyses himselfe, For at this poynt Moyses and Aaron were (as men ouer we­ried in continuall conflict) some thyng faynted in their hertes, [Page]and for bicause their fayth was not so vpright as shoulde haue been, God toke such displeasure with them, that they entred not into the lande of Behest. No meruell if the rest of the people whiche issued furth of Egypte with Moyses, were excluded, which by so many wayes offen­ded God, that thei wer destroy­ed, and their bodies prostrate in the wyldernes, in whiche God fedde them and conducted them by the space of xl. yeres: but thei could neuer attaine the lande of Chanaan, because they resisted my admonitions. Of sixe hun­dreth thousand,Num. [...] [...] onely two per­sons entred into the lande, and al for their incredulitie and mis­beleif. But Iosue & the children of them whiche came furth of [Page]Egypt through my ayde (accor­ding to Gods promise) entred y^e countrey of Canaan, at whose entryng God wroughte great wonders. And when Iosue had conquered the lād, and deuided it amonges the xii. trybes, he throughe my suggestion (like a most godly and gracious gouer­nour) moste instantly exhorted the people, diligētly to learne,Iosue. 23. & stedfastly to obserue the lawe & commaundementes of God.

After that Iosue & that gene­ration was dead,Iudic. ii. the Israelites began to fall into another kind of synne, and would not regard God nor his woorkes, but did noughtely in y^e sight of the lord, and serued Baalim. Thus was I euil entreated amōges them, and in maner depriued of all ho­nour [Page]and estimation: yet I re­couered my selfe through great strength & vertue. And in this extremitie I would not cast of this vnkynde people, as they had reiected me, but I obtained of God for them, iust, wise, and valiant iudges at sūdry tymes, By whom they were alwayes deliuered furth of the captiuite and daungier of their enemies. And this cōtinued by the space of foure hundreth & fiftie yeres. Yet euer when their iudge was dead, than would they returne to their olde wicked wayes and inuentions, not fearing to pro­uoke the angre of god. And thei did not onely fall into idolatrye of the Gentiles,Iudic. iii. but also into their vices and fylthie abhomi­nations, as appeared in the a­busing [Page]of the Leuites wyfe,Iudic. xix by the men of Gabaa, whiche dete­stable crime was cause of great murther, and in maner occasion of the destruction of the whole trybe of Beniamyn.Iudic. xx. In that tyme there was no kyng in Is­rael, but euerye one did what himselfe thought best. The prei­stes,Iudic. xxi. iudges, and aunciētes bare cheif rule, & gouerned the people as well as it would bee, but all was farre amysse, and daily it waxed worse and worse, & my power & honor continually de­creased. Yet at lēgth I brought furth Samuel,i. Reg. i. and of a good childe made him a good old mā. In his daies the people began to crie for a king,i. Reg. 8. & I procured at Gods hande, that a certaine goodly yong mā named Saul,i. Reg. x. [Page]was apointed to be their kyng. A small tyme was he in his kingdome,i. Reg. xv. but he shaked me of, and was disobedient to the will of God declared to him by Sa­muel, and folowed his owne, & saued Agag. Wherfore I lefte kyng Saul, & permitted him to an euil spirite, & I acquainted me w^t Dauid the sonne of Iesse, a man of the special election of God,i. Reg. xvi whom I caused Samuel to anoint king in place of Saul. I comforted Dauid in great tribulations, whiche Saul rai­sed against him, and finallye I brought him to quiet possession of the kyngdome of Israell, I gate him gret victories against thinfideles,i. Reg. vi. I made him bring home to his Citie with greate reuerence the Arke of God, Yea [Page]I obtained that most gracious promise of Messias, which was made long before to Abrahā,2. Reg. [...] ▪ to be renued with this kyng Da­uid, that of him & his seede the sonne of God should be incar­nate. I stirred his heart to de­uotion & feruent desire to haue God honoured: I taught hun to make Psalmes & songes in the praise of the moste highest and mercifull God. But see what misfortunes happen vnto me.

This same kyng Dauyd vpon whō I had so long & diligently attended, and so carefully nori­shed and brought vp, sodainely with a blast of temptacion was caried away, & had almost loste me. He forgat me and himselfe, and cōmitted no small faultes, Fyrst adultry,2. Reg. 11. & than murther. [Page]And another time also he offen­ded me in numbring the people, [...]. Reg. 24. he had for these been lost & for­lorne, if I had not with all ve­hemencie styrred his heart to penaunce and contrition. But he ceassed not to wayle and wepe, to mourne and lament, to cal & crye, both day and nyght, tyll I had brought him into his for­mer state, & reconciled him with God, who was hyghly displea­sed. He cryed after me as a lābe or a byrde, whiche had loste his damme, & God of his goodnes receiued him, & restored to him the comfortable & ioyfull spiri [...] and afore he dyed; he lefte his sonne Salomon sittyng in his throne,3. Reg. i. to whom he gaue moste godly preceptes & exhortacions (as becōmeth the father to geue3. Reg ii. [Page]to the childe) and so he departed furth of this world. Than wai­ted I vpon young Salomon whiche was a gracious childe, & welbeloued of God. [...]. Reg. 3. I taught him (by his prayer) to obtayne that synguler gift of wisedome, inspiring the desire therof (as a thing most necessary for a kyng) into his heart. God lyked him well, and exalted him to edifie the glorious & famous temple wherin God should be worship­ped, and therin the Arke of God was placed, & Salomon with great solemnitie and multitude of sacrifices,3. Reg. 8. made dedication therof: (But O howe wonder­full and fearefull are the secrete iudgementes of God.) This same Salomon (for all that I could doe) after all these benefi­tes [Page]of God, declyned from me, & fell to loue of straunge ladies: & had so manye wyues, [...]. Reg. 11. queanes, and concubines, that it was no merueil, if for all his wysedome they made him a foole. In his olde age when he should haue been wysest, his heart was per­uerted and depraued, in suche wyse that he fell to idolatry and worshipping of straunge & false goddes. God was therwith so moued, that he decreed to de­uide the kyngdome of Israel, & to take away x. trybes from the house of Salomon. This had been done incontinently, but I entreated so, that for his father Dauyds sake, it came not to passe while Salomon liued: but in his sonnes dayes it came to passe, accordyng as God had [Page]threatned.3. Reg. 12. But after the death of Salomon whan his sonne Roboam (cōtrary to my minde) dispisyng the coūsel of auncient men, was led by his yonkers & wanton flatterers: the threate­nyng of God came to effecte, & the people deuided them selues, and x. trybes made them a new kyng named Ieroboam, & onely the trybe of Iuda and parte of Beniamyn taryed w^e kyng Ro­boam. And thus of one kyng­dome were made two. Diui­sion and separation of kyng­domes and turning diuers into one, is no small plage of God. But nowe, Hieroboam when he was thus exalted into the kyngdome by the wyl and suffe­raunce of God (wherby he shuld haue had cause to retaine me, & [Page]with all studie and diligence to obserue me:) yet he cōtrarywise vtterly neclecting me and forsakyng me, gaue him selfe all to Idolatrye, [...]. Reg. 12. and did also drawe all the people with him into the same abhomination, and would geue no eare to the Prophetes of God, but forged a newe reli­gion after his owne mynde, and contrarye to Goddes ordi­naunce made preistes at his ple­sure, (and all for money). And after him his successors kynges of Israel folowed his vngraci­ous steppes, & continually kept the people in errour and blynd­nesse: so that finallye throughe their abhomination, thei prouo­ked y^e wrath of God, [...]. Reg. 18. who gaue them vp into the handes & cap­tiuitie of Salmanazar kyng of [Page]the Assyrians. But as for Ro­boam and his posteritie kynges of Iuda they were not so euil as the kynges of Israel, (but al together noughtie, and aduer­saries vnto me) excepte thre or foure of thē, with whom I did insinuate my selfe into some fa­miliaritie, that the vengeaunce of God was prolonged and did not fall vpon the countrey so soone as the people deserued: but at length for al that I could doe, I was repudiate and cast of. But there was no remedye, but to let them go to destructiō and captiuitie, as the Israe­lites were serued before them, For the kyng of Babylon came vpon them with mayne power, and burned the citie and temple of Ierusalem, and toke the king [Page]and put out his eies, and bound him in chaynes, [...]. Reg. 30. and caused his sonnes to be slayne afore him, also all the chief principall sorte whiche were taken prisoners, he caused to be slaine without pitie. This was the iust punish­mente and vengeaunce of God for dishonoring me. Thus was I in great heuynesse & distresse, which beyng afore reiected and dispised of all the nations of the worlde: and hauyng no comfort but amonges the Iewes, which were elected to be the holy peo­ple of God, was also in this maner abandoned of them. Nowe had I no place to resorte vnto, sauyng that I hadde alwayes some olde seruantes in corners, as Elye, Helize, Esaie, Hiere­mye, and certaine other Pro­phetes [Page]& their chyldren, whiche receyued and retained me glad­ly. Some seede was euer left, elles had they been worse then Sodome and Gomorrhe. All together dyd not bowe their knees vnto Baal. Nowe after this captiuitie and transmigra­tion of the Iewes, I ceassed not yet to allure vnto suche as I lyked amonges them, and I fo­lowed and serched out amōges the Chaldees and Babyloni­ans, where they were dispised. There I founde Ezechiel, and reueled to him straūge visions,Ezech [...]. [...]. and taught him both sharpe and comfortable monitions, whiche he preached vnto the people.

