The .i. Chap. ALl though I do not doute (good Christē bretherne) that there be many whiche bothe in theyr Godly sermons and also in their gene­rall councells do with diligent and cōuenient communication expresse all the reasons wherwith the commō welthe of all Christendome might be defended from the crueltye of the Turkes / yet neuer the lesse the same consultation semeth vnto me to be so indifferently pertaynynge and com­mone to all men whiche do professe the name of the hye emperoure Christe / that no mannes studye ought to be taken as vayne and vnthankfull whiche gentelyThe au­tors good wyll ou­ght not to be contemned. bryngeth forthe to a common vse what so euer councell / helpe or succurre he supposeth to haue founde ether by studye or in­quysition. For seynge that in the tyme of tempestuous vpswellynges of water / or [Page] shipwrake / fyeror otherlyke calamyte of mē. Right acceptable vnto vs is the good will and dilygent labor of those men and thankes worthye whiche wyllinglye do rūne to helpe vs. Although in the meane tyme ther be many other sufficient and e­nough to preserue and deliuer vs from the parell obiected. How moch lesse wyll good and wise men refuse the office and councell of them whyche in the tymes of warre and troble / as it is euen now (yf euer there were any wother) endeuoure them selffe to do what they can for the publycke weale turnynge all theyer wor­des and thoughtes to the helthe of the same that it myght be recouerd conserued and increased? And therfore [...]o ye wyse mē wiche knowe the lawes and custome of the churche my truste is that none of youThe Au­thors first requeste. will ascrybe the vyce of pride vnto me for that I do enterprise to declare my mynde (this boke gyuē abrode) of the greate and moste weyghtye matter in the whiche so many excellent men of singulare wysdo­me / vertu / witt / and lernyng are buselye occupied. But rather will attribute it to the parte of honestye because that I retaynynge faythe in ower lorde and sauyour Iesus Christe and beleuinge his vniuer­sall people that is to say his catholicke church / do applye my mynde to brynge [Page vi] those thinges in to remembrance which I haue lerned out of diuyne scriptures and the bookes and wordes of moste wise men to be moste proffytable to the preseruation of the Christen commone welthe and namely in this tyme in the whiche the moste cruell enemye of all Europe lyēth greuously in oure neckes. Neyther truly haue I purposed with to bitter wordesThe Au­thors purpose and intent. to persecute the Turkes affayres / dedes or maners whiche they haue done at any tyme ether to cruelly or iniustly. And so to prouoke oure men to the more hatred of that spytefull nation / seynge that vnto noble thinges godly interpry­ses vertu is rather required then rasshe desyre to be reuenged. Nather go I aboute to incense or moue the rulars of cyties to proclayme bloodye warre to whotly and oute oftyme agaynst the Turkes. Neyther yet wil I perswade them to take truce with the most fierce aduersaryes of true relygion. Nather of them bothewil I do in this state of thinges and as the worlde is now / all though I had greate plentye both of wyt and eloquence / the whiche beynge proued of some men (ahlasse for sorrow) with littell circumspec­tion hath brought the people of Christe in to extreme daungers and moste bitter [Page] sorowe the greate and riche kingdome of Hungarie lately beinge loste: the whyche very often and alone by it selfe hathe in tymes paste strongely defended / sustay­ned / and repressed the moste greuous as­sautes of oure cruell aduersaryes: But all my purpose is wyth playne and euydent truthe (whych thynge bothe tyme and maners dothe euer more requier) to open the causes for the which we haue kepte warre so vnhappely these many yeres with thisThe thinges to be entreated of in thys boke. cruell nation. And how that by oure vy­ces whyche bragge and cracke in vayne the moste worthy name of Christe / and haue no dedes of holy lyuynge agreable to the same / the monarchy of Mahumet wyth hys superstytyous and damnable lawe hath growne vp after thys terrible maner. Afterwarde I will showe that it is not onely a good thynge and an ho­neste / but also an easy thynge and a necessarye / to cut of the causes of oure euylles and plages: And last of all I wyll declare wyth what weapōs and by what meanes the enemyes of Chrystes name both may and ought to be ouercome.

Chap. ijANd fyrst of all that the begynnynge of all these warres / captyuyte / op­pressyō / and all plages whyche the Turkes haue brought vpō Christen peo­ple [Page vij] maye be clerely perceyued to be in oure selfe / whyche are Christen men by name onely / & not in dedes and lyuyng / it shall be necessary to compare the ordy­naunces and dyscyplyne and maners ofOwre maners with the Tur­kes muste be compared. owre aduersaryes in some parte with the vertues and vyces of owre men / takynge an example at the Apostles and Prophe­tes / whyche many tymes by such a com­pēdyous waye dyd brynge the folowers of godlynes into a more inwarde know­ledge of thēselfe / so that they might make thē to beholde in the lyfe of other straūge nacyons / as it hath bene in a glasse what is foule or honeste / what is good or euell in men clokyd / cowled / and hoodyd wyth tytles of names of holynes / and how moche euery thynge consysteth in hys awne kynde / for by the demonstratyon of comparyson it is more euidently sene what so euer they wolde knowe or not knowe eyther by ignoraūce or dissimulatyon / lokynge vpon the preceptes and iudgynge them selues to fauorablely. Therfore yf it shalbe knowne the same vngracyous dedes whyche we abhorre in the Turkes / or ells suche lyke / ye or greater myscheffes to be done amongste Chri­stianes / & that frely or wythoute any punyshment. Agayne those vertues whych [Page] are prescrybed of oure master & great Emperour Iesus Christ to be more gentlely nourished & excercysed amōgste the parte takers of Mahumets superstytion & ene­myes of Chrystes crosse then amōgste fayned & false Chrystianes: it muste nedes be graunted as I suppose this ferce and cru­ell nation by the ryghteous iudgementeMarke this well for it toucheth the quyck. of God to be styred vp and brought vpon vs / whiche myght reproue oure peruersi­te and take iuste vengeāce vpon vs / because we haue contemned and troden vnder­foteThe pou­er ād vertu of the Christē relygyon. the lawe of oure god and Christen relygion. And therfore at the same relygion must I begynne to declare my mynde whose power is knowne to be very great in all degrees bothe in magistrates andThe poe­tes do say [...]e that because Or o [...]nothe [...]s has made a man of claye and [...] [...]er [...] frō heauē [...] lyfe into hym. Iu­piter sent Pandora a woman with a boxe full of alkyndes of dysea­ses vnto hym / but he refused it / who­se brother Epsme­theus opened it / a [...] then all maner of syknesses flewe a­brode. pryuate persons / in warre and peace and in euery age and condycion of men. The whyche also whyles it is kepte whole & inuyolate deliuereth kyngdomes / natiōs and cyryes and all men from euyll. But beyng corrupte / it openeth as it were the boxe of Pandora and powreth abrode all maner of myscheffein to the world. More ouer as we knowe that there is but one onely holy and true euerlastynge and ly­uynge God / so do we confesse that there is but one onely holy and true relygion / whyche of Christe the sonne of God & of [Page viij] the virgyn Marye the onely medyatour betwene God and man is called Chri­stiane. And it contayneth an euerlastyng couenaunte that the Lorde is oure God and we agayne hys people holy and con­secrated / wyth, oute the whych felouship or cummunion of sayntes with Christe beste and greateste / there is not graunted of God vnto men any felycyte or promisse of blysed lyffe. But the wrathe of GodThe diffinycyon of [...] relygion. and all maner of calamityes with deathe at the laste and extreme miserye. Nether can I for the medyocrite or lytle quantite of my vnderstondynge in fewe wordes better defyne relygion then to be as I myght call it a lyffe or a lyuynge nature and a vertuous dysposiciō put in to men by the worde of God / whiche maketh mē to be truly myse good / & blyssed / for why it bryngeth moste true and sure knowle­ge of the greateste goodnes and also of the onely good God and his true worship and maketh vs pleasant and acceptable vnto hym / and styrrethe vp the mynde wyth holy affectyons towardes God and men: and also calleth vake oure myndes from those thinges whyche be contrarye to godes diuine plesure & therfore ought they to be taken as fylthye and vnhoneste Furthrmore it maketh constancye to gro [Page] we in oure brestes / lest we taken with the loue of the vayne flatterynge kynde or shadowe of good thinges or elles with the feare of any mysfortune hāging ouer oure heades / myghte be caryed awaye / The pray se and cō ­mendaciō of religiō with euerye wynde from those thinges that be very vertuous and good in dede / oute of the whiche fountayne of religion floweth and cometh all offices and noble actes / and all that integryte or innocēcye of lyuyng / vertu and conueniēcye which is called holynes. Thys gyueth power and goodnes to the lawes. This gyueth Authoryte vnto the magistrates and ma­keth the people to be iustely obediēt / whē at the commaundement of theyer celesti­all father and lorde of heauen and erthe / they gyue vnto euerye man what so euer is dew / whether it be honoure or tribute custome or rent or any other thinge. Religion alone makethe a good Kinge / a good consull / a good alderman and counceller / a good minister and doctor of religion / a good cittizynne / a good souldier a good marchant / a good husbandman / and a good workeman. Relygion cou­pleth men to gether with moste holy bondes / bothe the magistrates and the people committed vnto them / the parentes and the children / the husband and the wyffe / [Page] the cyttizynne with the cyttizynne to be frēdes and felowes / and bindeth the souldiours to theyr captaynes & the people in whose name the batayle is holden with moste holyeste leages and othes to suffre to gether strongely and lyke men what so euer fortune chaunceth vnto them. And that I may ons in few wordes vtter my hole mynde Religion is an infinyte trea­sureReligion brefely di [...] fined. of all good thinges whyche no portion of mannes lyffe may wante no more thē the bodye may be with oute the soule whiche is the onely cause wherby it mo­ueth / or the worlde may lacke the light of the sonne. Therfor howe many so euer haueAll godly men of all worldes were chri­anes. benein any worlde or in any nation / good and wyse men and the frendes of the immortal god / & in conclusiō adscribed and noumbred to dwell amongst sayntes They were euer Christianes whyche truly by the worde and sonne of god / by the wisdome and truthe and goodnes of the celestiall father haue by eleccion and fre gyfte obtayned bothe wisdome and good­nes and that same thinge wiche is called blyssed & euerlastynge lyffe, Nether are those men forbydden or prohibyted from the felouship of Christianes whiche were not marked with the outward badge that is to saye were not baptysed in the name [Page] of Christe or Messias / seynge that Adam and after hym the wother Patriarkes euē the moste holy men truly were called in the holy scriptures the true worshippers of the lorde and the seruātes of god / but yet not Christianes. Nether maketh it any matter by what way or by what meanes the sonne of god was declared & kno­wne vnto the heithē / whether it were by the scripture or prechinge of any man / as of Enoch or Moses. Whether by the con­tēplatiō of gods meruelus handyworke in any parte of the worlde declaring hym to be the moste wise and cheyfe workemā and maker of the worlde beste and moste myghtye. Whether it was showed thē by the reuelation of Angels or by the onely fynger and worke of god withoute, the helpe of any creature cōmynge from the lorde / that is to saye by the holy and coes­senciall sprite of god / so that they obtay­nynge by the worde of god necessarye wysdome vnto saluation dyd possesse and declare them selues in dede to be the chylderne of god & cittizynnes of the newe IerusalemReue. xxi. which descendeth frō aboue / so that they were members of the true and primatiue church / whose names are wrytten in heauen / whiche church truly is nether [Page x] ended in the spaces of tymes nor yet interrupted or cut asondre with the lymytes of places / natiōs / tonges & dominiōs.