Also I obtayned for the chylde Daniel the spirit of wysedome and prophesie in great excellen­cie, [Page]And I deliuered him furth of the denne of Lyons,Dani, i. And his thre companions furth of the flamyng furnace:Dani. 14. And not only I was cōuersant with men,Dani, 3, but also aboute this tyme I founde certaine women whiche with al gentilnesse and humilitie obser­ued me, as Susanna, Iudith, Ester, Sara the daughter of Raguel, with whose husband & father in law, (the two Tobies) I delighted much to abide. But all this tyme the scarsitee and small nombre of my seruantes, greatly abated my ioye, For I bare but small rule ouer all the yerth, Yet I departed not vtterly frō the Iewes beyng in mise­ry. But whan the yeres of their captiuitee (appointed by God, & declared by y^e mouth of Ieremy the Prophet) were past: than I [Page]styrred the harte of that noble kyng Cyrus to be gracious vn­to them,i. Esdr. i. and to licence them with fauour to returne to Hie­rusalem, and to builde agayne the Citie and the temple, which afore was destroyed by Nabu­chodonosor. I had good faith­full seruauntes amonges the Iewes, whiche did helpe man­fullie, and couraged the people to this worke, as Iosue, Zoro­babell, Aggeus, Zacharias. And I wrought so that after this,i. Esdr. v. Darius also the kynge of Perses was fauourable to the Iewes,i. Es. vi. and confirmed the li­bertie of buildinge againe the temple, as Cyrus had done be­fore. And so in lyke maner did Artaxerxes. In whose dayes I moued the spirite of Esdrasi. Es. vii. [Page]to serche the lawe of the lorde, and to exercise and teache the cōmaundementes therof. And this Esdras obtayned of kyng Artaxarxes (throughe my me­diation) great priuileges for the Iewes, that they might frelye and quietlie repaire againe to Hierusalem, and there renewe the seruice of God according­lie as the lawe apointed. And shortelie after this,ii. Esd. ii. Nehemias in like maner obtained (through my helpe) of kynge Artaxerxes to reedifie the Citie of Hierusa­lem. And nowe I began some­thinge to be conforted agayne, after longe distresse and deso­lation. And I restored the peo­ple of Israel ito a meetlie good and tolerable state. But alas, my gladnes cōtinued not lōge. [Page]The people by litle and litle fell to their owne disposition, and daylie set lesse by me. In so muche y^e God did many wayes afflicte and punishe them and suffred them for their iniquite to be ouercome, and vāquished of diuers Heathens and Bar­barous princes, and finallie, to be conquered of the Romaines. Thus was I vtterlie exiled from the Iewishe people, which euer I had most tenderlie attē ­ded vnto. And alas, al the wide worlde beside, had me in moost extreme disdaine. Sinne moost horrible, raigned ouer all the earthe, Idolatrie, Murther, Pryde, Auarice, Fornication. These vyces with all other of all kindes and sortes had reple­nished the hole world. Scantlie [Page]coulde I finde at this time any hole, or corner wherin I myght hyde my heade. But nowe be­holde the goodnes of God ex­cedinge and passing all speache, thoughte, and vnderstandinge. At this tyme, whā al the world was thus drowned in the bot­tome of synne, and of recouerye myne aūcientie semed to be de­sperat, yet y^e eternal almyghtie father of his incomprehensible charitie & mercie, whan I was brought moost lowe, sodainlye exalted me, and set me vp again in muche greater excellencie thā euer I had before. Yea the mightie and good God orderer and disposour of all tymes was content nowe to sende the time of my illustration. Whiche time was promised and prophe­cied [Page]of so longe before. It plea­sed the heauenlie father accor­dinge to his worde by mani­folde waies spoken before, to ac­complishe and perfourme hys promise made from the begin­ninge of the worlde, that redēp­tion shoulde come, that recon­ciliation shoulde be made, that healthe shoulde be restored, that benediction should be enlarged, that I shoulde florishe and be exalted and dilated ouer all the earthe. The sonne of God (se­inge man destitute of my helpe, descended from heauen, & was incarnate of Marye that euer immaculate and blessed virgin,Ioan. i. Math. i. a vessell singulerlie amonges all creatures, elected and pre­pared by me, to be the mother of Iesus,Luc. i. the sonne of the most [Page]highest. The Angell was sente in message to open to her the wyl of the Trinite, saluting her saying Haile full of grace, the lorde is with the. And he tolde her that she shoulde conceaue & bringe furthe a sonne, whose name shoulde be Iesus.Math. i. For he shoulde deliuer the people from their sinnes. At whiche worde I receaued comforte inexplica­ble. For asmuche as I percea­ued the time of my full ioye to brawe nere. I had secrete ac­quaintance at the same time in the house of Zacharie, whose wyfe Elizabeth throughe me,Luc. i. conceaued a blessed childe. Who thā being in his mothers wōbe was by me stirred in suche wise at the voice of Marye the hand­maide of God, that he for ioye [Page]did leape. The birthe of the bles­sed babe drewe nere. And it came to passe that whan Io­seph and Marye were come to Bethlem to be taxed according to the generall commaunde­mente giuen by Augustus the Emperoure,Luc. ii. Marye broughte furth that glorious child which should be authour of saluacion, & wrapped him in swathelinge clothes, & laide him in the maū ­gere, because there was no roume for them in the Inne. O vanite of mankind, see how the lorde of glorie confoundeth thy pryde in hys natiuite. It pleased him that made the and all the worlde, thus to be incar­nate, thus to be borne, thus to shewe him selfe destitute of all glorie, in pouertie, in humilite, [Page]that thy pryde myghte be par­doned, thy insolencie might be abated, thy vanite might be cō ­founded, that by this humilitie thou mightest be exalted, by this pouertie, thou mightest be enriched. He came downe to earthe that thou mightest as­cende to heauen. Here I began to appeare as the sonne shining in a cleare morninge continu­inge still duringe the infancie of this childe, in spredinge abrode my beames a thousande times more cleare than any sonne. I rested with this childe and in him remained as the water in the fountain or cōtinual spring. Shortlie after, I flowed into his Apostles whom he elected, that by them I should be prea­ched & declared. The heauenlye [Page]father inspired me into their hartes, that I shoulde moue thē to attend vpon Iesus his sōne. And take hede to his wordes, and marke his miracles. Litle had I to do at this time with the reste of the people. The townes and cities cared not for me, Capharnaum. Bethsayda,Math. xi. Corazaim, Samaria and Hie­rusalem it selfe (whiche was by name the citie of God) did litle regarde or esteme me. The prince, the priestes, the Scry­bes, the Pharisees, for mooste parte disdained me, and mooste malinglie enuied and hated me. But I susteined their malice and peruersite, Knowinge that throughe Iesus I shoulde be set at large & haue suche power after hys exaltacion, that I [Page]should be chiefe lady & mystres & drawe the worlde vp to him, thoughe Sathan and his mē ­bres striued neuer so muche to the contrarie. The time came accordinge to Goddes wyl, and the prophecies, that Iesus was exalted vpon the crosse, & was wounded for the offences of his people.Mat. xxii. Mar. xv. Luc. xxiii. Ioan. xix. He abhorred not the cru­eltie and death, that therby sal­uacion, peace, lyfe, and glorie might come to mankinde. Ie­sus loued mankinde greatlye. Loue constrained him to take vpon him that heuie and bitter passion. He yelded his sprite in­to his fathers handes, his side was perced with a spere. Than I gusshed out as the sea whan it ouer runneth the bankes, & ouerfloweth the lande. Than [Page]I toke vp with me all that laye in my waye, and manye wente home,Luc. xxiii. knockinge them selfe on the brestes. To Ioseph of Ara­mathia I gaue the spirite of boldenes to require the bodie of Iesus to be laide in his Sepul­chre,Mat. xxvii Mar. xxv. Luc. xxiii. Ioan. xix. the Apostles, Disciples, & the good women mourned, I was then but as the sonne hyd vnder a darke cloud. The third daye I pearsed the cloude, and droue awaye all the power of darknesse. Iesus arose agayne and appeared to Maudlen and to Peter,Ma. xxviii. Mar. xvi. Luc. xxiiii. Ioan. xx. and to the rest of the Apostles, and bade them put a­waye all feare and heuinesse. All power sayth he is geuen to me,Ma. xxviii. both in heauen and earth: Go preache the Gospell to euery creature:Luc. xxiiii. teache them amende­ment [Page]of lyfe, and remission of sinnes. Wherin I gyue you po­wer throughe the holye ghoste to vse mine authoritee in lo­sing and binding.Ioh. xx. Take Grace with you, till she bringe you to my kyngdome. Be constante and folowe me, & ye shall come after me vnto my father, and be there as I am. Than Iesus ascended and entred into hys reste, and into his glorie. And after all his labours sate him downe on the fathers ryghte hande. O howe gladde I was whā al this was come to passe.Mar. xvi. And seing that my maker and restorer Iesus gaue me in com­maundement to remaine with his Apostles, I so did, and clea­ued fast vnto them, exciting thē with all vehemencie to accom­plisheMar. xvi. [Page]all thinges as they were taughte by their maister & lorde Iesus. Who for my sure sta­blishement and confirmation, promised to sende the holye spi­rite vnto them,Luc. xxiiii. and badde thē tarye certaine dayes in Hieru­salem til that promise were ful­fylled, whiche was done at Penthecoste after. Than was I in my full strength and cou­rage. And I enflamed the har­tes of the Apostles and Disci­ples of Iesus with most feruēt charitie, and put them in perfite remembraunce of al the wordes of Christe. And inspired vnto them the vnderstandinge of all mysteries, & moued them to set in hāde boldlie with preaching of the gladde tydinges of the kingdome of heauē. I exhorted [Page]their hartes most comfortably. Bidding them not to be afraide of any power carnall,t. iiii. or spiri­tuall, visible, or inuisible. But with all confidence & courage, defye the worlde and the prince therof, and fyghte valiauntlye in the battaile of God againste the olde serpēt, that they might recouer the prisoners innume­rable whiche lay in the chaines of synne, in the dongeon of infi­delite, & builde the newe temple and churche of God vpon the sure foūdation (Iesus Christ). Wherby, to him & to his father they should do most acceptable seruice. Thei being thus stirred by this my exhortaciō, were cō ­forted & began to speake with diuers tōges as the holy ghost inspired them.Act. ii. And Peter (as [Page]a valiant captaine) gaue the on­set vpon the worlde, drawinge furth the sworde of the spirite, whiche is the worde of God. Preachinge to a greate multi­tude the passiō and resurrectiō of Iesus.Act. ii. Peter behaued him so well and vigorouslye, & hys strokes were so mightie, that he gate a greate praye at that time, and wan aboute the nom­bre of three thowsande soules. His strokes were not suche as brought death, but life, not hur­ting, but healing, not makynge sorowe, without bringing ioye after. In dede he pricked them to the harte with the sharpe pointe of the swerde, that they wyste not whither to tourne them. But saide. Alas,Act. ii. what shall we do. And he bye and bye [Page]tolde them (saying). Do ye pe­naunce, and see that euery one of you be baptised in the name of Iesus Christ to obtaine re­mission of your sinnes, and ye shall receaue the gifte of the ho­lye ghost. With in a litle while after Peter made an other ser­mon,Act. iii. and laied vpon them with the swerde in suche wyse, that he vanquished a greate compa­nye. So that the nombre of the faithfull men encreaced till a­boute fine thowsande: The heades of the Iewes, Princes, Priestes, Magistrates, Pha­risees, Scrybes, and Sadu­cees, seinge howe prosperouslye it succeded to the Apostles in their affayres, were not a litle displeased.Act. iiii. And assēbled them selfes, intending with al power [Page]to resist their enterprices. But whā they hearde Peter & Iohn speake so wonderfullie, they were a stomed and were conten­ted to dimise them, onlie inhi­biting them any more to preach or teache in the name of Iesus. But the Apostles excused them selfes from keping that imunc­tion (saying).Act. v. Oportet obedire deo magis (que) hominibus. The nombre of the churche of Christ and faithfull beleuers, encrea­sed daylie throughe the power of God declared by the Apos­tles, bothe in worde and won­derfull workinge of myracles. The Synagoge of the Iewes had enupe, and freated for ma­lice,Act. vi. and set out certain to chal­lenge Steuin in disputacion, whan they were not able to re­siste [Page]the wisdome of God and the spirite whiche spake, they dyd subornate certayne false witnesses whiche should accuse him & lay to his charge wordes of blasphemie. But Steuin be­ing thus assailed, drewe against thē the bright sword of Goddes worde, reprouing them Charpe­lie for their incredulite and ob­stinate striuinge against the son of God.Act. vii. And they (all to gether enraged), stoned him to deathe, wherby he attained y^e crown of Martyrdom, & declared hi selfe a true & perfitte witnes of Ie­sus, & by force of stronge faithe and mine assistaūce, triumphed vpon Satan and deathe. Ma­nye toke greate courage at this example, & feared not to fyghte in the battaile of God vnto [Page]death. The church malignante sought all waies of resistaunce againste the Apostles and disci­ples of the lorde Iesus, and of defaiting their enterprices, and stoppinge the lighte of the eter­nall truthe of the Gospell. And they sente furthe a yonge hartie and couragious Captaine of theirs (named Saulus), all in­flamed with desire of destructi­on and murther.Act. ix. But I [...]e [...]ge that the fellowe wente [...]edling in ignorauncie not kn [...]winge what he did) had pitie on hys blinde zeale and caused him to be caste downe. And at the hea­ringe of the mightie voice of Iesus, (whom he persecuted), I blinded his carnall eies and toke from him his stomake by the space of three daies, that he [Page]neither did eat nor drinke. And than I caused a disciple (whose name was Ananias, to go to him and baptise him. Than his sighte was restored to him a­gaine, and he was replenished with the holie ghost, and began to magnifie by prechinge, the name of Iesus, declaringe him to be the sonne of God. Thus I broughte Saulus from beinge a persecutour of Christ, to the dignitie of a principall Apostle, and of a wolfe I made him a lambe. An instrument speciallie elected to serue God in settinge abrode the light of the Gospell. And than I woulde no longer haue him called Saulus, but Paulus. That, as he was con­uerted bothe bodie and soule to God and to the truth from the [Page]waye of errour, so I willed his name shoulde be chaunged al­so. It were to long to reherse howe meruelouslie I wrought with this same Paulus. He was the most faithfull, earnest, painfull, and diligente seruante that euer I had. Nor by none was I euer more magnified, and mine honour more dilated, than by him. He euer extolled me and toke my parte against all my aduersaries (the Iewes, pseudapostles, and heretikes). He was my singuler protector or rather my cheife champion. He glorified not but in me, nor coulde not abide or suffer that any shoulde glorie but in me,Ad gal. vi. mad Co. i. & in the crosse of Christe and in testimonie of a good conscience, whiche can not be, but by me [Page]and of me. Peter in like maner, Iohn and Iames, with all the reste of the twelue, as most vic­torious cōductours of Goddes Armie vnder the standerde of the crosse, ceassed not daylie to bringe the worlde in subiection to Christe, and obedience of the Gospell. They spared for no paine or affliction. Deathe was, no thinge in their sight, so that they might bringe other to life, and be partakers them selfes of the passion and resurrection of Iesus. Thei shed their bloud and despised this trāsitorie life, not fearinge any that hath po­wer onelye to kyll the bodie. I remained euer with them and prospered them in all their tra­uailes, till their sounde was passed throughe all the worlde, [Page]and their wordes were hearde in the extreme partes of the earthe. And whan they were dissolued out of this bodylie ta­bernacle, and that Christe had receaued their spirites into hys glorie, that they might euerlas­tinglie dwell with him as hys true and faithfull ministers. Than I in lyke maner excited and moued their scholars and disciples (whereof there was no smale numbre) to folowe their examples in heauenlie doctrine and godlie conuersation, and to ordre the churche of God accor­dinge vnto suche instructions and preceptes as they had re­ceaued of the Apostles. They were obedient with all diligēce and studie folowinge my sug­gestions. The peoples of all [Page]nations embraced the worde of lyfe, and were conuerted vnto the verie true and liuinge God, which deliuereth frō the wrath to come.Act. iiii. The tyrauntes of the earthe (being not contented that Christes kyngdome was thus enlarged), assembled thē selfes together and conspired against God & his sonne Christ. They were incensed by the spirites of darkenes to persecute, tourmēt, and kyll all them that professed the name of Christ. They execu­ted their furious intentes, and spared no state, degree, kynd, or, age, but with al kindes of tour­mente and paine that wicked Imaginacion coulde deuise or inuente, they afflicted the inno­cente and most holy seruauntes and membres of Christe. Fyre [Page]sworde, wylde beastes, rakes,Heb. xi. forkes, gredirons, cauldrons, wheles, plummettes, stones, all was to litle. But throughe me, the patience of y^e Saintes ouer came all these horrible paines. I bad thē hold faste my dough­ter faithe, by whiche they ouer­came kingdoms, they wrought ryght wysenes, and obtayned the promises. The moe of them that were kylled or shed their bloude for Christe, the more clearlie & brightlie did I shine ouer all the worlde. And I pro­cured many tunes that by their tormentes they wan their tor­mentours, and by their passiōs they subdued the persecutours. Their prisonment enlarged my libertie, their deathe was my lyfe, and their triumphe was [Page]my victory. After that the stor­mes of this tormenting worlde was paste, I ruled the churche in more tranquillite and quiet­nes, and kepte bothe the mini­sters of the churche, and also the common people in the feare of God, in great deuotion in fer­uent charitie in vnitie and con­corde, in continuall praier, ab­stinence and penance, in al god­lie ordre, correction, and disci­pline. Thā Emperours, Kinges and Princes, began to inclyne their eares vnto me, and cheife rulers and magistrates of coū ­trees and cities acknowledged them selfes to be my seruaūtes. Their greate pleasure and de­lyght was in heringe and obei­ynge Goddes worde, and set­tinge furth his honour and ser­uice. [Page]They thought their owne honour cheifelie should stande, by maintayninge Goddes ho­nour and religion. There arose in the ages by the procuring of Satan diuers heresies (as euin from the time of Christes As­cension there were some false prophetes) whiche maintained errours, but at this time they began more to preuaile. Arri­ans, Manichees, Nestorians & my speciall