Ca.. iijBVt for because mā is cōposed or made of soule & body / it ought to be iudged both most profitable & also moste iu­ste that the inwarde religiō / fayth / or godlynes be represented and excercysed in the outwarde comely gesture and cere­monyes euen as it were in a glasse and in an obscure thinge? Aknowlegynge godThe vse or abuse of Christes sacramen­tes / decla­re whither thou lou [...] ­ste ordes [...]i saste Chri­stes religion with mouthe and handes and with all thy holebodye / and (as I myght so speake) with all thy faculties / power and goodes preachinge and praysynge hym / whom with in thy harte thou reuerētly aknow­ledgest to be the euerlastyng fountayne of all goodnes: And as the outewarde co­mely gesture or honourynge of god is li­ke or agreable to the inwarde religion so that it ought not to differ from it no not an heare bredeth / And as all godly mēdo reuerently exercyse and with all diligence defende the ceremonye or sacramēt insty­tuted of god / and as it is a cleare tokē of a mynde chaced awaye and forsakē of the true religion to neglecte the outewarde comely gesture action and fayer vse of the sacramentes of god / eyther to corrupte them / or when they be corrupted to wyll [Page] to defende the abuse of them. Euen so for the tyme / or as the diuersite of tyme dyd requyer there hath bene variacion made in the cerimonyes / and yet in the meane season godlines and religion (as adper­taynynge vnto the very substance of the thinge it selffe) was saued and preserued whole & sounde. For why wother were the sacramētes instituted of god & deliue­red vnto owre firste parentes in paradyseDiuerse were the sacramentes a [...] di­uerss ty­mes. as the tree of lyfe and the tree of knowle­ge of good and euyll where they myght exercyse religiō. Whother were the sacryfyces permitted vnto the sayntes or holy men after the fall of Adam and Eue / and the reparatiō promysed by the blyssed seede vnto the tyme of Moses. Wother ceremonyes were delyuered by the same Moses vnto the Israelytes / the olde libertye in the meane tyme beynge lefte or reser­ued vnto wother nations where in the patriarchs with playne or single sacrifices did celebrate the misteries of Christe: An other maner & fourme of holy ordinaun­ces or sacramētes was instituted after the sonne of god beynge incarnate had per­fourmed all his promisses / and by his deathe the synne of all the worlde beynge redemed and saluation repared by an euerlastynge sacrifice: ascendynge in to hea­uen [Page xi] / he had fullfilled all thinges that we­re promissed to the fathers & prefigured in the rites of the holy ceremonyes. For why Christe deliuered vnto the churche a fewe sacramentes in nombre / as saynte Augustine sayeth / and they were of mostSaynte Augusty­ne. noble signification and holyeste obseruat [...] or. For Iesus christe owre lorde and saui­oure did institute and ordē the glory / the prayse or commendation of grace & the doctryne of repentaunce when he commāded his Apostles that they goynge in toMar. xvi. Math. x. al the world sholde teache in his name repentance and fre forgyuenes of synnes & not the choppyng & chaungyng of super [...] stytyous tradytyons of men mixed with his pure worde. And he commaunded the same thinge to be obserued vnto the ende of the worlde / bydding thē also to baptise in the name of the father and of the sonne and of the holy goste vnto the remission of synnes and newnes of lyffe. He also cō ­maunded his worshippers to breake the breade of his holy supper and to distrybute it amonge the bretherne and to drynke the wyne of the holy cuppe in the re­membrance of euerlastynge healthe pur­chased by his deathe with moste large andMat. xxv [...] Luc. xxii. hartye gyuynge of thankes. Fynally he wylled holy congregations to come together [Page] in his name to make supplicationIoen. xvi. vnto god the father by the name of hym what so euer good thinges we desyer to optayne or what so euer euyll thinges we wolde haue dryuen awaye / and to gyue thankes vnto the prayse of the Crea­tor and Gouernoure of all thynges. Vn­to the whyche relygyon whiche the son­ne of God dyd make moste goodly / and delyuered to his people to be conseruedThinges necessarie to be required for the [...]onseru [...] of the christen religion. and reuerently exercysed / there is diuerse thinges very necessary to be required / as apte and mete ministers to preache the worde / and to celebrate the sacramentes. There muste an honest place be appoyn­ted where in the ministration of soche ho­lye thinges maye iustly be executed. A tyme also is to be prescribed in the whiche the people beynge voyde of the care of erthly thinges may congregate or come together aboute soche godly and necessarye busynes. Riches and ornamentes mete and conueuient / may not be wantyng / with the whyche the temples dedicate to the lordes name maye be buylded and re­pared when they are in dekaye / the pore people maye be socoured / & the ministers of the Christen doctryne & the true wor­ship of god may be kepte and norysshed. All whiche thinges for as moche as they pertayne vnto the vse of diuine admini­stration [Page xij] are worthely taken for holy and halowed thinges / & in them to put / to hy­de or to coloure gyle & dysceyte / is a very wicked and a theuissre thinge. But how many so euer there be / whiche haue the outewarde relygion▪ of Christe common amonge them / whyther they do it from their harte or faynedly for some tempo­rall proffyt / in what part of the erthe and vnder what Prynce so euer they be / they are nombred for souldiours partaynyn­ge to the churche and the Christē people / whose heade is Christ. And of this mosteChriste a­loue is the heade of the chur­che. ample and large Kingedome / none other man can holde the ceptre / that is to saye rule and gouuerne it / then Christe the onely kynge and Prynce of all prynces whiche by the holy spryte of hym and his father / by his worde and the ministers of religion / by the rulars of the polityke ordre and lawes of the publyke weale / & also by the administration and diligent seruise of Angells and of euery creature conserueth and defendeth his people on euery syde. And as god hathe euer syns the creation of the worlde excellently de­clared his moste present godhed / wisdome and goodnes righteousnes and power in his outwarde churche / as in a peculiare people and cittye yea & as it were in hys [Page] owne house euen so was it done / Christe gouerninge all thinges very god and mā in the vnite of person / & so we looke that it shhal be styl vnto the ende of the worlde when all his enemyes beynge ouercomePsalm. [...]x & made his fote stole / he shall delyuer hisKyngdo­me is he­re taken for his e­lecte peo­ple. 1. Cor. xij. Kingedome vp to his father that god maye be all in all. For when any people breaketh his preceptes & falleth aways from his holy lawes / by and by he threieneth And if that be contemned and will not serue / he prepareth roddes to beate & punyshe them. Agayne when men wyll know theyer fautes and aske forgiuenes makynge promysse to amende theyer wicked and moste synfull lyuing / god is euer more wonte to be easely reconcyled that is to saye he will sone forget his angreEze. xviij and take them to his mercye. Truly the gyftes are infinite whiche Christe owre Kynge of his celestiall liberalyte doth dy­strybute to hys true worshippers. Ne­ther will he suffer any thinge to chaunce whiche shall not brynge some passyngeIere. xlvi. greate profitt to his true louers. But the enemyes of his churche he dothe destroye. Nether will he suffer them to escape vnpunisshed whyche do hys people iniuryes and despite / commaundynge his electe in the meane season to be of good comforte [Page xiij] and to attribute the vengeaunce to hym whiche bothe can and will requite the ty­rannye done vnto them with indifferentLuc. xviij iustice when he shall see the tyme to be moste for the proffit of the godly and beste to illustrate his owne glorye. But lesse I shoulde make to longe a rehersall of tho­se men whiche haue bene plaged for theyer vnrighteousnes done agaynste theHierom [...] churche / for as moche as saynte Hierome sayeth / all the persequtors of the lordesPersequ­tors of the chur­che neuer scape vn­punyshed true & faythfull congregation that euer were from the begynnynge of the worlde vnto his tyme (that I maye holde my peace and speake no thinge of the tormētes to come in the fyer of hell) to haue recey­ued also in this present worlde the scourge of vengeaunce accordynge to the de­des of theyr tyrannye commytted / we shall here be contented with .ij. examples breffely touched and compendionsly ex­pressed. Pharao the kynge of Egypt hadPharao the kyn­ge of Egypte neuer oppressed the people of Israel with soche moste cruell and open tyrannye yf they had not made god angrye and displeased with theyer synnes / for why? they were not ther for so euyll entreated of the Egyptians because that god hadGen. xvi. tolde Abraham before hande that his sede whiche is to saye the posterite of his [Page] generation sholde be afflycted or plaged by the space of fowre hondrethe yeres: But for because that god dyd knowe frō the begynnynge the synnes of the Israe­lytes & for their offences dyd therfore prophecye that they sholde so be punysshed / neuerthelesse so sone as they cryed vnto the Lorde / all thoughe they were not yet thorouly amended / god dyd not despyse their prayers / but gyuing vnto them the beste captaynes Aaron Moses & Marie / dyd brynge his people frō intolerable bō dageExo. xiiij. in to libertie / & plaged the tyrāte of Egypte and all hys kyngedome wythIulianus Apostate. moste greuous punysshement. Iulianus the Emperoure and neuye of Constan­tyne the greate was not admytted eyther by the negligēce of Christ the prince / nor yet by any crueltye of God vnto the per­secutiō of the church. But for because that many men dyd abuse the peace which the Lorde had restored vnto the church by the beste Prynce Constantyne / as it is easye to perceyue & beholde in the scouldynge altercatiō more then of harlottes / betwe­ne the heades and Captaynes of relygyō whyche were gathered to gether at Nice by Gods diuine sufferans. The chyldren of [...]rrius dyd succede their moste godly father Constātyne. And sone after the apostata [Page xiiij] Iulianus / which rather by crafte & pollyce of wytt dyd hurt the church then with cruelnes and greuous tormētes / as it was done of other tyrātes. But going forth to batayle agaynste the Persians he thretened moste cruell thynges vnto the Christen people when he sholde with victorye returne home agayne: and he vowed the Christen bloode vnto false gods / agaynst whō the church dyd fight wyth wordes / and confessyng hyr synnes & desyrynge forgeuenes of hyr offences / obtayned hyr healthe at the Lordes hāde whych doth iudgement and iustice in the erth: Nether dyd god despyse the prayers of the church: for Iulianus being brought thorow the disceyte of a certen Persiane to gether with his hoste into a solytarye place / a wood or a wyldernes / receyued a deadly wounde / not well knowne whe­ther of a man or of an angell: neuerthe­lesse when he sawe none other remedye but that he must neades dye / & that out of hande / the wycked tyrante was constray­ned to knowlege that Christ had gotten the victory / yea and that with his awne blasphemous mouth / in so moche that the very bloude spynnynge or runninge out of hys body wyth ferce violence into the element dyd proclayme / and crye oute: [Page] O thow Iesus of Galyle thou haste ouercome me / thou haste ouercome me. Which destynye certen godly men had prophecyed before that it sholde happen vnto hym cōsyderinge with them selffe what fortu­ne euer more is wonte for to folowe the persecutors of the church. Which seldome or neuer with oute blood or murder / des­cende vnto pluto the greate dyuyll of hell where all they be gathered to gether that haue fylled the erthe with the feare of theyer tyrannye. Furthermore it is red that when the sophister Libanius (afterLibanius the sophi­ster. that Iulianus was gone for the agaynste the persians) did inquire and aske of a certen scole master of Antioche what doth the carpenters sonne? notynge verely therby & meanynge Christe (whiche was brought vp and norysshed vnder the go­uernaunce of Ioseph whiche did exercyse carpenters crafte) he made answer with out any fere & sayde. He buyldeth and maketh for Iulianus a chiste or a costyn for toAthana­sius. be buryd in / Athanasius also was wonte to call Iulianus a lyttle thynne cloude whiche shold moste swiftly passe away & be blowne ouer. But after that Iuliane was slayne / the blyndenes of the heathen was compelled to know the truthe in so moche that a certen man in the title and [Page xv] name of wysdome moste famous amonge them / sayde. How do the Christianes affirme theyer god to be full of pacience and a sufferer of iniuryes? Ther is no thing more angrye / no thinge more present then his wrathe / for whyche coulde not differ his indignation and vengeaunce no not a lytle space vpō Iuliane the emperoure.