aduersaries No­uatians, and Pelagians with greate violence and subtiltie in­fested the churche, and seduced manye of all sortes. But I pre­pared and stirred vp alwayes doctours and teachers of excel­lent learninge, vnderstanding, vertue and holines, whiche cō ­futed suche false doctrine, and [Page]disparsed those mistes & darke cloudes. Thus throughe my helpe, neither the violente per­secutions and assaultes of Ty­rantes, nor the craftie vnder­myninges of heretikes coulde euer preuaile againste her. And this promise vndoubtedlie shall euer be foūde true. She is buil­ded vpon the sure rocke. For he was the wise mā him selfe who builded her, that she shoulde builde hys house, and that he might dwel in her. The floodes of persecueion did come vpon her, the windes of heresie did blowe vpon her, but she coulde not be subuerted, her founda­tion is so sure, But the softe rayne of carnall and worldlye pleasure by litle and litle began to sowple into her. Whiche most [Page]of all hathe wekened her. Whan bothe the sworde of persecutiō was put vp into the shethe, and the fyrebrandes of heretiques wherwith they kindled dissen­sion in the churche than, were extincte & put out. Than whan she semed moost to be in peace, than was she in Amaritudine amarissima. The worlde and the flesshe (by the craftie conueians of y^e diuell) began fyrst to faune vpon her, and than so infected, poysonned, inuolued, entangled oppressed and ouerwhelmed her that her florisshing vertu began to quaile, her spiritual strength, courage and libertie began to faile, her quickenes, lightnes, and sharpenes began to waxe dul, heauy & blunte, her beautie began to decreasse, her coloure [Page]became pale, her stomacke be­gan to fainte. Finally, she begā wonderfully to waste and con­sume, and her light was almost tourned into darkenes, she wax­ed drousie, al giuen to slōbring, sleapinge, dreaminge, eatinge, drinkinge, and deuisinge of pas­time, for her recreacion to driue awaye the time. Than her mi­nisters (forgettinge the bataill of God, wherunto they were taken and appointed to fyghte againste the worlde) began to take trewce with the worlde, and so to lose the seruice of God and the wages promised for the same. Than pryde, ambi­cion, couetise, contention (which be the vices of the worlde) be­gan to creape in euery where: [Page]Than settinge aside thaffaires of God, euery state, degree, and ordre, aswell ecclesiasticall as laicall, began to contende either amonges themselfes, or oue a­gainste another. Thus my ioye whiche I had in the primatiue churche, and a certaine space af­ter, began to dyminishe more & more, and myne honoure conti­nually decayed, and the worlde on all sides waxed daylie worse and worse, and more repug­nant and obstinate against me, euen from the tyme of the A­postles and Martyrs, tyll this present age, in whiche al sinne and iniquite is increased in such abundaunce, that al my griefes and dolours past I counte but lyght and easye, in comparison of the sorowes whiche I suffer [Page]in these dayes. I myght muche more at large describe the euell entreating whiche I haue had in tymes paste, and speciallie in these later ages, with in these foure or fyue hundreth yeres. But the contemplation and fe­linge of this myne infelicitee in this presente generacion nowe walking vpon the earthe, ma­keth me to forget all that is paste, and to crye oute, for ve­hemencie of paine which is pre­sente. Peraduenture ye loke I should speke what misfortunes I haue had in your fathers dayes throughe their faultes. Ye thynke I haue no cause to complaine vpon you, But ye be vtterly deceiued. What should I spare you and not rebuke you plainely as becommeth me, and [Page]is profitable for you, that by the truth ye may be conuerted and healed. Ye be the cursed genera­tion of Cham whiche mocked his father,Gene. ix. and had his delite in laughing at his fathers naked­nesse: So is your pleasure and pastyme in the reporte of suche faultes as you laye to your fa­thers, and your owne you wyll not see, whiche bee a hundreth tymes worse. Ye can rayle on their abuses, their supersticions and idolatrie, and ye your selfe be worse than Pagans or Infi­deles, & cleane fallen from God and frō my gouernaunce. I re­port me in this thing to as ma­ny of you as be not vtterly blin­ded in your soules, & haue any sparke of the feare and loue of God remainyng in you. Whe­ther [Page]this my complainte be not iust and true. Muche dishonour haue I suffred in tymes past in diuers ages, But thou O age present dost passe and excede al other, in mischeif, and all kynde of sinne. As the age of the Apo­stles & Martyres surmounted all other in vertue & godlynes: So, neither the age of the vni­uersall flod, nor of the towre of Babell, nor of Amalec and all the Gyauntes, nor of al wicked kynges of Irael, nor of all the bloud thrystie and idolatours tyrantes, is worthy to be com­pared to thee, in greatnesse of synne and iniquitie. I can beare no rule with thee. I can not perswade nor allure thee. My counsell thou despisest,Prouer. i. my mo­nitions thou disdaynest, thou [Page]shakest of myne inspirations, thou closist thine eares against me, and thou hardnest th [...] heart as the flynt or Adamante stone, that by no meanes I can entre into thee. I cānot amende thee, for thou wylt not receiue me. Considre all thy states howe they be corrupted & peruerted. Euery head is sicks,Esaie. i. and euery heart heuye, from the sole of the foote to the toppe of the head, there is no whole place in the bodie. Looke vpon thy princes, gouernours, nobles, magistra­tes: compare them with suche as haue but homelye names in the scripture of God, and iudge whether thei deserue any better The Prophetes makes excla­mations against the Prynces which were in y^e olde testament,Ezechi. 2 [...] Sopho. [...]. [Page]calling them Lyons, Beares, & Wolfes. O that thy princes and rulers nowe, were innocent as Lambes, prudent as serpētes, simple as Doues. For suche vertues would not onely become Apostles, but also christian ru­lers. But alas, are they not as muche geuen to vanitie, luste, pryde, contempt of God, prodi­galitie, auerice, exaction, shed­ding of bloud, maintainyng of warres for their own respectes as euer any amonges y^e heathen were, or nowe be amonges the Turkes? And as the princes & rulers be, so be the people. O would God I were as great in their heartes, as I am muche vsed in their styles and tytles. Be not their courtes scholes for the moste parte of vanitie and [Page]dissolute life? Is not there lear­ned to sweare, to bragge, to dis­dain, to loke a loft, to defraude, to depraue, to detract, to flatter to dissemble, and as they saye beare two faces in one hodde? I graunt I haue some seruan­tes & fauourers, for whose sake god mercifully spareth the rest, els could he not contayne his wrath. As for the byshops and the pastours amonges the cler­gie, wherin I should haue cheif comfort and delite, and hope of recouering myne auncient ho­nours and dignitie, My heart will not serue to speake of thē. It greueth me to speake of thē, they be so alienate from me.

Are they not suche pastours as feede them selues, and neelecte the poore flocke? whiche seeke [Page]their temporal gaine, & care not for their spiritual losse? Whiche of them is a good pastour that putteth his life in aduēture for his shepe?Ioan. x. who is not a mercenarie runnyng awaye when the woulfe cōmeth?Deut. 32. O that diuers of them wer not woulfes them selues. O that they had know­ledge and vnderstanding. And as for the inferiour sorte of the Clergie, many of them be more insolente than euer they were. And as they be in dede in ward­ly, so they shew themselfes out­wardly, in all manour of beha­uour & cōuersation, in all light­nesse, wantonnes, vanitie, and all worldly and carnall vyces.

In speche, communication, ge­sture, apparel, maners, workes, cōuersation, they contend with [Page]the worst, They should excell in vertue and holines, and by their sad exāples reforme the world. But their vertue is al together to conforme them selues nowe to the worlde, or rather runne before the world, in al madnes. Though all christian people be light in Christ, yet should the Clergye shyne as cheif lampes to lyghten the whole Churche, and should excell and go before the rest of the people. So was the ordre of going amonges the children of Israel.Iosue. iii. The Leuites went before (bearyng the Arke of God) and the armye folowed after. Nowe they go before, but without the Arke of god, with­out trompets or sounde of true preachyng, all out of aray and ordre, folowing their own plea­sures, [Page]lustes and fantasyes, and drawing the people the hie way to hell. They were wonte in auncient times past, in token of more perfection in their cōuer­sacion, to haue in their apparell and habite certaine distinetion: but now they wolde be lothe to be estemed Pharisets. Where­fore thei apply thē selfes to the common vaine facions, suche as fantastike deuises daily bryng furth. And because they knowe the names of hypocrites to be odious, therfore they hyde none of their noughtines, but as thei be noughtie, so thei glory in she­wyng themselues what they be (as bad as the worst). Yet some of them fall to a newe Pharisa­isme, and delite to appeare in straunge facion w^t long berdes, [Page]and brode hattes w^t some aūci­ent cloke cast vpō them, or a lōg gowne after a new deuise. And thus they come & go so symplie that the people may behold thē with reuerence & admiration. But some will merueil that I speake so lightly of them, consi­dering thei be so busie & painful in preaching and declaring the worde of God to the people.

O would to God they declared Gods worde, and not their pre­sumption and phantasie. The gospel sayth:Matth. vi. Luc. vit. Grapes be not ga­thered of Thornes, nor Fygges of Breers. But I wyll say no more, but God send the worlde good fruit of their preachinges. Surely more solemue ignorāce ioyned with presūptuous bold­nes in vttering it selfe, hath in [Page]no age been knowē. Preaching is prating, railyng, telling tales iesting and scoffing, making the peple to laugh, where thei shuld rather weepe. Take these thin­ges out of a great sorte of their sermons, and the rest is small & and verye bare. What should I speake howe with their prea­ching, vndiscrete talking, and prophane reasoning, the people is so troubled & distracted that many be vncertain what to say, thinke or beleue. Yea, the cheife amonges them, yea the bishops them selues and they whiche be estemed of some moste singular clerkes, be so diuers in their o­pinions and iudgementes, that there be almost as many kindes of faithes, as sectes were amō ­ges the Philosophers. Their [Page]diuisiō is noted by these names (whiche bee in euerye mannes mouthe). The newe & the olde. One sort runneth headlong, an other draweth back, & not with out a cause. For if all shuld rūne a like, all were lyke to fall on a hepe & marre themselues. The new sorte spurre & prycke with all their might, The olde sorte holde in brydel with no lesse strēgth. No merueil if the horse beyng thus cumbred, reare vp his whole bodye, that he scant wyll suffer anye to sytte in the saddle. I woulde wysshe that these new Spurrers should be put to holde in the bridle, and keepe in the horse heade, & leaue their wanton spurryng for fear of castyng ouer both horse and man. And I would wysh that [Page]these olde bridle holders wolde begyn to spurre more quickly, not with such new sharpe spur­res & prickes as moue debate, or nourish controuersie and contencion in opinions, but suche gentle spurres after the olde aunciēt making, as would stirre the horse. I meane the people to ample a good gentle pace in the cōmaundemētes of God. Such pryckes as would styrre to pe­naunce and true amendment of life, The pricke of spiritual ex­hortacions to charitie, humili­tie, paciēce, hope, godly vertue & wisedome, Of which Salomō speaketh, saiyng: The woor­des of wyse men are lyke pric­kes & nayles that go through:Eccle. xii. wherwith men are kepte toge­ther, For they are giuen of one [Page]sheparde onlie, which is Christ: O howe moche neede hathe the worlde of suche stronge nailes in this tyme? wherewith men shoulde be fastened togither in vnitie, peace; concorde and cha­ritie: For all is deuided & par­ted in sundre, not one ioynt hol­deth fast by another. In the bo­dye scante one poast or sparre ioyned to another. In the house the pinnes be broke, the timbre is rotten, the tiles and couering is euerye daye blowen at with the wynde, and the walles bee shronken, so that al is in daun­ger & ruine. But God is able to repaire al, & to make it strōg againe. Aske Paule how God buyldeth, and he wyll saye it is Charitie:i. Cor. viii Charitas edificat, scien­cia inflat. This worlde is ful of [Page]this windie knowledge whiche maketh swellyng, and puffeth vp the stomake and the brayne with such presumptiō, that men esteme all knowledge in their owne heades, and what so a­greith not with their fantasye, they set it at nought. But Cha­ritas non inflatur. If men had a lytle of this Charitie,Cor. xiii. they woulde not so hastely and pre­sūptuously dissēt in their opini­ons frō their felowes nowe li­uyng (which see & vnderstād as much as themselfes) contēning the testimonies of such as haue gone before, nor also condemne their owne fathers, vnto whō they were not worthye to loose the lachettes of their shewes. But what be the fruites of this presumptuous knowledge, or [Page]rather ignoraunt presumption, the worlde daily dooth, & daily shall perceyue and feele. Truly it is moche contrarye vnto me and chaseth me cleane awaye. Euerye man thinketh himselfe a doctour: eueryman disdaineth to learne, except it be of himself. Euery man taketh in hande to expound that he vnderstandeth not, to declare that whiche he perceiueth not, to dispute and determine as his brayn serueth him, and to talke he woteth not what. Thus goth the scripture out of reuerence, and is turned into matter of talking, plaiyng iesting, and singing. And as the prophet Ezechiel sayth: Vertunt sermones meos in canticum. God will not long suffre suche disho­nour of his woorde. Why, the [Page]worde (sayest thou) is exalted and muche glorified, For it is written vpon the white walles in the Churches, and in other houses, that men may rede it in euery place. So did the Iewes and the Phariseis write it in their clothes & hemmes of their garmētes, but it was farre out of their heartes. O howe long shal God suffre thine hypocrisie, whiche pretendest the honor of Gods woorde, and doest esteme it no thyng at all. Great was the hypocrisie of some Monkes & Freers in these latter dayes, But thy present hypocrisie doth iustifie theim, and make theim saintes in cōparison of thee. It was one of y^e most sharpe reproches of the prophet Esaie,Esaie. xxix. Math. xvii. & also of Christ againste the Iewes, [Page]that thei were a people which in their mouthe honored God, but their heart was farre frō him. Whan was Goddes worde and his name so much in the mouth and so litle in the harte? Yet in this pointe howe farre do the Iewes excelle the and are more to be praised? For they (as the scripture dothe testifie) honou­red God in the mouth, but thye speche, for the moost parte is suche as no honour, but rather blasphemie appeareth therin. Thy preachers glorie in theyr tongues, and in that thei please their audience (suche as them selfes) tickling their eares with that whiche deliteth their affec­tions with out refourminge of their condicions. They make softe pillowes and bolsters for [Page]consciences, they kyll them that dye not, and promise lyfe to thē that lyue not.Eze. xiii. xiii. They speake and prophesie out of their owne har­tes, they crye, thus saithe the lorde, & this is Goddes worde, whan God sente thē not. They crye peace peace, where as there is no peace, and they name me whan I am awai. They daube their walles with loose claye & vntempered morter, and ther­fore they can not stande. I trust one day to styrre suche as shall shewe them selfes more indued with my giftes. Who shal with all charitie and mekenes of spi­rite, tell the people their faultes and the wayes of amendement. In the meane time I counsaile euery man to take heade to him selfe, and remembre what he is, [Page]and wherunto he is called, and the ende of all thinges. And cō ­sider howe greate nede he hathe of myne aide and assistaunce. I am readie to entre where I am not with obstinat malice kepte out. I enbrace most gladlie such as will receaue me. Yea my goodnes is so swyfte, that by manye wayes I preuente their willes. I stirre them whā they be dull, I warme them whan they be coulde, and mollifie thē whan they be harde, I reuiue thē whan they lye dead.Apo. iii. I stāde at the dore of mānes harte and there I ceasse not to knocke,Apo xix. yf any man will open vnto me, I entre into him, and refreshe my selfe with him & him with me. I crye and calle behinde & be­fore, and of al sydes, aboue and [Page]be loue, with in and without. in aduersitee and prosperite, in ryches and pouertie, in syke­nesse & in health, in plentie and in penurie, in warre & in peace, in libertie and captiuitie. I am euer stirring and inuiting mā ­kynde to his saluacion. For my lorde authour and founder Ie­sus Christ came into the world to saue sinners,Luc. xix. and to recouer that whiche was loste. If any man woulde haue me and kepe me (for if I be not kept it were better neuer to haue had me) then let him often fal downe a­fore God in praier, and of him he plentifullie shall receaue me. I am the good gifte descending from the father of lyght.Iacob. i. I am no frute of the earth, thou must receaue me from aboue. Praier [Page]I tell the is a speciall meane to kepe me and to encreace me. But alas, howe can I be glad whan I see praier so despised? O howe praier was vsed & fre­quented in auncient time, whan I was in my florishinge age in Christes churche, at midnyght, afore son ryse, at the first houre, at third houre, at the sixt houre, at the .ix houre, in the euening, and at compline. These were