The iiij Chapt.NOw my oratiō & purpose maketh haste vnto the false & Antichristē shadowe of religion / for why? as there is one god / one wisdome / one tru­the & one goodnes / euē so lykewyse there is but one onely true religion / that is to saye the Christen: Neuerthelesse thorow the craft of the deuyll & the folysshenes ofDiuersi­te of reli­gion is the cause of greate stryfe. men / as there be many lordes and gods noumbred and counted euē so is there also many religions / and that very diuerse amonge them selffe. Nether do the lerned men and also the vnlerned dyffer more in any thinge then in religion / so that well nere a monge an infinite sorte of fourmes and fasshyons of fayned reli­gion / euerye nation supposeth his owne to be beste / yea surely and alone by it self laughinge all other to scorne as vayne & folysshe / despise the as false / hateth & ab­horrethe as wicked & damnable / and wyssheth that they were destroyed & vtterly [Page] abolysshed / so that theyer owne religion might haue the vpper hād & be spred abrode on euery side far & nere / by the meanes where of there is greate plēty of hatred sowē amongst men & moste greuous con­tentiōs / with warres in conclusion and slaughters of men and other all maner of persequtions. Whyles euery man stryueth with greteste studye to vpholde & auaunce his owne god / faythe and religi­on. Wherefore sathan the moste spyte­full enemye of godes glorye and mannes healthe / lyethe in wayte to destroye no­thinge more vehemently then the vncor­rupted and syncere healthe or preseruati­on of religion / whiche beynge saffe hole and sounde / the kyngedome of god dothewhat proffitcometh of religi­on beyng kepte and disproffit beynge broken. growe and floryshe and mannes felicite is greatly amplyfyed and encreaced / but contrarywyse beynge appayred or made weake / it can not be but the blissed name of god muste nedes be derkened and men wrapped aboute with innumerable euylls. Therfore the wicked spryte stir­reth vp euery meischeuous corner of his wit / and proueth all the wayes to the woode to corrupt religiō / & being corrupted by his suggestiō and the fayned Ima­gynatyon of men (whyche wythoute any respect to the worde of god do make [Page] them an ydole in theyr hart & giue th [...] vnto pleasante or acceptable worship a [...] ter theyr owne affections) to restrayne / suppresse & kepe it vnder. For that I may passeouer with silence & set a syde the su­perstitiōs of the heithē: How oftē did the Israelytes beynge vnder the administration of the Iudges and kinges departe awaye from the religiō deeliuered them of god & confirmed with wōderfull wor­kes? What monsterous worshippings ofCy [...]. x [...]. Iere. [...]ij. god did they receyue whiche truly didnot abstayne from the slaughter of theyr ow­ne children & to offer them vnto ydolles? yea truly the princes them selffe & the heades of religion and all the people (a fewe beynge except) did cōspyre to gyther in toIere. [...]. straūge rites & customes of worshippinge false godes / & that the prophetes shold prophecye a lye / and the prestes shuld clapps with their handes / & reioyse therat / & all the people shulde be wel pleased and haue greate pleasure & delectation in thee thinges. Therfore were not godly mē so greatly obeyed which went about to call them back agayne into the waye of health & to renewe or restore relygiō being loste: but they were takē for seditious & wicked per­sons & for men starke madde & outof theyr wyttes vntyll soche tyme as the people [Page] being plaged withsome greate calamyte were brought backe agayne by the scour­ges and whippes of the lorde from theyr false gods and dumme ydolls vnto the true god whiche lyueth for euer and dyd chaunge theyr wickednes with godly­nes / theyer mischeffe with vertu / theyer ignoraunce with knowlege. &c. How many heresyes dyd inuade the churche of Christe with in a few yeres after the lordes ascensiō vnto the heauēs? And yet forThere is no heresye but it seduceth some men. all that there was no heresie that euer came abrode & brought forth it selffe so weake and vnresonable whiche did not drawe awaye parte of the churchis flocke far of from the truthe / so that they coulde scantly be brought agayne into the waye of helthe with the great labor of those men whiche in lernynge and lyuynge were menne Apostolyke & moste holy messen­gers sente from the lorde. What is more abhorringe not onely from the holye scriptures but also from all good reason then the doctryne of the heretyke calledThe here­tyke Manicheus Manicheus whiche dyd knowlege one-while some infernal furye / an other whi­le Messias / and somtyme the holy goste to be the Author of his secte / and he taught that there was an other God of the olde people before the incarnation [Page xvij] of oure lorde / and an other of the Christianes synse he was / incarnate and in holy thinges he mixed soche abhominations as is not to be spoken. But what busynes / what vexation / what troble dyd he make vnto the churche whiche certen yeres dyd houlde Aurelius Augustinus wrapped and tayed as it were in a net / beynge ease­ly the prince of all diuines? Truly there was neuer any superstition or heresye so vtterly peruerse whiche had not some thingeAll heresies agre in some pointes wyth the Chri­sten doc­tryne. cōmon or agreable with owre Christē true and catholyke religion and whiche lenethe to the sure foundatiō of the euer­lastynge verite. Nether is there any nati­on so vntaughte ether ells so wylde whiche hathe not giuen some euident tokenAll natiōs know th­at ther is a God. of it selfe that it perceyueth there is a god and a supreme and prepotent nature / by whose power cheffely the worlde is gou­uerned and to whome they studye to do acceptable seruyse and to pacifye the dys­pleasure of the godhed with theyr owne institutions and ceremonyes / and so to wynne his fauor. For why god loueth all men with oute the respecte of persons & is indifferent to them all / willinge them all to come to the knowlege of his truthe and to receyue healthe / and for that cause dothe he graunte in the respect of Christe [Page] his sonne by the same Christe his wisdo­me and vertu the vse of a thinge most & necessarye vnto a blissed lyffe / and he so­weth the sedes of religion and wisdome in the brestes of men / whiche in some of them by the same grace of god where­by they were sowne and planted / growMa [...]. xlij. Sede in­dyfferently sowen groweth not alyke in euery grounde. and brynge forth plentyfull frute. And in an another sorte partely thorow negligē ­ce and wylde bryngynge vp / partely tho­row the fraude and crafte of the deuyll / & partely by the false perswasions of men they are eyther vtterly destroyed or els beynge corrupted they do degenerate & fall oute of kynde into some superstitiō [...] For why wher the mynde is ones turned awaye frō the ryght waye and the lygh [...] of Godes worde / it muste nedes wande [...] in derknes and errors. And some certe [...] true vnderstādynges or knowlege of th [...] nature of God and of hys true worshypp [...] and state of beatytude it corrupteth e [...] ther by puttynge to or takynge away [...] and some of them it planely destroyeth / some it kepeth safe and sounde. Therfo [...] may we fynde many men ambyguous doutefull. And (as Helyas sayde to t [...] The .iij. of the kynges the xviii. peple of Israel) halting betwene the tr [...] god & Baalim / that is to saye, false & fa [...] ned godes / so that partely they do kno [...] lege [Page xviij] and confesse the true God / and do certen thynges ryght and honest and ac­ceptable to God: and partelye beynge ta­yed in the nette of false opynyons they cleue vnto lyes / and commytte and do thynges contrarye to the wyll and plea­sure of God. wherfore as we ought not to alowe all the dedes and sayinges of those men / whych do professe the Chri­sten relygyon / seynge that it is many­feste they be often tymes taken in errors and fautes: euen so is it not conuenient to condemne all the ordynaunces and lawes and dedes of them which dyffer frō the Christen relygyon / yea euen in very manye and the chefe doctrynes and arty­cles: for whye the Prophetes and Apost­les and the onely author of oure healthe doth showe and declare some thynges in the lyffe of the heathen / whych good and faythfull Christianes ought for to follow vsynge an exacte / a well tryed and mode­rateThe tyr [...] vnto the Thessalo­mens the [...]yfte. iudgement / so that accordyng to the councell of saynt Paul / all thynges maye be tryed by the rule and squyre of Godes worde. And then at the laste let that thin­ge be houlden which is koowen and pro­ued to be good and true. Nether semeth the sentēce of saynt Hierome worthy to be left vntouched which he hath wryttē in the [Page] commentaryes of Aggeus the prophet­yf when thow shalte see anye man to do many thinges which be good and righte­ous amonge many workes of synners / A notable sentēce of saynt wie rome. god is not so vnrighteous that for the manye euylles of a fewe he wyll be for gett­full of the good. But he wyll make hym onely to reape those thinges whiche he had sowed in good erthe and to gather them to gether in to his barnes / but he that is vtterly an Apostata shall not euer more eate. But shall perysshe with hun­gare. These thinges did that cheife doctor of the churche wryght whiche is agrea­ble to the sayinge of the Apostle Peter in the tenth chapter of the actes. I parceyue for a truthe that there is no respecte of persons with God. But in all people he that feareth hym and worketh ryghteous­nes is accepted wyth hym. Forthermore that we maye make haste vnto owre pre­tendyd purposes I seme vnto my selffe very well to diffine the Antichristē religion / or rather superstition / if I say or affir­me it to be a false perswasion of the god­hed and blissed lyffe cummynge of the de­fectionThe Antichristē religiō breffely diff [...] ned. or ignoraūcye of the mynde beyn­ge voyde and destitute of the worde of god by the meanes wher of many are ma­de folysshe and euyll and vnhappye and [Page xix] miserable / for if a man (the euerlastinge veryte and celestiall wisdome lefte and for sakē) go about to determyne any thinge of the moste good thing or cheifest good­nes / that is to say of the only beste & greatest good god: necessite wyl cōstrayne him to gyue or ascrybe vnto god of mamies traditions / inuention [...] or diuises whiche are abhorrynge far a way from the natu­re of god beste and greateste / and agayne he shall take from the creator and gyue & attribute vnto the creatures those thin­ges whiche be partaynynge propre and peculiare vnto god onely / where of springeth an ydole and an Image is made of a straunge god: and forthwith a maner a fourme or a fasshion of worshippinge is applyed therunto after theyr priuate effections. Owte of the whiche begynninges there springeth afterwarde wother false opinions and euyll affections and wordes and dedes whiche differ from the truihe ryght and honestye. For why nothinge can be done of men right or fayer and honeste and acceptable vnto god. But as far forthe as they be neyghboures and com­panions of the Christen religion: Euen now dame supersticion with hir syster Idolatrie and wickednes of the mynde shyneth without the dores and doth exhybet [Page] and gyue them selffe to be playnely sene in the institutyon of their outwar­de exercyse / maner / gesture and behauy­oure / worship and seruyse done vnto god / when the names conuenient and agrea­ble vnto God alone and also the honou­re dew onely vnto his supreme maiestye is gyuen to his creatures / beynge called sauyoures / patrones and defenders / and in the stede of God an ymage set vp or whatsoeuer symylytude wherevnto man create and made after the lykenes of god doth bowe hymselffe. To the whiche he lyghteth candeles and burneth frankincens and other swete odors / smells and perfumes. To the which he maketh moste solemne vowes. And there be very many actions or fasshions of the superstitious worshippynge of god / whiche here to re­herse were a vayne thinge. But how many so euer there be which do conspyre and agree together in doctrynes the which be agaynste the Christen religyon or be par­tetakersA breffe descripti­on what antichrist is / and of what mē ­bres he is campacte amonge them selfe of prophane and poluted sacramētes are iudged to per­tayne to some one secte as of the Iewes / the Manicheis / the Iacobytes / the Arrianes / the Mahumetanes / & of soche other lyke: and all these sectes brought as it we­re into one bodye maketh one absolute [Page xx] and perfite Antichrist / whose heade is theThe deuyl is the heade of An­tichryst. dyuyll: and vnder hym be Dukes & Cap­taynes of the Antichristen hoste sondrye and diuerse at diuerse tymes / whych vn­der the name of Gog and Magog are elegantly fygured of Ezechiel the pro­phet / in whome the dyuyll dwelleth or inhabiteth corporally. And as fromEze. 38. 39 Cayn whyche kylled hys brother rygh­teous Abell for hys true relygyon theGeue. iiii enemyes bothe of God and of all holy men were neuer wantynge at any tyme. Euen so the capteynes and followers of Antichriste shall neuer be lackynge vnto the worldes ende / whyche maye excercyse troble or persecute the churche of god dy­uerse mayes / That Christe the Kynge of glorye may beare rule in the middeste of his enemyes / whiche shall defende his faythfull seruātes from all euyll / and shal rendre vnto his enemyes not onely tem­porall afflictions / but also excepte they repent in tyme eternall punysshementes in the worlde to come. But for because it wolde be a longe processe to dispute of the Antichristen doctrine and the damnable traditions of men I wyll be contended to haue admonisshed and gyuen yow war­nynge that the prophet Zacharye doth [Page] represent as it were in a shadow & mistically [...]he sig­ [...]ificatiō [...]f the fly [...]g ho [...]e [...]ch. [...] expresse in the fift chapter by the flying dooke whiche & what maner a lernynge it is: to what men it is acceptable / with what wynges it is carryed a loste frō the ertue: what in conclusion it bryngeth to passe and what ende the false doctryne of religion obtayneth.