beside y^e most solemne praiers, whiche were at the holye Com­munions. And nowe o lorde what is all come to? The praier is made shorte, leste the sclender and weake deuotion shoulde be ouerlaied with it. But the de­uotion is so dull, that with the short praier it is nothing stirred. and the praier is so shorte, that [Page]deuotion onles it were more quicke, can not arise at the cal­ling therof. This was the exer­cise and the discipline of the old churche, in which the ministers and they that were of the cler­gie spente all tyme in praier, re­dinge, studie, writinge, visiting the syke, comfortinge, exhor­tinge, preaching, and suche spi­rituall occupations. Nowe we haue learned that God rarethe not for longe praiers, but for a good harte and true faith. But, while we be fallen from oure praiers, oure faithe is almoost dede and gone. If praier be the eleuation of the minde toward God, secluding al other world­lie and carnal busines, than the longer it is, the better it muste be. If it consiste but in multi­tude [Page]of wordes without atten­tion of minde towarde God, than it is reproued. We haue nowe learned to contemne the churches praier, & saye we may praye in all places. But while we graunte vnto praier in all places, we can scarselie suffer her to reste in anye place at all, the space of one Pater noster. Praier shoulde be ioyned with Fasting and Almes,Tob. xii. but where are they? Their names remaine in the scriptures, but the vse of them semethe to be abolished. Men be so affraide of popishe superstition, that they let them cleane alone. They feare leste they shoulde fall into the abuse of them, but they prouide well for the auoiding the abuse, whā they vse them nothinge at all. [Page]The church had certaine times prescribed for fastyng, Fye (say they) thys is popisshe. But if they had the spirite whiche they boaste of, and the scripture in their hartes as in their mou­thes, and considered the orde­ringe of Christes churche from the beginninge, & the sentences and myndes of Saintes tou­ching the same, they would ey­ther amende their sayinges and doinges orels thei should nedes declare them selfes to be of an obstinat peruersite. So farre are men destitute of me nowe a dayes (throughe their own wil­fulnes) that whan time of com­mon praier is, than will they be most prophanelie occupied, whā tyme of abstinence is, than will they do most solemne feaste and [Page]sacrifice to the worlde and to the bellye. Our fastinge, saye they, should not be at this time, or at that tyme apointed, but whan we be disposed. But why are they not disposed, whan the church laboureth to dispose thē? But that thei reioyce to declare thēselfes of an other dispositiō for that they can not fynde in their hartes to be ordered by that spirite which hath ordered the church from the beginning. I can with greate difficultie fynde one nowe in a hole cytie whiche fasteth one daye, except it be for the bodie or the purse, and not for the soule. As for priuate fastinge or priuate and solitarie praier, I speake no­thinge. Where they be vsed, I am greatlye delighted. But [Page]their rarenesse is suche, that I haue small mater to reioyce. It shoulde greatly comfort me if the cōmon were better vsed. By which I haue in times past stirred vp, & broughte manye to the vse of the priuat, more sted­fastlie. Well, thoughe men pray or faste litle, yet they make a­mendes with Almes. For they knowe what is wryten in the Gospell. Gyue Almes and all is cleane to you. But for verye shame let thē hold their peace,Luc. xi. and remembre whiche way the Almes of all the worlde paste is gone. Euerie mannes Almes is to him selfe, and bestowed v­pon him selfe and not for God­des sake. O cruel charitie, o mi­serable pouertie, o mercie with out grace. Euerie man is so [Page]charitable y^t he hath no neigh­bour but himselfe. Euerie man is so poore in his owne sighte, that he nedeth all thiges which he maye come bye. Euerie man is so mercifull that he woulde haue all, and departe with no thinge, excepte it be in the re­specte of the fleshe & the world, This insaciable Auarice is the roote of all euylles,i. Tim. vi. the mother of mischiefe, and corruptrice of al conscience and cōmon welth. She peruerteth all faithe, she blyndeth the harte and chaun­gethe man (whoe is borne to helpe mā) into a tyraūte, which is worse than a beast or a diuel. O auaryce thou arte my moost extreme and cruell aduersarye. I can not sufficientlie accuse the. Thou haste throughe thy [Page]craftie and false persuasions vtterlie expelled and banished me furthe of the countre, which by righte I ought to inhabite, whiche is mans soule. Other vyces assaile me from some spe­ciall states of men, and in cer­taine places more one than another. But thou in euerie place, from euerie estate, and on eue­ry syde, most fierssie ceasist not­to bete vpon me, so that the sē ­tence of Hieremie was neuer so true as it is now, saying. Frō the greatest vnto the leaste,Hiert. vi. all folowe Auarice and worke all craftelie. O fylthie Auarice, howe haste thou infected and poysoned all vocations, offices, all states and degrees? Thou haste extinguished the lampes of clergie, thou hast distained [Page]the honour of nobilitee, thou haste corrupted all the meane and inferior sorte of the commi­nalte, Lawe, iustice, conscience, honestie, fidelite, mercie are all throughe thy vyolence troden vnder foote. O blynde Auarice how hast thou put out the eyes of the worlde, that men can nei­ther see what is honestie, nor discerne what is trulie and cer­tainlye profitable? O false and subtill Auarice, howe hast thou obtayned the name of wisdome and prouidence, seinge that of all vices thou art most foolishe, destroyenge thy selfe throughe thyne owne gredines? O detes­table Auarice of moost false iudgement & estimacion, which haste made all vyle thinges so deare, & most precious thinges [Page]so vyle. How hast thou enhaū ­sed the rente of the vyle earth: Howe hast thou encreased the pryce and valewe of all transi­torie thinges, whiche men ey­ther for necessite, or for commo­dite and pleasour doth occupie? And contrarye wise thou haste diminished, impaired & brought down the pryce and estimacion of all heauenlie thinges, whiche oughte to be moost set bye, as learning, vertue, Gods worde, teachinge, preachinge, and all kynde of spirituall ministraci­on. These thynges haste thou broughte to no estimacion, and made them in maner ryghte nought. And their ministers thou hast defrauded, and made them so bare, that they be not able to susteyne the heardnesse [Page]of this wretched lyfe. All this hast thou done in despite of me, because thou knoweste that where as I am, thou bearest no rule. But I doubte not but to see thye destruction whiche shal come of thye selfe, excepte thou shortlye auoyde hense, and let me haue more libertie. If thou were not the impedimente, I doubte nothinge but with the instrumēt of the worde of God, and good handlyng of the same (by suche ministers as I coulde prepare, enable and set furthe) I shoulde deale metelie well w^t all other vices, that the state of the worlde shoulde be much more tolerable, and the general plague of iiquite shoulde not be so feruēt. But while thou doest continue in thy rage, and that [Page]thy floodes arise in suche force that no bankes can stop them, nor no dytches drinke them vp, while thou ouerrunnest all at large, with thy bryberie, extor­tion, exaction, oppression & thy manyfolde muencions and de­uises of destruction. I deter­mine it to be best for me, to seke here and there mine habitation where I maye, and to desire all men in the meane time to take patience, althoughe I bringe not generall reformacion and redresse of thinges accordynge to their wishe, & so longe frus­trate their expectacion. Ther­fore as one dispairynge to re­couer and obtain my hole dewe ryght, whiche I oughte to pos­sesse, (so wrongefullie withhol­den from me by this deuelishe [Page]dame Auarice) I shall yet be content priuatelie to serche and spye what good I may do. And I truste that (God willynge) I shall in diuers places get some praye amonges the people and make some one that feareth God worth a thousande of the rest of the wycked. And for as much as my loude general cries can not be harde, I shall labour secretely with suche as I shall fynde mete for me, & perswade them (a parte seuerally) one by one, as it shal be Gods pleasure that I shall mete with them.

Let euery one therfore attende and take heade (vpon the payne intollerable whiche shall insue) that when so euer I fynde him or he me, that then he do enbrace me with all diligence, and with [Page]al carefulnesse retaine and kepe me. But what should I thus speake of thee O man what so euer thou art, as though I wer farre from thee? Where so euer thou art I am ready at hande to entre into thee, If thou doest not through the malice of thine owne wyll resyst me. I am all spred about thee, as the ayer or the light. If thou stop not thine owne breathe (through wylful­nes) and close not thine eyes of malicious sette purpose, thou must nedes receiue & admit me. The whole yerth is replenished with me,Psal. 11 [...]. syns the tyme that Christ was incarnate. He pur­chased me for the world in such plentie that I can not be consu­med:Ioan. 1. Gratia et veritas per Iesum facta est. He appointed me to [Page]shyne in his church as the sonne in the firmament. From the heate of my beames no creature can hyde him self.Psal. 18. Nowe is the day of saluacion, in the whiche I ceasse not cōtinually to shyne Now is the acceptable tyme, in the whiche I ceasse not to call vpon the eares of your heartes vnto me.2. Cor. 6. All ye children of men behold & cōsidre what inestimable treasure ye haue & may haue by me, and howe wretched and miserable ye are without me. I shall leade you the ryght waies and shewe you the kingdome of God. I shal geue you knowlege and vnderstāding, and prosper you in all your affaires and la­bours,Ioan. 15. (which without me shal be but vaine & without effect). I shall make a thorowe and a [Page]perfite peace of good conscience and quietnes of mynde, with ioye in the holy gost, which pas­seth al worldly delites & pleasu­res. If ye refuse me, your peace shalbe but warre, and your ioye bytternesse, and your pleasure shalbe turned into payne. Let all your care be to kepe me, For I am (doubt you not) alreadye offered and geuen to you abun­dantly. Receiue me not in vain,2. Cor. 6. but suffre me to worke and ex­ercise my properties & vertues in you, that your sanctification may be perfite, and ye may in­wardely reioyce in the sight of God. I exhorte you to returne with all your heart vnto y^e lord your God, and wāder no lenger after your owne sensual desires whiche fight against the soule, [Page]whiche labour to bryng you to eternal destruction. Remembre your selues and the euerlasting worlde to come,Matth. 25. wherin ye shall euermore liue in ioy, or eternal­ly continue in paine, whiche can not be expressed. Lette not the flesh deceiue you, nor the world blynd you, nor the deuil so ouer­lay you, that ye loose the he­ritage, wherevnto my desire is to bryng you. O wretched and vnhappy, if ye be disapointed of that glorye wherevnto ye are redemed. But folowe my coun­sell & ye shall be sure to obtaine the promises. Yea I do not only geue counsell, but I also helpe your infirmitie, & bere vp your wekenes, & drawe you forward through my swete inspirations and suggestions. I open your [Page]eyes, & would gladly open them better if you would suffre me, that you myght see your owne offences and wyckednes, & that ye might behold the vanite and falsenes of the worlde, and per­ceiue & auoyde the craftie sna­res of all wycked spirites, your ghostly enemies. I would illu­minate you with the knowledge, vnderstanding, & feling of hea­uenly thynges, & take from you the vayne respectes of thinges of this transitorie world. I am lyke vnto the gall of the fyshe, wherewith the eyes of Tobye were anointed.Tobi. xi. For I geue & restore clere sight, & cause y^e scales of false imaginations & vayne phantasies to fall frō the eies, that mā may beholde stedfastly the light of truth, & see thinges [Page]in their natiue colours. I resto­red sight vnto Paule, or ra­ther brought into him a newe syght.Act. ix. But fyrst I made him blynde, & so I must do also with you. Fyrst I say I must take frō you that false sight and regard whiche you haue of temporall thinges, after the working and desire of your owne lustes and affections, and than bring vnto you a true sight of thynges spi­ritual and heauenly. And fur­thermore, as I did cast doune Paule and made him weake, & made him strong after. In lyke maner also must I entreat you. I must cast you doune into re­pentaunce, penaunce, humilitie of heart, lowlynes and confessi­on, afore that I can strengthen you or make you valiant or able [Page]souldiers vnder the baner of Christ. [...]g. ii. My propertie is first to mortifie, and than to quicken: first to cast doune and than to raise vp again, Fyrst to quench and than to kyndle: Fyrste to wounde and make sore, & than to heale: First to humiliate, and than to exalte. They which will not abyde and susteine my first operation, cannot be partakers of the seconde. Therfore if thou wilt haue me worke my princi­pal effectes, (the whiche be to make thee a true seruaunt of God in this life, & a possessour of the glory eternal) than suffer me first to lay my sharpe salues and bitter medicines vnto the. And yet not so sharpe or bytter but that they be easie and plea­saunt inough mixed & tempered [Page]with ioye & comforte more than man can deserue, For my medi­cine is bothe the wyne and the oyle, whiche the Samaritane did poure vpō the wounded mā that descended from Ierusalem to Hiericho.Luc. r. I am the very wa­ter of life, he that wyll, let him come & receiue me for gramer­cie. Come vnto me ye that be thristie, & ye that haue no mo­ney,Esaie. iv. come and bye that ye may haue to eate. Come bye wyne & mylke without any money or money worth. Though ye haue nothing wherewith to bye me, yet if you wil, ye shal haue plen­tie & abundāce of me through y^e goodnes of Christ, who is mine author, maker, & founder. I am not lesse to be estemed though thou paye nothing for me, but [Page]haue me frely geuē vnto thee. I am payed for by him, which on­ly was able by due and iust ex­chaūge to purchase me: (which was the sonne of God thy sa­uiour) I require nothing on thi part but a fre heart, the whiche also thou shalt haue of me, if thi peruersitie do not w^t stand me. I abhore to come where any cha­lenge of desert is, But where I come I make desert, and bring in worthines, where as no wor­thines is or can be but through me onely. I am the liuely seede whiche beyng cast into the colde and barren yearth, neuertheles doth spryng vp and florishe and bryng furth fruit, which is ple­sant to y^e tast & smelling of God and all his saintes and Angels. I am the raine and swere dew, [Page]whiche moisteth and mollifieth the colde and drye grounde of mannes harte, that it maye be a frutefull felde vnto God. I am the verie hande of God, whiche rayseth and healeth whom so e­uer I touche, if they shrinke not from me. I am the pleasaunt & amiable eye of y^e very kyng Ie­sus, in whose gracious looke is lyfe, and in whose displeasaunt countenance is death. I am the cheife hādmayde of God. I am the mother and maistres of all vertue and holynes. I am the roote of the good tree, whiche bringeth furthgood fruit. I am the nourse of good works, their guyde and their keaper, their vertue & their perfection, & but for me and by me, they be but vaine and counterfeit. I am the [Page]streight lyne & pathe way vnto glory. Therfore I counsell thee receiue me, & disdain not (what soeuer thou art) to serue me.

So shalt thou be free frō al ser­uitude, & attaine most glorious libertie. If thou be a Lord, erle, duke, Prynce, or neuer so great a potestate in this worlde, yet w^tout me thou arte but a slaue and a wretche, beyng but a vile drudge of synne, and seruant of all thyne owne noughtie affec­tions:Iohan. viii Omnis enim qui facit pec­catum seruus est peccati. Whiche frō this transitorie rule, domi­nion & lordship will bryng thee into euerlasting bondage & cap­tiuitie:Roma. vi. Stipendia enim peccati mors. what reasō is it that thou which art a ruler shalt be worse than thei whiche be vnder thee, [Page]If thou be more vicious, more folishe, more vaine, more blynde in the soule, art thou not worse? How shalt thou rule or gouerne other, whiche rulest so badly thy selfe, or rather art ruled so vn­graciously out of al rule of ver­tue and goodnes? Without me thine honour shalbe turned into shame, thy grace into vngraci­ousnes, thy maiestie into misery and thy dignitie & preeminence into extreme cōfusion. And the higher thou art, the lower thou shalte be brought. But if thou attende vnto me, I shal conduct thee to true & stable honor, and perfite renowne of glory. I shal make thee get fauour, & to wyn the hartes of thy subiectes, te­nantes, seruauntes or suche as be vnder thee, and teache the to [Page]ordre them in iustice with equi­tie, and to gouerne them by the spirite of wysedome, that they shall bothe loue & feare thee (as their father) & be alwaye sure & faythful vnto thee. For be thou assured, where drede is without loue, there is grudge & hatred, whiche in tyme wyll bryng dis­pleasure. The proper nature of a prynce or a true Lorde, ruler, or maister is, to prouide & pro­cure the commoditie of suche as be vnder his subiection. He that seketh onely his owne profite & pleasure, is rather worthy the name of a detestable tyrāt. The hart of a king sayth Salomō is in the hād of God.Prouer. 21. Kepe thi hart there. Let God rule & moderate thy heart, take not thy heart furth of his hande. In deede it [Page]shalbe in y^e power of God, whe­ther thou wylt or not, & he shall incline & turne it as it pleaseth him, either to thyne honour and welth of thi subiectes (if thou be acceptable in his sight) or els to thyne owne destruction & their punishement, if thou displease him. But committe (I saye) thy harte, thy purpose, and entente into the gracious hand of God, and there let it rest in his gra­cious wyll, and doubte not but his hande wyll, euer be redye to ayde and defende the. Put all the courage of thy harte and al thy stronge truste in the hande of God, & neither in golde Iu­elles, nor ryches, nor no world­lye Armures or munitions. De­clare thy selfe like vnto God, as thou arte a principall ministre [Page]& spectacle of God in the earth, shewe furthe thy power in do­inge good and no harme. And remēbre what power strengthe and might is graunted and cō ­mitted vnto the. But forgette not him which is more mightie, and almyghtie, and able in a momente to subuerte all thye puissaunce, and annichilate thy maiestye. Wyse men in tymes paste haue saide. That to rule well, is the cheife of al sciences. Who so euer beareth rule, and hath charge of people commit­ted vnto him, he hath conning enoughe, if he can well gouerne and ordre them, to whom he is apointed to be a pastoure, Not onlie spiritual ministers ought to be pastours, but also princes and lordes.2. Reg. 5. God said vnto Da­uid. [Page]Thou shalt fede,2, Reg. [...]