v. Cha.THerfore these thinges being layde as the foundations whiche hither to we haue spoken generally of the Christen and Antichristen religion: we do turne oure style vnto the religion of Ma­humet / whyche the nation of the Turkes hath obstinately holden these seuen hon­dre the yeres and more. And de yet styl defende and labor as moche as they can with moste cruell warres to amplifie the same / for the prescription and maner of worship pynge God / and to optayne blessed lyffe by the title of Mahumet the moste excellentThe law of Mahu­met what it is / and what it cō tayneth. Prophete hath certen thinges very well knowne / to be folyshe and dyshone­ste / which so greatly do not taste or sauour of the celestyall fountayne / that they also differ far and wyde from all good reason / and the whiche except moste greate neces­site dyd requyre it I suppose it not to be lawfull to brynge thē into the eares and thoughtes of honest men. Some thynges [Page xxi] it contayneth that be verye tryfles and mete for nothynge but to moue men to laughter / and are of alyaunce vnto olde wyffes tales. A gayne some thynges be so craftely buylded after the symylytude of honestie and wysdome / that to the iudge­mētes of mē they appere to be moste holy ordinan̄ces. Moreouer therbe certē thin­ges contayned therin so like and agreable to the lawe of Moses and doctryne of the gospell / that a man wolde suppose at the tyrste syght they had bene deryued oute of the fountayne of celestyall oracles toOracles diuine answeres or sentences teache men wisdome and to make them blissed. For Mahumet cryeth oute of the Iues infidelete / and he contendeth that Christe was conceyued of the holy golls and borne of Marye a pure virgyn. And he calleth hym the greate Prophete of God and the worde and sowle and spiri­te of God / whiche shall come to iudge the whole worlde. Nether wolde Mahu­meth seme at any hande to be Christes enemye or that he wolde abolyshe his doctrine. But onely to take vpon hym to correcte those thinges that were depra­ued and thruste in craftely of other men. Also Machumetes doctryne doth valiently resiste certen oulde heresyes condem­ned by the worde of god and iudgemēt of [Page] the catholike churche as of the Anthropomorphites / which helde opinion that godThe [...]ere­ [...]e of the Anthrepomorphy­tes. was compacte and had soche another bo­dye and members as a man. In conclusiō he cutteth the throte a sondre of the hea­then superstition vtterly denyinge the pluralite of godes. Neyther will he graū ­te any vse of Images in any maner of wy­se to stande with religiō. And leste I shol­de make to longe a processe this is the be­gynnynge the ende and the hole summe of Mahumetes law / that there is one onely eternall and lyuinge god / whiche ma­deThe hole [...]me of Mahur [...]e [...] la [...]e breffely expressed whiche doth conserue and gouerne all thinges what so euer is contayned with­in the circuite of the rounde worlde. And that Mahumet beynge the cheffe messen­ger of god and aboue all other knowyn­ge the secretes of his deuyne mynde dyd neuer teache or brynge for the any thin­ge to be beleued or in the lyuynge of men to be kepte and obserued whiche was not drawne or deryued owte of the verye mowth and harte of the true god. And that to beleue hym so faythfull a master of the truthe is to beleue god / whiche vsed so familiarly his prophet Mahumet / but to reproue and despise hym is as greate an offence as to set euen god hym selfte at [Page xxij] haught / which had sent that heauenly doctor to instructe men in the truthe. And that the folowers of Mahumetes doctry­ne as the right begotten chyldren of faythfull Abraham and ayeres of the deuyne pronises shall for a truthe receyue in this worlde all maner of good thinges and inA very fay or promy­se to ma­ke fooles fayne and a cruell threte to make co­wardes afterd [...] the worlde to come to dwell for euer in paradise where they shall haue plentye of all maner of pleasure. But the contēners and for sakers of his lawe whiche is de­scrybed in the autenticke instrument whi­che they call Alcorane as the wicked ennemyes of god they shall be plaged not one­ly with temporall but also with eternall paynes and punisshementes / their soules beynge called a gayne to their bodyes in the daye of generall resurrection. But let it be so that Mahumets lawes were brought in not by any synfull man / but by the holy prophet of god / but by an arc­hangell / and that not certē but the moste parte of them all be a greable vnto deuy­ne scrypture. Let vs also admitte that all the folowers of Mahumet be men moste happye and fortunate / and let euery one of them howlde the kingedome of riche & prosperus Araby. And let their lyfe in an [Page] owtwarde showe seme or apere to be most holy: Neuerthelesse because the doctryne of Mahumet doth not holde Christ for the heade in whome onely the buyldynge of the house and people of god is ioyntelye knytte to gether. And for as moche as itEphe. ij. layeth not the reasons or effectes of religion and true beatitude vpon the foundatiō of the prophetes and Apostles it is a plā ­tatiō not whiche the celestiall father hathe planted. But an erthely or rather a diuyl­lyshe plantation whiche the lorde Iesus in a tyme appoynted shall plucke vp byMath. xv. the rootes with the spirite of his mouthe. But what maner a foundation of the euerlasting verite is it whervnto the cōgregatiō or churche of the godly leaneth & cle­neth fast & sure? Verely that Iesus of Nazareth crucifyed vnder Pōtius Pylate dead buryed is Christe very God and mā in the vnyte of persone and sauyoure of all the worlde / but cheffely of the faythfull / by whose bloode onely and deathe and rygh­teousnes cometh all the remyssion of syn­nes / Rom. iii. 1. Corin. [...] iustification / redemptiō / the fauor of God / eternall lyfe & the perfruitiō of godly beatitude. But to whome is it graun­ted to be partetakers of soche a greate & inestymable benefyte? To them that bye it for money? To them that do chalenge it [Page xxiii] by the truste of their awne merite or any other creature? No truly: But vnto them that beleue with the harte whych doth iu­styfye and knowlege wyth the mouth vnto their health Christ to be theyr sauyour: The which thinge for as moch as the TurkesRom [...]. [...]. profession dothe vtterly denye and resiste as moche as it maye. The eternall veryte compelleth vs to confesse that this greate multytude beinge in a maner in­fynyte (the whych to be remembred is an horrible thynge) of Mahumetanes / of Turkes and Saracenes and of other nacyōs / be not the people of God / but his extreme aduersaryes and a verye diuillys­he and a contrarye secte. Whiche holdeth not religion in reuerence / but is taken in the snare and tayed faste by the heles with the rustye fetters of cankerd superstiti­on. Whyche doth not posses the diuine promyses / but is subiect vnto thretenyn­ges and moste greuous damnation / vnto the whiche secte who so euer are ioyned hartely and with a fre wyll: They do not walke in the waye of true healthe and blyssed felicite. But they caste thēselfe heade­linge into extreme darkenes / into euerla­stynge deathe / into the felowshyp of the dyuille and in to the depe whorlepole of desperate infelicite. Where for I thinke it [Page] not good to passe by with silence by what Author & in what tyme this moste perny­cious secte was fyrst made / thē the which truly there was neuer any wother more largely opened and sprede abrode / or that hath cōtynued longer: many prodigyous signes and wonders aperynge in the fir­mament / in the see and in the erth to gy­ue warnynge before hande that a greate plage sholde come vpon all the erth / one­les men wolde flye vnto the mercye of God / and correcte the peruersyte of their euyll disposytiō & moste corrupte lyuyng.

Cha. vi.IN the yere frō Chrystes byrth. ccccc and .lxxxvij. Mahumet was borne in a village called Ittacip / not far of from the most famous cytye of welthy Arabye called Mecha / nere to the red see.Whan ād where Mahumet was bor­ne. At the whych tyme Mauricius I can not tell whither I may saye dyd holde or spoy­le the Empyre of Constantynople wyth couetuousnes and falshed & brybrye. But Gregorie by his syrname called Greate / dyd exercyse the offyce of the Bysshopry­ke of Rome / whyche dyd lade and troble rather then tryme the churche with cere­monyes. And he dydsome thynge oppres­se the Christen relygyon it selfe. And euē now there was a contentiō betwyxte the Bysshops / as an euyll eggecasse in / for the prymacye of the churche / Iohn the Patryarche [Page xxiiij] of Constantinople requyrynge that in that cytye myght be the heade of all whother churches: where there was bothe the seate of the Empyre and the vniuersall Prelate of the cheffe churche and generall Bysshop of all the whole Chrysten worlde / whych thynge Grego­rye the Romyshe puppet did let and for­byd / contendynge Rome to be the oulde or auncient seate of the Empyre / and the Romysh churche buylded of Peter not to be inferior to any whother: but the appel­lation or name of vnyuersal preiste or by­shop agreynge and perttaynynge to the precursor of Antichriste he dyd refuse: Ne­uerthelessePrecursor the messenger run­nynge before to prepare hys wayes. shortely after the death of Gregorye / Bonyface the thyrde dyd optayne wyth moche contentiō and stryffe of Phocas the Emperoure whyche dyd succede Mauryce that Rome sholde be called holden & estemed the heade of all churches, beinge nothynge afrayed of Antichristes companye / whych Gregoyre dyd ascrybe to the tytle or name of generall bysshop. Nether dyd he feare any thynge at all the name of a tyrante / whych Cypryane dyd attrybute to thys name Pope or bysshop of bysshops. Nothinge dyd he regarde these wordes and exāple of Christ / which sayeth: Lerne of me / for I am meke & low­lyMathe. xi. in harte. The heathen princes do rule [Page] as lordes ouer theyr subiectes after theyr owne arbitriment. But yow shall not do so. &c. Therfor the moste ambiti­ous and cursed contention beynge spron­ge vp betwyxte the bisshops of the curch / Mahumet was borne: whiche constitutinge or ordininge a newe superstition and Kingedome myght in processe of tyme throwe or caste oute of the churche the moste prowde titles and lables of mytars and bragges of those men wiche falsely v­surpe with moste detestable pryde for to be called the vicares of Christe and dryue them awaye euen as one wedge dryueth oute an other. His fathers name was Abdalam by nation a Persian and an Idola­ter. But amonge the people of Arabye called Scenites / he was a mā not vnnoble or vyly estemed. The name of his motherAbdelam & [...]mma parentes to Mahumet was called Emma / borne of the trybe or kinred of Ismael / whiche people did professe & knowlege yea euen then the doctrine of Moses in so moche that they did circū ­cyse theyr childrē / and dyd other thinges afther the manner and custome of the Iewes. Therfore whyles both the parentes dothe forge and fasshion the childes mynde after the institution of theyr owne secte / so as it chaunced they did distracte or drawe it a sondre in to diuerse partes [Page xxv] so that he wolde not appllye or Ioyne hymselffe constantly to any of them. Na­ture had annourned / granisshed and dec­ked Mahumet with excellent gystes if he wolde haue vsed them well and she had brought hym forthe a man apte and mete vnto noble affayers. All the whicheA bre [...] scription of Mahu­metes qualityes. thinges he tourned vnto the destcuction bothe of hym selffe and of all the worlde whyles he dyd followe his owne euyll [...] lustes and wolde not resiste the suggesti­ons of the dyuille and dyd obey the moste vngracious masters of mischeffe. For by all the partes of his lyffe euen from his childe hoode vpwarde he was euermore doynge and dyd bringe for the moste dete­stable dedes by the wytnes and declarati­on whereof his mynde was wel knowne to be couetous / cruell / vnryghteous / des­irous and very gredye of honoure and dominion prone and redye to all manner of foule and filthye pleasure. The propor­tion / beutye / or shape of hys bodye was passynge excellent and his myght and strengthe very greate to sustayne and he­are all manner of labore / sauynge that thorowe his intēperancye he had gottē at the laste the fallynge syknes. He declared his mynde many maner of wayes to be stronge / valiante / and full of bouldenes [Page] bothe to vndertake and to dryue a ways greate daungers. His witt was quicke in consideration / and suttle in all the chā ­ge and shyftes of polycye / and of moche a­bilite whyche waye so euer he dyd bende hym selffe. Here vnto he had also a fyled tonge and asmothe to vtter his wordes with soche eloquence and facultye of spe­che that he coulde easely perswade what so euer be wolde. Neyther dyd he want the scyence or knowlege of ars magicke that is to saye the crafte of coniurynge / charmynge / and whitchecraft. And aboue all thinges he sought wyth moste dyligēt studye to haue the name and estimation of a Prophete. More ouer about the historye of his education and bryngynge vp / Authors do varye and differ very moche / whiche thinge chaūceth oftē tymes to the wryters of soche matters. For parte of them affirme that the childe beynge desti­tute of bothe his parentes dyd come to Abdemonaplis a riche man amonge the Isinaelytes and one that occupyed the trade of marchaundyse / whyche delytyn­ge greately in the bewtye and wyttt of the boye dyd not onely take hym for hisHowe vnder whom Mahumet was bro­ught vp. sonne / but also delyuered hym all his ry­ches and wares that he sholde carye thē vpon cameles to the martes and merket­tes [Page xxvi] hyther and thyther auer all Egypte and Syria. And after the deathe of his master to haue maryed his masteres beynge a wydow of fyftie yeres oulde. And to haue receyued in the name of a dowrye frely gyuen him all his masters goodes. An other sorte saye whyche is more lyke to be true and more agreable to the wrytynges of the Mahumetanes / that he was a warde or a fatherles childe vn­der the gouuernaunce of one Mane­phis / or as some wryters call hym Abdemonopolis / which dyd set hym beynge aPerlust [...] [...]ite to tra­uell tho­rowe / to beholde rounde a­boute or to knowe perfe [...] yonge man to the feate of marchaundyse that he sholde perlustrate Egypte and Syrya / by the which occasiō he vsynge the fa­miliarite and hauynge the aquayn [...]ans of the Iues and Christianes whiche were deuided in to many sectes: He dyd get and optayne diuerse and many folde kno­wlege of sondrye lernynges and varya­ble doctrynes. All though certen Iues and heretykes runagates (as Mattheu the Archidia [...]ene of Autioche / whyche beynge condemned for the heresye of the Iacobytes that denye Christ to haue died & sufferd / all other thinges of the euāgelikeThe heresye of the Iacobites historie they do affirme & graunte / was fled into the countre of Arabye. And [Page] Sergius the monke of Constantinople [...] The here­sy [...] of Ser [...]ius ca [...] ­ [...]ed [...]n N [...] stor [...]ane / [...] ausche was a [...]o­lower of the here­ [...]ike Ne [...] ­ [...]orius. a Nestortane / whiche secte truly knowle­ge Christe to haue bene conceyued of the holy goste / & begotte of Marye a virgin. But his deuinite or godhed to haue bene gyuen hym afterwarde by the meryte of his vertu) dyd teache Mahumet with fa­miliare mastership: so that he semeth to be a man compacte and patched to gether of many religions. But Mahumet a lustye & a valiante yonge man / in the meane tyme whiles he wandered about beynge a mar­chaunte he was accustomed often tymes to go in to the howse of a moste noble wy­dowe excellent in ryches amonge the Is­maclytrs / and hir name was Gandigena / [...] or as some wayters call hir Cadiga: whi­che whyther she was bewitched with Magycall inchauntementes or elles brought by some whother trayne into a fooles Paradyse and loue of the yonge man / mary­ed hym / and made Mahumet lorde of all hir goodes / whyth the whiche ryches and certen domynyō of landes and possessions [...]ertaynynge vnto hyr by tytle of ryght he beinge set vp / or as it is sayde more co­monly then wysely / made a man / dyd pro­cure and get men to helpe hym / and addy­ste to hys commaundemente whatsoeuer he wolde interpryse / attēpte or begynne. [Page xxvij] And anon he waxed famous and full of renoume wyth noble actes and dedes. And he applyed hys mynde to occupye a kyngedome and to gouerne a realme.The fel­lyng [...]ph­nes hol [...] it to pro­cured. But for because he had gotten the falliu­ge syknes thorow the immoderate vse of wyne and lethery. And hys wyfe waxed wearye of hyr mariage / he couered hys dysease wyth a moste suttle lye / and he cloked hym selfe craftely to the vulgare people wyth the rumore and fame of a dyuyne entercourse: for he tolde hys wyfe that Gabriel the Archangell dyd brynge vnto hym celestyall messages: whoseA discey [...] ­fully ex­cuse and cloke for the rayne bryghtnes for as moche as a mortall man myght not sustayne suffer and abyde / he muste neades fall: which thinge was wōt for to happen vnto all the Prophetes. That thynge dyd so lyfte vp the womans mynde vnto pryde / that by and by she tol­de it forth vnto hyr gossoppes and famy­lyareFame fly­ [...]til C [...]yl­tely. companyons. Fame very swyftely powrynge abrode ouer all the people that Mahumet had the fruition of angelles communycacyons wordes and talkyn­ges. Moreouer the moste corrupte state of the Chrysten people dyd gyue hym oc­casion vnto new matters: for why whyles the rulars of churches applye all they: studye moste ernestly vnto vdlenes and [Page] ryches and honours / neyther watche for the healthe of the flocke / fedynge them faythfully wyth the holsome worde of theyr saluatyon / lyke as it is all waye necessarye / the people were corrupte euery where with hereticall doctrynes & all kynde of mischeffes. Heraclius also hisHeracli­us the emperoure / an euyll minister of hys of­fice. selffe beyng subiect to greate vngratious crymes dyd not onely minister his offyce / rule / and authorite royall / moste nawgh­tely / but he also permytted the publyke weale to men that were couetouse / vn­righteous & rass [...]e vnruly hareb raynes. Furthermore the emperoure had infa­med the empyre with incestuous marya­gesIncestuo­us matrymonye is whē men and wo­mē marye wi [...]hi those degre­es of con­sanguynite that a­ [...]e forbyddē of god le [...]. xxiij. / his owne ne [...]e beynge maried vnto hym / and he beyinge of alyan̄ce to the h [...] ­resye of the Monothelytes and wrapped besydes for the in magicall superstitions had manifestly forsaken or fallne awaye from the obedience of Christe the kynge of kynges. Therfore the people were euē now redy to caste of his yoke and to rebel agaynste / hym so that occasion and cap­taynes wolde offre them selffe vnto them: Whiche thinge chan̄ced to come to passe in Arabye / for when the dukes or cap­taynes of Heraclius denyed the Sarace­nes theyr hyre and other giftes dew vnto them whiche a longe tyme had taken wa­ges [Page xxviij] vnder the Christen emperoures / a greate despite also beynge added ther vnto / that the rewardes of vertu dyd not pertayne vnto dogges. The fear­ce and cruell barbarous natyon experteA [...]oble woūde gyuen to th [...] Sarace­nes. and exercysed in battell / and acustomed to warres receyuynge at one tyme a dob­le wounde of iniurye and reproche dyd begynne to seke a captayne which myght carrye the fyer bronde of sedytyon before them. But Mahumet cheffely and a­boue all wother semed very apte / mete and conuement / whyche sholde be ordy­ned heade of the batayle / a busye seditiousMahumet is chosen to be che­fe Captayne of the Sarac [...] ­nes rebellion. felowe and a bolde and endued wyth a witte to rule the roste and mete to take soche a matter in hande▪ Whyche desy­rously embracynge the occasion longe sought for (the multitude of the armed men beynge called to gyther) dyd preache vehemently of the wronges done vnto them by the presydētes or cheyffe captay­nes of the emperoure of Constantinople & of the pryde of the Kyng of the Persya­ues whyche wolde take diuine honours. And so aboute the yere of mannes salua­tion syxe hondereth & thre and twēty / He raclyus now ledinge the twelfte yere of his reygne in the Empyre. The Sara­tenes [Page] hauynge Mahumet vnto theyr captayne whiche was then .xxx. yeres oulde dyd plucke theyr neckes owte of the collare of subiection and set them selues at ly­bertye the souldiares of rome partely be­ynge slayne and partely put to flyght. [...]ow & by what meanes Ma­humet did first pro­cure the name of a prophete. Whiche victorie dyd procure and brynge forth vnto hym the moste greate prayso bothe of a moste noble captayne and of a moste excellent Prophet whiche beynge promised a longe tyme before to the ser­uantes of god / that he sholde make fre & blyssed the children of Abraham / dyd now with dedes fulfill the diuyne promyses. But the moste suttle man Mahumet as he receyued wyllyngly the prayse and tytle of Messias / euē so considering with hym selffe the fauor of the people to be but frayle / and as lyghtas a fether / one­les it be retayned and kepte faste with so­me religion / he determined with hymself to bynde the people wyth some newe superstition. That he myght afterwarde or in tyme to come haue them obedient vnto hym / & that they sholde not be dry­uen with euery lyght moment hyther orThe thyr­ [...]e boke of the kyn­ges the xi [...] Chapter. thyther: whiche thynge he dyd after the example of Ieroboam whyche dyd so bynde vnto hym the .x. tribes of the people of Israel abstracte and taken awaye from [Page xxix] the kyngedome of Iuda / with the super­stitious worshippinge of goulden calues and with wother ceremonyes that by the space of .CC. lx. yeres they coulde not be brought agayne vnto the Kingedome of the howse of Dauyd with any preachyn­ge of the prophetes. No nor yet with any misfortunes comynge vnto them / vntyll the tyme of theyr laste destruction. After a lyke maner Mahumet also diuyīynge to make the people of Arabye faythfullThe peo­ple of [...]r [...] bye in the tyme o [...] Mahum­et were myxte to [...]yther of Iewes o [...] Christia­nes ād the worshyp­pers of I­dols. and subiecte vnto hym / whiche were then mixte together of Iues and Christianes / and they also depraued by the hereticall doctrynes of Arrius / Sabellius / Iacobus Nestorius / and soche other lyke. And of the worshippers of Idoles namely of Ne­nus the ladye of corrupte and fylthy pleasure / dyd suppose it to be beste to brynge them all in to one secte. Vnto the whiche then afterwarde all whother natyons myght come a [...]lso. Wherefore thorowe the helpe of the heretykes Sergius and Mathue and of these two Iues AndiasMathue [...] Sergins Andias [...] Cabalac­habar hel­peth Ma­humet to make hys laws. and Cabalachabar whome he had vsed for his scolemasters before tyme he dyd be­gynne to make bothe a ciuile and apopi­she lawe temperinge the composition and the makinge thereof with a wonderfull crafte that he myght seme to be an aduer­sarye [Page] vnto no seete. But to make them all frendes and to reduce and brynge them in to a moste holy concorde / that he myght the more easaly be receyued of all men and retayned the more con­stantly. There were also many thinges added plēteously whych pleaseth the de­sires and corrupte iudgement of the vul­gare people / as the hope of greate ry­chesse / lordeship / and largenes of domi­nion / the vse and perf [...]tion of carnall pleasures / and soche a meanes to op­tayne perfeyt felycyte and beatytude / as euery man maye easely perfourme wyth hys owne strength / so that he wyll enforce hym selffe there vnto. A daye and a tyme of conuocation or metyngePrefyxed appoyn­ted before [...]ande. together beynge prefyxed in the why­che thys newe relygyon sholde be pu­blysshed / it is sayde that Mahumet had bewytched the myndes of the symple people wyth craftes / whyche be not ab­horrynge from a moste suttle wytt / ney­ther are they wythowte examples / for why he had prepared and caused vessel­les off goolde and syluer fyllyd with mo­ste dilicate meates and drynke for to be hyd vndernethe the grownde in the pla­ce of theyr assembles / whiche of the dig­gers [Page xxx] beynge brawen owte in the syghte of the people sholde portende the tokensPortende is to signifie before hande. of a moste welthye kyngedome. There was also a doue / whyche descendynge vpon his sholders and flyinge vnto the eares of the author of these newe lawes / dyd testyfye the presens of the holy goo­ste / declarynge vnto hym some pryuyesuborne [...] is as mo­che to saye as prepa­red to be­gy [...]e▪ deuyne and secrete mysterye / as subor­ned interpreters dyd openly declare. But she was before brought vp by han­de of a yonge pygeone made tame / and taughte to gather peason many tymes out of Mahumetes cares / so that know­inge the mannes voyce / and beynge kep­te hongrye she wolde flye vnto hym very famylyarly. And by the same crafte a bull beinge customablelye vsed and put or sente owte of the bullhye feldes dyd brynge the boke of his holy lawes tayed vnto hys hornes / that the folysshe multi­tude of the people assembled myght be­leue it to be brought out of heauen / andThe secte of herety­kes called Helcesay­tes. not to haue bene wryttē by manes wytt. Euen as dyd a certen secte of heretykes / called Helcesaites / whych dyd boste the boke of their doctryne to haue fallē dow­ne vnto them owte of the heauens by dy­nyne reuelation. [Page] The volume therfore was receyued of the Prophet preachynge wyth moste greate reuerēce. It was opened / recyted and alo­wed of all men. A solemne othe was rakē and they were all sworne vnto Mahu­mets lawes: and that the decrees for euer after myght be howlden as ratyfyed / holy and halowed / a worthy couer for suche a cuppe was added / and a capitall punysshe­ment was set or appoynted as vnto men conuycte of hygh treason whosoeuer dare detracte but wyth one worde the dedes and dygnyte of Mahumet / eyther yet cal backe his doctryne confyrmed with moste suffycyent wytnesses into doute and the controuersye of dysputatyon. And so this fayned Messias whyche dyd boaste hym selfe for to be sent with the power of wea­pons / not with the vertu of miracles / per­ceyuynge the myndes of the people to be sufficiently bownde and obedyent to all thynges: After or accordynge to the laweThe lawe of Mahu­met com­maūdeth his folowers wyth warres to encrea [...]e their kin­gedome & relygyon of amplyfyinge their domynyon / whyche hath brought no lesse destructiō vnto the Saracenes then to the Christianes / and yet deadly myseryes vnto them bothe / whych cōmaundeth wyth warres to sub­due nations vnto the consent of their relygyon or ells to cause them to paye tribute he determyned to persecute with battayle [Page xxxi] the people subiect to Heraclius the Emperour. And in the yere sixe .C. & xxx. frō the vyrgyns bryngyng forth of hir fyrst begotten sonne / he brought a greate & enmyous multytude of soudyoures owte in to siria. And Damasco beyng taken he setteth the seate of hys kyngedome therein / where he tokethe tēple a diuine honoures very gladly / which thīge he had detested before with feruēt wordes in Co [...]dra kinge of the Persianes or Perthianes: Frō thense forth he dyd inuade the Persyans the matter chan̄ ­synge vnhappely in the begynnynge / for because that the hyred souldyoures of the Turkysshe nation fightynge moste stron­gely dyd dryue backe the Saracenes (A wounde also beinge inslycted or stryken in the face of their captayne Mahumet) As it is sayde / but renuynge the battell wyth multytudes repayred oute of the people called Scenites / by force he subdued the Persyanes vnto hys domynyon / whyche the fortye yere of his age being paste whē he had bene sycke of a stytche in hys sydeAffynt [...] were the [...] whych by the mariage of hys wyffe were of hys aliaunce. seuen contynuall dayes / and after he had quafte▪ vp the venim gyuen hym of hys affynes / whych sholde succede by the tytle of inheritaunce in to the possession of hys wyffe Cadige / he dyed a deathe mete and worthye for soch a confector and bruar of [Page] poysons. The folowers of his secte dyd re­serueThe death of Mahu­met & how and wher his bodye was bu­ryed. the deade carkes thre dayes vnbu­ryed / because they thought it sholde haue bene carryed of angels vp into heauen / as the false Prophet had told thē before. But beinge offended wyth a pestylent ayer & moste greuous stynke they caste it awaye from them very disdaynefully and with greate contempte / whiche his moste inwarde frendes dyd burye with greate solemnitye layinge it in the temple of Mecha. And as it is expressed in histories they closed it in a chi [...]fe or a coffyn made of stele hangynge in the toppe of the tē ­ple by the power and vertue of an Ada­mant stone set and fixed moste cunnyngly by the cheffest masters of buyldynge a­boue in the vaute whose speciall nature & propertye is to drawe vp yrō and steleMahume­tanes is a worde de­ryued of Mahum [...]t like [...] or Christ be called Christia­nes. vnto it. And thys churche of Mecha is yerely visited of the Mahumetanes for the cause of religion bothe for that the bo­dye of this stinkinig prophet is there shryned: as Compostell in Spayne is sought vnto for the relyques of Iames / & also for that the lawe requireth all the Mahu­metanes for to come thither a pylgryma­geons in the yere as it was prescrybedExo. xxiij Deut. xvi. vnto the Ieues to viset the temple of Ie­rusalem / and thryse in the yere to present [Page xxxij] them selffe there in the sight of the lorde. And allthough that god hath some tyme caste downe the toumbe or coffyn of this cursed seductor with thonder and lyghte­nynge gyuen from a boue / that he might reproue the dānable vanite of soche superstition. Neuerthelesse the same error re­ceyued and roted in the moste inwarde partes of theier brestes dothe euen now also persewe them styll voyde of all grace and dwelleth amongste them vnto thisSchulta­nes Caly­fes & Amires be n [...] mes of of­fyce amō ­ge the Turkes / as a­mōge vs mayer [...] ryffe / Cō ­stable. &c. daye. For after the deathe of Mahumet the Saracenes dyd sprede abrode theyer kingedome and superstition longe and brode ordenynge prynces ouer Egypte & Aphricke / & Asia whome ells where they cal / Schultanes some where Calyfes / and some where Amires / and by soche other names. Moreouer about the yere of owre saluatiō repayred .ccccccc. lv. Pipine go­uerning the kingedome of Fraunce ther was warre begonne betwixte the princesMahume [...] Duke of Persia. of the saracens in so moche that Mahu­met the Duke or cheffe rulare of Persia brought an armye of turkes hyred for moneyImbriel duke of Babylon. to helpe hym in his warres agaynst Imbriel lorde or heade captayne of the prouince of Babilon / which draue a way their enemy and put hym to flyght very happely. But they beynge molested with [Page] iniuryes done vnto them as they suppo­sed and hauynge a captayne called StranglinbecStrāglinbec Cap­tayne to the Tur­kes fyghtynge a­genst the Sarace­nes. / dyd occupye Persia with theyer weapōs where after that they had slayne Mahumetes proctour. Forth with truce was taken wyth the Saracenes / and they agreed amonge them selffe of the fe­lowship of relygion. Where as before the Turkes dyd worship Idoles after the maner and custome of the Scythianes / & by that meanes they haue transflated the sa­racenes empyre and the custodie and de­fence of Mahumetes superstition vnto them selffe of the whiche matter mo thinges shall / be spoken in a place conueniēt.