. thou shalt be pastour ouer my people of Israel. This conninge of play­inge the good pastour, is not obtaimed but by me, it requireth the gifte of a singular wisedome whiche I get vnto them that aske it of God, as Salomon did.3. Reg. iii. This gifte is not goten by any other learning, thā through my inspiracion. Althoughe out­warde learning, and redinge of good bookes, be a necessarie in­strument, wherby I may com­modiouslie worke with princes and great menne of the worlde. For good bookes be no flate­rers but shewe many good in­structions & examples for thē. Whiche neither their frendes, seruauntes nor subiectes for feare dare speake. Therfore did [Page]a certaine wyse Ppilosopher councell ones a kynge often to passe the time in redinge or hea­ring the writinges of good and wyse menne, and to rede histo­ries and to consydre the proce­dinges & chaūces of the tymes past, wherby they may learne muche prudence. But the speci­all thinge that kepeth me backe from princes, lordes, and great men, is the euyll ministers, ser­uauntes and such as be aboute them. For it is vnpossible (saith one wise mā) that a prince shuld fall into great vyces, onlesse he haue ministers whiche entyce & moue him to the same. Howe happie then are those princes and great men, which haue ver­tuous and honest men aboute thē, who wyll make no sugge­stions, [Page]but such as shalbe cōmē ­dable & profitable to the world, honorable to their mayster, and acceptable to God? Where such ministers and seruauntes be, blessed is the common welthe. Yea where they be not, there is no common wealth at all. A prince or greate ruler whiche gyueth eare vnto flatterers, de­tractours, lyers, and false tale tellours, can not haue aboute him good seruauntes. For Sa­lomon saieth.Prouer. [...] Rex qui libenter audituerba mendacij, omnes mi­nistros habet impios▪ A kynge or any ruler which gladly heareth wordes of lesing, hathe all hys ministers wycked. O that I coulde printe but this one short sentēce of Salomon in the hart of all princes.Prouer. xx. Misericordia et ue­ritas [Page]custodiunt regem. Mercys and truthe defende the kynge. There is no garde of men nor stronge walles of stoone, that can better defende him than these. Mercye becommeth all men, but speciallie princes. Not onlye in pardoninge and remit­tyng the offences of trausgres­sours (whiche manye tymes mercie requireth more to haue punished than pardoned) but in hauinge compassion of the mi­serie of the poore, and suche as be oppressed. In prouidynge for their succour & deliuerance. Deliuer sayth god, by the mouth of Dauid,Psa. xviii. the poore and nedie frō the hande of the sinner. The mercie and pitie of a prince wyl suffer nothynge to be amisse. Than consequently, truthe and [Page]iustice do stablishe his chayer. He wyll see all wronges reuen­ged, much lesse he wyl do wrōge him selfe. I nede make no lon­ger exhortacion vnto him, let him reade in the law of God (as he is commaunded) and there shall he see his duetie described vnto him.i. Parall. xxii. And that for all hys hyghnes, yet is he but a seruāt,ad Rom. xiii. & ministreth vnto other. And accordinge to hys ministration shall he receyue hys rewarde. One thynge I must nedes put him in remembraunce of, that he seke my doughter peace, and with all his studye continuallie kepe her, for a christen kynge shoulde be an image of Christe. Who is rex pacificus and hateth all warre debate and contenti­on. One of the auncient greate [Page]clerkes sayth: that a tyrant is a prince of warre, but a king is a prince of peace. If kinges and princes would be ruled by me, I shuld teach them to finde peace, & to kepe her. For grace & peace can not but be ioyned together: as commonly they be in the A­postles Epistles in their first re­cōmendacions. As for al states of the nobilite, woulde God thei did depelie consydre, that with­out me there is no nobilite, but most vyle ignobilite, thoughe it be folden in chaynes of golde, & wrapped in purple, veluet or sylke. The Iewes thought thē selfes gentlemen & sayd: Patrem habemus Abraham. Ioan. viii. But Christe bad them proue it, and do the workes of Abraham. It becō ­meth noble bloudes to folowe [Page]their noble progenitors in ver­tue, and not vainlye to boste of their pedigree. Noble bloude may well be called noble, if it haue in it a noble spirite, rege­nerate and renued by me, for suche be noble in dede. That is to saye, sonnes of God & heyres apparaunte of his kyngdome. Els they be but of a vyle stocke and a corrupte roote, whiche is the nature of Adam. I woulde they shoulde haue in remem­braunce their beginninge, and wherof they come. Than shall no pryde raygne in their har­tes. Whiche synne is most con­trarie to a gentle spirite (wher­of they bere their name). They came al of one slyme, but I wil not go so farre. They come all from the spade & the mattocke. [Page]And that of so late tyme, that fewe of their houses can recken their noble discente from many hundreth yeres past. God (as his pleasure is) raiseth y^e poore man from the dongehyll, and maketh him sit with the princes of hys people. Let thē therfore not disdayne that other aryse into noble place and dignitee, speciallye if they attayne ther­vnto by their vertue and acti­uite, whiche is the true entre to all nobilitee. It is greater com­mendation to be the firste of a noble house or stocke, than to be the laste. I woulde they would all be aduertised by me, than shuld they haue first the loue of God, & than the loue of others, (whom God loueth) & be cleare and farre from all daungers. [Page]Of the clergie ye knowe what I haue sayd. I lamente manye to be so ignoraunte, manye to be learned with out the ryghte vse of conninge, manie to be so sclaunderous in their conuer­sacion to the hole churche, and fewe to haue bothe learninge and godlie, zeale and holye lyfe whereby to edifye the people. I lamente their dissentions & di­uersities of opinions whereby the vnite of Christes religion is cut in peces, & the peple so a­mased that thei wote not what to thinke. If they would be or­dered by me, they shoulde fall to more earnest studie with praier and abstinence and leue their vanitees, and gyue better ex­ample of lyfe, and so stoppe the mouthes of false teachers, and [Page]stablishe the people in true faith and doctrine.Leui. xxi. God cōmaunded in the law of Moyses that none which had notable deformities in their body shuld be admitted to offre the breade of God. By whiche deformities were signi­fied spirituall fautes and vices, from whiche men of the clergie should be cleane and pure. But God knoweth, because they cast me of, and set me at lyght, ma­nye of them be ilfauored and mysshapen creatures. But I knowe what God hath purpo­sed and firmelie decreed with him selfe, that onlesse they a­mende and enbrace me earnest­lye and take better hede to the worde of God, he will sende his curse vpon them, depryue them of all reputation, and make thē [Page]be despised of the people, beside their later condēpnation, which they shal not escape. But if thei woulde suffer me to abide with them, I should make them like vnto those aunciente fathers of whom thei claune the succes­sion: I meane the Apostles, Martyrs, and Confessours. I shoulde make them verye pyl­lers of the churche, and not gar­guilles in the walles. I should make them acceptable to God, honorable to the people, welbe­loued to good princes, and fear­full to the euyll. I should make them mylde without pusillani­mite, and bolde with sobrenes and discretion, learned without presumption, & feruent in zeale accordinge to charitee ioyned with true learninge. I made [Page]Nathan bolde to speake vnto Dauid,2 Reg. 12. 3. Reg. 17. Math. 14. Marc 6. and lykewise Elye to speake vnto Achab, and Iohn Baptist to reproue Herode, & Ambrose to reproue Theodosi­us, and a thowsande suche ex­amples haue I wrought & am no lesse able to do so styll if I might be suffred, and finde apte instrumentes. Therfore I saye, Ye of the clergie receaue me, holde me while ye may, & make much of me, that I vanishe not from you afore ye be ware, and than your repentaūce be to late. Remēbre that which you redde of me in your bookes. Yea I ex­horte you as Paule dothe Ti­mothee. Be attēriue in redyng, [...] T [...]m. iiii. [...]. ii. exhorting, & learninge. Learne as ye shoulde do. That is, first to amende and refourme your [Page]selfes. Thou which teachest an other, teacheste not thy selfe. Thou reioysest in the lawe,Rom [...]. ii. and throughe breakinge of the lawe doest dishonour God. Awake I saye, remembre thye selfe, thye vocation, and thy charge. Thou arte appointed to confesse the name of Christ, to be a lanterne shyninge in the eyes to teache the ignorante, to lede the blinde to directe the feble & weake, to fede the shepe of Christe, in hol­some pastures, to be a porter of the house of god, take hede thou be not founde a sleape at the so­dayne cominge of the greate lorde.Math. [...] [...]. Mar. 13. Woo be to the if thou of­fend one of the lest.Math. 18. Better were it for the to be caste with a myl­stone aboute thy necke into the bothome of the sea. Beware [Page]thou be not one of them, whiche shalbe cut in peeces, & thy parte put with hypocrites.Math. [...] 4. Yt shalbe better for the to heare that ioy­full worde.Math. 25. Luc. 19. Euge serue bone & fidelis, and so furthe. Finallie to make an ende, concerninge the hole common people, and all de­grees and ordres therof it were to longe to expresse and speake out all mater of exhortacion, whiche I would gladlie printe in their hartes. It is ouer gre­uous and lamentable for me to tarye and declare al, & it should also be but vayne, seinge it is to well knowen, howe I am decayed amonges thē touching the seruice of God, & all godlie deuotion, touching al obēdiēce, good ordre and discipline. But what remedie? If I could ones [Page]get the ouer hande amōges the hygher sorte, I shoulde more easelie obtayne rule amonges the inferiours.Osee. iiii. For as the great men of the worlde and the cler­kes be, so be the people, whiche as a flocke of shepe can not (of simplicite) but folowe the pas­tour and chiefe Rāmes. Ther­fore almyghtie God graunte of his mercie, that I may bere ful rule amonge them whiche be in dignite, authorite and preemi­nence, that the poore shepe may be ledde, & guided also through me, in all truth, iustice, obedi­ence & quietnes. And that they maye be all one in true faithe, hope, and charitie, all inwarde grudge, rancour, contention, and diuision beynge expelled. Whiche myschiefes (if they be [Page]not quenched spedelie) muste nedes bring any realme, being neuer so florishinge, into cala­mite. But I shall with slande as farre as I maye be suffted, so that al me shall impute their mischiefes to none but to them selfes, & be dryuen, maugre all the stubbernes of their heartes: finally, to accuse them selfes ei­ther with holsome, or vaine re­pentaunce, & to knowledge ged to be onelye all goodnesse, and hys iudgementes to be ryghte and iuste. To whom be e­ternallie honour glo­rye and praise.

Amen.