Cap. viYOw haue the order (o ye Christen men) brefely recyted of a dolorous pece of worke and moste sorowfull busynes / by what authors the Turkyshe relygyon was compacte and sowed toge­ther of dyuerse sectes / and by what oc­casyon that euyll secte dyd fyrst sprynge and breake owte / the whyche ouerrun­nynge by lytle and lytle the partes of the world vnder the Turkysshe Empyre / yea and beyonde the same is far and wyde en­larged. And by what causes theyr empyre dyd fyrst begynne and afterwarde increa­ce / whereby the Christen domynyon se­meth to be brought into narrowe lymy­tes [Page xxxiij] and is dayly wasted / made lesse / and dimynysshed. Now what thinge in the Turkes affayers shall we fyrste inuade that by contention we maye the better beholde the state and condition of Crysten mē / and that the good and euyle thinges of bothe the partyes layde as it were in the balaunce of saynte Michael maye be browght vnto the indifferent weyghte of the truthe? Shall we rebuke them for that they studye or endeuoure them selffe with power and force of armes and not with reason to dilate and sprede abrode theyer dominion and superstition? What man endued with a good mynde cā pray­se them for so doynge? seynge that rely­gion is the gifte of god and the worke of his holy spryte whiche can nether be browght in / nor dryuen owte by violence of the brestes and myndes of men. But in the same or in greater damnation are the greate heade captaynes set nexte to the standarde of the Christen religion for to defende it and the cheiffe heades of the Christen people which do bannysshe and [...]ōdemne the doctryne of the sonne of god theier kinge / and persequte it with fyer and furye / and prescribe contrary doctry­ [...]es vn [...]o Christ / defende and thruste thē [...] by [...]lēce. Let certen decrees of the bysshops [Page] of Rome be looked vpon. let the blodye statutes of those princes be know­en and consydered that are obedynt to the pope and wyll folowe his lustes in all thinges as thowghe they were his bon­dmen. Howe many innocent creature [...] hathe bene spoyled of all theyer goods for the profession of the Christen verite with in these xxty yeres in the whiche the goo­dnes of god hathe gyuen a more syncere and brighter knowlege of Christe? How many haue bene marked with the whot [...] yron of moste extreme infamye and put to open shame and pennaunce as they call it? How many hathe bene bannysshe [...] and dryuen owte of theyr contryes with their yong & tendre babes & wyues? How many wepyng eyes & heauy hertes hath bene sene as in the dayes of Herode to beMat. i [...]. howlde. the parētes spoyled of their dea­re and beste beloued chyldren drawne to their slaughter with greate cruelnes as a shepe to the bochers stall or an oxe to the shambles? How many wydowes and orphanes haue bene made for the profes­syon of the gospell? Verely they can not be noumbred the whyche beinge tormented and cruelly dysmembred / some in pry­sons and bongeous / some head [...] wyth swordes / some strangled wyth halter [...] [Page xxxiiij] some put in sackes and drowned with waters / some buryed quycke / some brēt with fyre. Yea and yf the truthe may be tolde / cōdenmed of Christianes / hath loste their lyues / for the name of Christ (ah lasse for sorowe) amonge thē that are called Christen men by name: so that soche as be in­nocentes / & that fauor the lawe of Chri­ste from their very hartes might lyue far awaye in moch better saffegarde amōge the Turkes the professed enemyes of Christes name: then amonge the moost blessed / and most reuerend / and most holy prelates of churches / and the sworne and obedyent chyldren of those named spiri­tuall but carnall lyuynge fathers. May the Turkes be iudged worthye of repre­hensyō for that they wyll not suffer their lawes and doctrynes to be examyned by the rules of holye scripture / and so to be proued as it were gold by the touche sto­ne true or false? And that they crye oute and holde it for a very wycked thynge to call back agayne into the controuersye of dysputatyon statutes enacted well and wyselye and receyuyd with the consent of a greate nombre of people and confyr­med with the space and tyme of so many worldes? Shall it displease vs that men be put to deathe and theyr heades wyth [Page] the sworde stricken from theyer sholders whiche dispute but one worde agēste Mahumets opinions. And that they be not rather denyed improued or resisted by the waye of argument and disputatiō? What man hauynge knowlege of the Christen lawes & custome can alowe the same? Or at the leste way beynge not destitute of his right witt who will not rebuke it / & speake agenst it? The Prophetes dyd notAll godly men were euer [...]ore pleased to haue their doctryne examined a [...]d tryed so / nether yet the Apostels nor any god­ly men in vertu and lyuyuge lyke vnto the Apostels / no not the phylosophers of the beste forte nor any other wyse and discrete men whiche dyd not abhore to ha­ue those sentences to be disputed and exa­myned whiche they dyd beleue to be mo­ste trwe. For why the truthe wolde be knowen / the truthe wolde be boulted ow­te / and the truthe desyrethe vtterly for to be sene. It hatethe darkenes and aboue all thinges it loueth lyght which waxyth bryght also by dysputatyon and beynge knowen it turnethe the hartes of men vnto it in whome is anye desyer of the truthe and veryte. But those men why­che wyll not suffer theyr▪ doctryne / and theyr ordinauncys and dedes to be Iud­ged and determyned / and by conuenyent disputation holden with reason to be ex­amined [Page xxxv] Truly they make them selffe to be worthelye suspected / that ether they know them selffes to be blynded wyth greate ignorancye or elles that they loue darkenes rather then light / because theyrIohn .iii. dedes are euille, I pray yowe what is do­ne of the moste parte of Christianes and specially of the graunde captaynes and defenders of ower religyon / and that reioy­seMat. xxiij so greately to be saluted and called ma­sters / lyghtes of the churche / pyllars of the howse of god / the confutars of heretikes / and the hammers and betles to strike owte theyr braynes▪ How stampe they? How stare they / as hastye as Aiax and as ferre as euer was furious Orestes / when a moderate and relygious explication of Christes doctryne is requyred of them / & when false perswasions be reprehendyd the whiche are made ether thorow folys­nes or ells for the euyll and couetuous desyer of priuate proffyt / and are thruste in to the congregations / partely by vio­lence / and partely by crafte and dyscey­te▪ I wyll towche a fewe thinges whyche in thys owre tyme are more then kno­wen vnto Christen people / and yet be they done of many as it can not be deny­ed: There be certen heauy burdens layl [...] in the neckes of Christen mēnes conscyē tys [Page] as the vowes of the cloysterers & the syngle lyffe of preistes / whych God doth not requyer / nether do they illustrate his holy name that is blyssed for euer / nor yet brynge any maner of frute or proffit vn­to men / but greate losse & damnable dan̄ ger bothe of bodyes and sowles. Agayne there be some thinges verye well sene to haue bene browght in by violence in to the maners of the churche whiche differ so moche from the lordes diuine pleasu­res that one egge is not more lyke an other then the selfe same thynges are cō ­sonāt and agreable / ether vnto Iewysshe dotinge fables / as the choyse and differēce of meates and soche whother tradytyōs of mannes wyll and pleasure wythowte the preceptes of Godes worde: or elles vnto the madnes of the heathen / as the worshyppynge of ymages: or to the su­perstytyons of the Mahumetanes / as the inuocatyon of sayntes / pylgrymages vnto holy places / Romyshe pardons / iu­glynges of myracles / whyche false and detestable charmes turne awaye mennes hartes from the lyuynge God. Let a man experte in diuyne scryptures & notablye studyous bothe of the lordes glorye and [...]f the churches helthe and saffegarge ap­plye [Page xxxvi] his wytt and lernyng to helpe these thynges / and let hym do it with the beste order and reason that maye be / And how shall it be taken? Wyll not owre greateThe ma­ [...]tr [...] & [...]ō ­dyty [...]s of our [...] ma­sters and doctors of the popes churche. masters and doctores cloked with the tyt­le of holynes and lernynge / as though they ware styrred vp wyth some angrye spryte and infernall furye be turned by and by vnto truel checkes and crafty gy­les / bytter rebukes and violent oppressiō? Wyll they not make an owte crye: O vn­worthy dede and most vngracyous worl­de: the decrees of holy fathers of councel­les / of so many lerned men / obserued and kepte so many worldes muste now be cal­led backe agayne to scoles and altercatiō. Owte vpon heauen and erthe / what a wycked & a cursed thynge is thys? Owre moste holy father of Rome Goddes awne [...]icare in erth / and hys blessed college of Cardynales are vtterly contemned by a sorte of bag aboundes and brayneles gal­lowclappers. Theyr holy lawes and ordi­naunces made wyth good iudgemet / and receyued by the consent of the churche a great whyle a go: shall they now be re­tracted? We wyll not suffer it to be rent in peces with wylde horses: we wyll ra­ther fight as obedyēt childrē ought to do / [Page] not with argumentes and dysputatio [...] But wyth sworde and with all maner of boucherly instrumentes for the statutes / Actes / libertye / dignite and amplytude of ower moste holy mother and Apostoly [...] church of Rome: agaynste the runagate [...] agaynste the reperypes / agaynst the her [...] tykes / and agaynste the seditious / busye? and manifeste enemyes of peace and rely [...] gion both of god and all good men. So [...] I pray yow / what will yow do? Remem­bre youre selfe well / and be not so hasty [...] for it is sayde that soche men want no woo: where are yow become: whyther are you gone? what iustyce do yow vse? wher is the lawe of owre Lorde and Sauyoure Christ / whyche Petre doth expresse the Prynce of the Apostles and the buylder (as it is sayde) of the church of Rome some fyme the flower of syncere fayth / and yet as I truste hathe now in store some rely­ques of the same / though many do coun­te it to be but a cage of vnclene byrdes▪ Apo. xviii what doth the Apostle saynt Peter com­maunde I praye you in hys fyrste epist­le vnto the Christianes? Sanctyfye (say­eth [...]. Petr. iij he) the Lorde Iesus in yowre har­tes beinge readye all wayes to gyus a [...] answere to euery man that asketh a [...] ­son of the hope that is in yow / and that [Page xxxvij] wyth mekenes and feare hauyng a good conscyence. That lawe beinge gyuene by the holye goste as it owght not to be cor­rupted with any cursed and craftye inter­pretation: euen so is it confirmed by the examples of moste godlye men and of the sonne of god: for whye Christe by the au­thorite of the holy scryptures / of Moses and of the wother prophetes and with the dedes of moste holye men agreable to the scrypture dyd proue and confirme his doctryne whiche he had browght owte of heauen frō the father / and dyd declare it by myracles not onely to hys dyscyples / but also to the enemyes of the truthe the Scrybes and Pharyses. How dylygētly / how holylye / and wyth what moderatiō doth Origene dyspute agaynst Cel [...]us one of the sophysters of the secte of the Epycures? Tertulliane agaynste the Ie­wes / the gentyles and the heretykes / Augustyne agaynst Pelagius / Donatus Manicheus and whother? Those olde hys-shopes of Christes churche whych ioyned to gyther the greateste lernynge wythThe m [...] uer & con [...] d [...]tyon of the olde bysshops of Chris [...] tes church moste holy lyuyng / men neuer suffyciently praysed / callynge a congregation for newe heresies ether waxing rype or elles spryngynge vp as of Arrius / Macedoni­us / Donatus / Pelagius / Nestorius and [Page] soch other were accustomed euermore sy [...] ­fie to behowlde soche peruerse doctrynes very inwardely and to trye them by the rule of diuine scripture and then after­ward with good aduisement they dyd de­nye them wyth sufficient testymonyes and euident demonstration and dyd cut theyr throtes in sondre wyth most wey­ghtye sentēces by the sworde of the spry­te / whiche is the worde of god. But the Authors and folowers of those euyll opinyons [...]. vi. they dyd sludye to reduce & bryng agayne to the knowledge of the truthe and felowshyppe of the churche. Laste of all they dyd orden punysshementes by the lawes / & concluded those venymous dyseases to be cut of thorowe the prouy­dence of the polytyke and cyuyle magi­strates / leste they shholde crepe any far­ther vnto the destructyon of the people of God. How lyke are yower maners and yower dedes agaynst the reuēger [...] pro­ctours and attourneyes of the catholyke fayth / which make promyse that they wilTo depra­ue is whē a sentēce [...]ell spo­ken is o­therwyse alter [...] ād [...]ade [...] playnely proue the doctryne of Christ t [...] be depraued in many partes / the maners of the churche to be degenerate and fallen owt of kynde / superstityōs to be brought in wyth intollerable bourdens not to be borne / and those men to be oppres­s [...] [Page xxxviij] whom Christ made fre / so that a place [...]ay [...], be assygned / Audience maye be gy­uen / and a tyme prescrybed fyt and conuenient / and that shortelye. Truly [...] yow Christen men I am greatly moued and I shake euery ioynte of me as often as I do behoulde the state and condytyon of thys tyme / into the whyche yet neuerthelesse the holy & good prouydence of God hath preserued and kepte vs moste myserable wretches. They knowlege their awne selffe / whych are no frendes but fen [...]es / not the pastors / but the wasters of the holy church / that there be many thinges in the rytes / the Sacramentes / the ceremo­nyes and maners as well of the commonThe [...] of the truths [...] to be [...] of ordr [...]. people as of their heades clene out of fra­me and wrasted far awaye from theyr first institution / and their conscience heareth them recorde that there be diuerse abuses aboute soche thynges / whiche als [...] many tymes doth bewraye them self in the face of all the worlde / and yet for all that a conuenient place and a mete tyme can not be appoyntyd that they myght [...]n [...] [...]ake councell / and caste theyr heades togyther / whych waye at the last the chur­che myght be refourmed: How longe hath the churche now beinge afflycted [Page] owre gentle and louyng mother worthy to be honoured of all good men ten [...] requyred and made supplication in moste lamentable wyse by Maximiliane the emperowre of most noble memorye and other prynces before hym and after / that she might be delyuered from the greuousThe god­ly petyti­on of oure mother the church vnnto hyr chyldren. and importable burthen of to moche op­pressed and sore trobled consciencys / that she myght be losed from the bandes of sy­monye / that she myght put awaye those fowle pockes and sco [...]es where wyth they haue defyled hir and made hir euyll fauored warse then with a leprosye / that she myght receyue agayne hyr former bew [...]ye & hir oulde simplycite / integrite dygnyte / that she myght be gouuerned withe the lawes of Christe hir sauioure lorde and husbande. But what dyd ower mother bosted and crackte of some men with greate and goodly wordes / whych how moche they regarde hir / they decla­re by theyr dedes many maner of wayes. What dyd she (I saye) optayne of hir [...]e­rely beloued childrē whome she had norys­shed and brought vp with hir greate coste and charge? Who be more disobedient and in opinion who dothe more styfflye rebell agaynste hir then they whome she hath [...] handeled moste gentlelye and the which [Page xxxix] sholde [...]ere no rule or haue any place in the congregation of god if she were not vtterly oppressed and troden vnder fo [...]e? And yet in the meane tyme they be fell and cruell agaynst euery good man / and the flocke of Christe is moste miserablely rent in peces of wolues and theues with robberyes / with punisshementes of pry­sons / wyth bannysshement [...]s / wyth burnynges of townes / of vyllages / of cyttyes / with slaughters / abiurations / slan̄ ­ders / and tormētes pasynge the wytt the deuise or inuention of the moste cruell ty­rant called Phalaris / so that in my iudge­ment the Gothians the hunnians and the [...]andalins / and other soche lyke ba [...] ­ba [...]s nations dothe seme to be a grea­te deale more iuste and righteous then the blooddye institutions and [...]otherly decrees of the falsely named Christianes / then the enemyes and persequtors of the church▪ cloked with the title of Christianite and the similitude or apperaunce of owteward holynes. There be many thin­ges done of the princes and people of the Turkes agaynste Christen men for the spyte of ower relygion and the desyre to amplifye ther owne superstition / and yet is there no mischeffe committed of [...]yre prof [...]ssed enemies / where of we maye not [Page] fynde in owre tyme a lyke example yeaSolimanus empe­roure to the Tur­kyshe na­tion. and rather a warse done amonge vs. So­limannus Emperoure of the Turkyshe nation wolde not abyde nor suffer no nor any other prynce of the Turkes / the why­che hath bene synse Othomanus the .xij. (yf those thynges be trwe the whyche be wrytten of their dedes and dysposytyon) they wolde not I saye haue permytted the Christen men subiecte to theyr dominion for to be entreated after soche a maner as a greate sorte of moste godly men & theirA lamen­table thinge. honest wyues / vyrgyns and childrē haue bene handled for the professyon of the go­spell in Germanye sometyme the dough­ter of lybertye & in other partes of Chri­stendome: I tell the truthe and a thynge more then knowē to a greate meanye and so moche the more to be pytyed that the punysshement of innocētes doth not gre­ue vs as it ought to do / nether do we stu­dye ernestly for any amendement wherby we myght scape the greuous wrathe of God.

Owte and alas for sorowe (o yow Christen men) whyther wyl yow extēde / shall I saye yowre patiēce or not rather yowr neglygēce: Wyll you looke that the Ro­myshe ydoles / Popyshe Prelates / no [...] [Page xl] but bely gods shulde entre before yow into euerlastynge lyffe / whych hol­ [...]yngeLuke. [...]. the keye of knowlege and beinge prouoked by the space & tyme of so many yeares wyll not entre in their selfe / and do forbyd other as moch as they maye? Do yow not perceyue the matter to be worse and worse euery daye thorow their moste craftye and suttle translatiōs? Dyd Gedeon I praye yow and Iosaphat Ezechias / Iosias / Theodosius / Iustinianus & certen other ordre them selffes so slackely in restorynge of relygyon and righteous­nes? What sholde I speake of the wron­gefull vsurpatyon of the goodes of the churche? What maye I saye of the corrup­tion and defylinge of the Sacramentes▪ of supersty [...]yōs / and of the Iudaslyke be­ynge and sellynge of messes / diriges / trē ­talles / christeninges / buryinges / prayers merytes / relyques / pardons / and soche other lyke thynges / as charmynge of bel­les cōiurynge of candeles / pawlmes / water / asshes / & suche lyke? whyche truly the Turkes do abhorre to here / and it ma­keth them to tremble / to se owre vn­godlynes / we in the meane season ga­ [...]ynge vpon them wyth the greate losse [Page] bothe of lyffe and goodes / not ons moued with any maner of knowlege and token of sorowe. And why so? verely because we [...]. Cor. bi. do not regarde the doctryne of god taw­ght by saynte Paule nather do we iudge this sentence any thinge at all to partay­ne vnto vs Gyue not thy ryght hande to euerye man / nether be thow a parte taker of other mennes offences.

Chap. vii.The Turkes do styke in the supersticious worshipping of sayntes and they call vpon men departed this lyffe to helpe and souccurre thē boyngeThe super stytyous worshpp­pynge of sayntes. in payne / greife or heauines: and beynge delyuerod from any euylles or ells re­warded with any good thinges they gy­ue thankes for the same to deade holy mē and sayntes departed / as they suppose / by whose benefite they iudge them selffe for to be holpe [...] / kepte and preserued from all daunger: and they worship one Zedy­ [...]asidZedicha­sid with greate reuerence whiche is a patrone to theyr men of warre in the ty­me of batayle and neuer fayleth any of his clyentes [...] retayned seruāts / on [...] it be whē he is aslepe & can not heare the noyse of theyr prayers thorow the grea­teAcchikpa [...] [...]. and thycke cloudes. They honoure also one aschick passa the whiche is taken as the sonne of Iupiter called cupide. For a [Page xli] fortherer of loue to be procured. And to make them happye with the plentious procreation of children / which thinge the gentiles were wounte in tymes past to ascrybe vnto Iuno / some where amonge poetes called Pronuba by interpretation the cheife ladye / goddes or mastres to wo­men in theier affayers of mariage and matrimonye / and some tyme Lucina by playner explication the goddes of byrthe. Scheith passa is had in greate reuerence / Scheich passa. for that he is taken as the god of myrth solace and comforte / and swageth theyer sorowes / thowghtes / cares / and greifes of the mynde / and gyueth greate ease hel­pe and socure to soche as lyue in payne­full miseryes and carefull afflictiōs. And that they maye haue their hogges / their shepe / and their bulloks kepte in safe­garde / they call vpon the name of Barth­schinBartschin passa. passa which is bolden worthy of hye worshyp because he is their shepeherde their neteherde / and their swyneherde / & taketh cure and charge of all their cattel / as it is sayde / that Hendalyne kepeth watch and warde ouer the herdes & foul­des of the Christianes / Aliuan passa is aAliuan passa. sure patrone at all assayes / and a specyall aduocate to assiste and helpe them / when they stryue one with an other at the lawe [Page] or otherwyse. Hatschipettesch defendethHatschi­pettesch. his clientes from all werynes / daungers and parells whē they do iornaye and tra­uell by the waye. To conclude the procu­ration of the Turkes busynes and affay­res of the Mah umetanes is attributed & gyuen vnto many whother sayntes / leste that one onely God sholde be trobled to moche hauynge no helpe but hym selfe wyth the care and grefe of erthelye thin­ges. But wyth what face dareste thou b [...] so hardye to laye the cryme of this folye and wyckednes vnto the Turkes charge whych doest thy selfe the same thinges & rather warse yf warse maye be? For very shame ether take awaye the dumme na­mes of George / Anthonye / Barbara / Erasmus / and of whother he sayntes and she sayntes / or elles it must nedes appe­re that thou doest styke faste / and arte lykewyse drowned in the same myre / whyche arte called a Christiane: and yet thou mylt not aske all thinges in the na­me of Christ of owre moste lyberall fa­ther: which haste the noble wyse / and elo­quent promyse of the Lorde: what so euer yow shall aske the father in my name / heIohn. xv. wyll gyne it yow: whiche haste the noble precepte of God Psal. xlix. offer vnto thePsal. xlix. lorde the sacryfyce of thankes gyuynge & [Page xlij] paye thy bowes vnto the hyeste and call vpon me in the tyme of trouble / so wyll I heare the and thow shalte honoure me &c.

But yf the Turkes call Christen men wycked and out of their wyttes / whyche put of their cappes to Images / do inclyneThe e [...] ­se [...] dene­rat [...]ou of Images. them selffe to do worshyp / bowe their knees / lye flatte on the grounde wyth all theyr bodyes / sett vp tapers / lighte cādels / burne frāckynsence: which turne their praiers to a stocke or a stone: & hauīg their purpose and desyer fulfylled / gyue thankes therfore to a deade thinge wyth oute breathe or lyffe: How wylt thou de­nye the intentiō of a moste greuous cry­me? By what reason / waye / or meanes wilt thou auoyde it? Shall we saye there be none Idoles or vayne carued ymages called simulachres amonge Christianes? Men wyll not beleue vs / for the matter is euydent vnto the contrary / and owre tēpels are sene in the face of all the worl­de to be fylled / stuffed / and beset rownde aboute with suche maumets and puppets on euery syde. But vnto what vse? [...] wyse question forsothe and a warme in­interrogation: Herely to represent the blyssed sayntes that dwell in heauen / vn­to whome religion it selffe commaūdeth vs to gyue honoure and worship for as [Page] moche as they be patrones / helpers and defenders of all them the whiche requier their helpe and socoure / and will expresse the inwarde loue and kyndenes of the mynde with owtewarde prayer and thankes gyuen vnto them for soche benefytes as they haue receyued and taken at their handes: Therfore thy godes O Israell are acordynge to the multitude of thy to­wnes & cyttyes as Hieremye saythe / yeaIeremy. ij euery man hath mo sayntes well nere for to be his patrones then there be mem­bres of one bodye / seynge that one and his felowe muste defende the heade / an o­ther the hande / an other the bellye and who is able to nombre thē all? But thow wilt saye / they teache the laye people and are vnto them in the stede of bookes and as letters be signes to thē that can rede.The sophisticall in­uētion of Gregorye the greate Herely asharpe reason and a suttle inuen­tion firste to wnde owte / by Gregorye the greate not in the wrightynges of fisshers but in the argumentes of sophysters. Neuerthelesse I wolde very fayne lerne of the moste craftye disciples and valiante defenders of these dumme gods why­ther the deuyle syrsatane dyd euer teache the people Hethen and Christen more euyll and false in soch ydolles then payn­ted or grauen Images do teache good [Page xliij] & trwe? But that more is attributed vn­to them then they do ether teache or signifye: the thinge proueth itselffe many maner of wayes. For why? Wherfor do mē rūne as thowgh they were moued wyth some▪ vngracious furye by see and by lāde vnto soche Images? why be vowes made to go seke an idole that is so far, of? Why are Images laden with golde and syl­uer / and the pore Christen people in the meane tyme sufferde to perysshe for col­de and hungare? Why is it holden for a greater offence to ouerthrow a rottē poste then to stryke the brother of Christe for whome he wolde be borne and suffer dea­the? Why doth the braggers of the Christē doctryne put those men to troble as mo­ste vngracious heretykes / which teache that Images owght to haue nether place nor vse in religion / and the whyche with good ordre take them owte of theire tem­ples? Vpon the Turkes syde fyghting a­genst Images & breking them downe Moses standyth vp with all the valiant hoste of the Prophetes whiche do abhorre Ima­ges as a thinge moste detestable / addyn­ge also the reasones why they are not to be suffered amongste the worshippers of the lyninge god. Nether do the Apostles fyght agaynste the turkes in this behalffe [Page] which warnethe men to be ware of Ido­lesMoses the prophetes the Apost­les / the ch­urche and all good reason for byddeth the wyc­ked vene­ration of Images. and teache them no where to wor­ship nor in any wyse to make them any grauen Image. The primatiue churche also makethe wyth the Turkes / whiche a longe tyme was clene with oute Ima­ges and in the dayes of Tartulliane the signe of the crosse onely was had among­ste Christianes wythoute anye worship done vnto it / for a knowlege and token ofTertullia &c. the Christen warfare / as the people of Rome hathe bene acustomed in tyme of bat­tell to haue an egle for theyer badge and cūnisance. Good and perfit reason doth also consent to the Turkes hatred agaynste deaffe and dumme ydoles / whiche thinge I wyll make playne by the wordes of the moste excellent and famous clerke Orige­ne:Origene. whiche in the .vij. boke agaynste Cel­sus rebukynge and checkynge the Christianes / for that they folowed Moses and the Iewes in abhorringe the vse of Ima­ges wryghteth in this wise: it is an vn­worthy thynge / that the creature / whych is subiect to vanite / sholde be settin the stede of god hauyng no nede of any thin­ge: or that it sholde occupye the Rome of the sonne of god the firste begotten of all creatures / that it myght be honoured. Moreouer there owght no forged thinge [Page xliiij] to be in his mynde / whiche wyll worship God truly and in spryte and in veryte:Lactanti­us Firmianus. What shulde I recyte Lactantius Fir­mianus a man far awaye bothe better lerned and more holy then Gregorye the greate: whych doth not dowte to affirme that there is no true relygyō nor any maner of vertu / where as is an ymage. And he was an excellent wryghter douteles agaynste the heathen people: but he that wyll show me the difference betwene the Idoles of the hethen and dumme godes of the Christianes I shall suerly wonder very greatlye at hym.

I wyll adde this one thinge whicheCaucasus the moste flye mon­tayne ro­wgh and inhabita­ble deu. d­yng scithe a from the lande of India. owght not to be passed ouer. Owre ene­myes the Turkes whiche in tymes paste dyd springe and come owt of the rockes of Caucasus and afterwarde were made & fasshioned after the lawes of Mahumet do holde the name of god in greate reue­rence / nether do they vsurpe it except so­me greate and weyghtye matter constra­yne them: and in the tyme of warre they bere owtwardely writtē in theyr sheyl­des that there is no ouercūmer but god. Nether wolde they commyt the fame or ryches of a pryuate man / I wyll not say the publyke weale / vnto the faythe or credit [Page] of any man whyche wyth oute moste greate necessite wolde sweare the drede­full name of god. But how is it vsed amō ­ge vs? I wyll speake no thynge of periu­rye / whiche truly is a vice more often sene amonge Christians then is ether semyng or ells conuenyent / but I wyll saye thatThe repre hensyō of periury & blasphe­mous swetynge. thinge whiche all men knoweth to be cō ­trarye to god / and yet the moste parte of vs do it / and the reste are no thinge gre­ued in theyr myndes therwith as it wol­de be seme godly people to be / and those that be iudges and rulares of the lawes do not refrayne it with conuenient gra­uite in ministringe iustice. Tell me I pray yow is there not a light vsurpatiō of the lordes blessed name and a playne cōtemp­te of his diuine power in the mouthes of children / of them that are aged / of men and womē / of the magistrates the prestes and of the cōmone people: If a man shall begynne to make any sporte: ther is no­thynge delectable / nothynge merye / no thinge pleasante or worthy to be lawght at except some blasphemous othe be ad­ded ther vnto. If any thinge must be affirmed to be true or otherwyse the wordes and communication can not seme to be weyghtye / full of grauite and worthye to be beleued excepte the name of god ta­ken [Page xlv] in vayne be put there vnto. In brau­lynge and chyding / in bostynge and crac liynge / in thretenynge and denyinge / no man can be beleued withowt an othe. That man is not worthye to beare the name of a lustye inuentus / a iolye brute / a bolde man of warre / and a gentle man borne of a noble stoke / that can not make the heauenes / the elementes and the throne of god to breake and thonder owte of his mowthe. That can not rende the lor­de for alachet & sroere a pase the bloode / the woundes / the crosse / the precious dea­the and bitter passion of Christe. Let any godly man standynge by and hearynge the same be offended therwyth and put the blasphemer in the remembrance of a better mynde. And then is he ether rea­dyThe pag­ent [...] pro­pertye of blasphe­mous sw­eaters. to playe the iacke braggare and to drawe owte his weapon agayuste hym that was gelous for the lordes sake: or elles he wyll coloure his mischeffe wyth this or some other soche lycke scoffynge excuse. Holde thy peace good felowe for sayntes are a slepe. Why arte thow displeased? I do but remembre the name of Christe & his holy membres / and thin­kest thou that to be euyll done? God is an honest mā and knoweth what I mea­ne though thou being a foole arte vtter­ly [Page] ignorant. It is a knacke of the courte / sometyme vsed also in dyuerse whother places amonge dyuerse men I wyll not saye of one but of all degrees / an ornamēt of speeche and a poynte of tisthoryke: Yea shall I speake the truthe? It is one of the moste pestyle ut plages of Egypte / and a coloure of the deuylles facundyous elo­guence / wherwith all the wordes and tale is paynted. I saye not of a Christiane / but of a man that is madde and owte of hys wytt. And yet for all that who is he amō ­ge vs that is so dyspleased with the sayde enorme and vngracyous myscheffe as he ought to be? Who bryngeth for the any so­che token or sygnyfycatyon of sorow and dyspleasure as the Iewes were wente to do / whych greatly dyspleased hearyng soche abhomynatyon / were acustomed to rende their clothes besyde their backes? Where be the lawes of God / which wyl­lethLeut. xxiii a blasphemer to be correctyd wyth the losse of hys lyffe and punysshement of his heade: Where is the constytutyon of the newe cyuyle ordinaunces made by the Emperowre Iustinianus: What cyttye in all Christendome doth mynyster soche dewe and indyfferent iustyce as the Per­syans / the Scytheans / and owre contre­men [Page xlvi] the Germans were wonte for to do agaynste a lye? If god whiche made and conserueth al thinges / if the holy goste / If Christe the sonne of god be owre god tell me where is his religiō? If he be owre lorde where is his feare? If he be owre father where is his honour: If we do beleue hym to be all myghtye and moste wy­se / & trwe in his wordes? why do we not ons bowe at his moste greuous thretes? Was it spoken in the gospell to Christia­nes or to stones / let yower cōmunicatiō be yea yea & naye naye / What so euer isMatth. [...]. added more / commeth of euyll and of the diuyle? Thow shalte not take the name of thy god in vayne say the the lorde: and he thretenethe no man to scape vnpunisshed that will usurpe his blyssed name vnre­uerenly and with owt a iuste cause. And do we maruell to se the Christē common wealthe to fall dayly in decaye and owre men of warre to be slaine and ouer­comen with the nations of the Turkese Let vs rather gyue thākes truly vnto the goodnes of god that the erthe doth not open from benethe nor the soden stormes of wylde fyer and brymstone fall downe from aboue / and that we do not descende [...] [Page] abhomynable whoredome in so greate ly­bertye with owte any punishemēt? how greate and shameull aduowtries beday­le commytted in euery parte of Christendome that I maye houlde my peace and speake neuer a worde of the rauisshement of virgins the whiche of many Christia­nes is taken now a dayes not for a mys­cheffe but for a game and sporte. That I maye passe ouer the vice of inceste and the corrupte chastite of vnmaryed prestes whiche fayne them selffes to be gelded fo the Kingedome of god and yet they commytte soche vnnaturall abhomination as is not conuenient for to be named leste it shold infecte honeste eares and poyson the paper and breth of the reders / besides other myscheffe where in they excell the Turkes whose propretye is not (thowgh they be the enemys of Christes name) to kepe many wyues in one house as the prodigious vowe makers of wyueles thastite do kepe many cōcubines and sha­meles harlottes. But if any man amonge them haue manye habitations and is cō ­strayned by the diuersyte of bussines to dwell in diuerse places as are merchant men: then are they also permitted to ke­pe the mo wyues and in soche diuerse places to haue diuers women and elles not. [Page xlviij] Neuer the lesse the Turkes do greuously offende therin and they be iustely condē ­ned by goddes lawes / wherfore who so euer is īnocent and knoweth not hym self gyltye of as greate a cryme / let hym boldly taste stones at them beynge conuic­te. But here I am suer owre moste holyIohn. viii Deu. [...]ii. fathers wyl lawghe my folishenes to scorne if I sholde laye to theyr charge spirituall poligamy. For where as the apostle prescrybethe that a bisshop sholde be faw­teles and the husband of one wyffe: thei. Tim. iii. greate clerkes and owre illuminated doctors make interpretation that he muste be contented with one cōgregation. For this worde wyues muste here be vnder­stondid and taken for temples / churches / benefyces / prebendes or bisshoprikes: and yet there be certen fownde amonge these spirituall husbandes spiritually maryed to many women / that is to say benefyces after theyr owne interpretation▪ whose luste and pleasure the kysses and embra­cyngs of .xxx. soche wyues is not able to satysfye or to diminisshe. The lawe of the Turkes concernynge polygamye is to be abhorred & dothe worthely displease me / because it doth resiste the ordinaunce of god [...]nd what is to be iudged of the papisticall rules & decrees forbyddinge ma­trymonye to them: to whome god dothe [Page] permyt it / yea dothe ernestly commaun­de that they whiche can not kepe them selffes with in the lymytes of chastite shol­de rather vse the remedye of holy matri­monye [...]. Pet. v. then to burne perpetually wyth the fyers of concupiscence? Are they not snares of his makynge whyche runneth aboute as a blustringe lyon sekinge euer­more whome he may deuower? Do they not taste and sauer of the very spryte of [...]. Tim. iiij Antichriste? Verely saynte Paule a tea­cher of the truthe doth nominate and call them the doctrynes of the dyuyle.

But let vs now descende to the ciuile lawes which oneles they be tēpred after the moderation of relygion and of Chry­stesAlexāder the sonne of Mam­meas. doctryne they can not be iuste and godlye. Therfor did Alexander emperou­re of rome the sonne of Māmeas so moch regarde the cheiffe poynte & in a maner the hole summe of Christes lawe▪ Do not thow to an other that thow woldeste not haue done vnto thy selffe: that he caused it to be written in euery place of his palace and courte. And when any▪ offenders were condemned by the lawe and sholde suffer exeqution / he caused the sayde most worthy sentence by a common officer cal­led a criare to be recited vnto them in the audience of all the peple stādinge by / whiles [Page xliv] that sentence was gyuē? And he tru­ly was a moche wyser and a better prince for the common welth then was Phily­ppe afterwarde whiche fayned hym selffe to be the fyrste of the emperoures of Ro­me that dyd receyue the catholicke faythe rather then that he dyd fauer in dede the Christen religion from his very harte. Amonge the people & nation of the Tur­kes ther be for a truthe ciuile lawes made whiche dyffer no thinge from the lawe of theyer relygion / supposed of them to be very trwe: but they garnyshe and defen­de it / and those statutes are cōmytted vnto mete mē whiche may teache and inter­prete them Iustly and truly with grea­teste faythe and reuerence: whom theye call Calyfes. And the publike weale is cō mytted vnto Iudges and ministers of Iu­stice that are knowne and approued to be well disposed persons and diligent ke­pers of the lawes / that the place of Iudgement may fauer righteousnes and not falsehed / iniurye / thefte / and disceyte / and that the emperoure hym selffe may obeye the lawes whiche by his authorite dyd brī ge thē in / and requireth them to be kep­te of the comon people / so are the people the more induced to obserue the thinge that is good and ryght whyles they do [...] [Page] taken for the moste excellent gyfte of godsiphone be names of hellishe & infernall furies as the noble Greke orator dyd longe ago diffine where with the partes of a cytteye realme / or commonaltye is glued to ge­ther amonge them selues no otherwyse then the membres of one bodie ar coupled to gether with the Ioynynge of the seu­wes and are directyd vnto euerye mouinge. And therfor a lawe is the decre of a laufull magistrate ordined by god of anyThe diffi­nition of a lawe maner of thynge agreable to the prynce / the law / and moste perfyt reason that is to saye the wyll of god / and applied vnto honestye and the commune proffit. But what is done of owre masters the inter­preters of the law bothe of god and man? Truly a greate parte of them takethe more paynes then they be thankes worthy to alter and transfourme those statutes that be moste righteouse and holsome after theyr owne luste / nether do they cōsider / as it sholde seme / that they be oc­cupyed in an holy thinge / but rather to suppose that they had not to do with a reuerent maiestie and to haue a lompe of claye delyuered in to theyr handes in the whiche (after the māner of potters) they myght prynte or fasshion what so euer I­mage and similitude they lyste / yea and play the tryflers amongste them selffe. [Page li] And the emperoure and the empresse are not bownde to the lawes (as flatterers say) And thei cā easeli finde thē that will consent and agre thereunto. But then in conclusion what doth the people? Ve­rely euene as Claudianus sayeth whose wordes we rehersyd before.Claudia­nus.

They are allwayes altered and chaunged wyth theyr prynce / and so by soche mea­nes it is come to passe that the lawes do not socoure soche as lyue in miserie and the righteous: but them that be circūspecte and the whiche are instructe with rewardes / deceytes / suttle argumentes / craftye rebukes / fallse accusementes and capcious cauillatiōs / In theyr councells holden for the publyke weale the reason of fylthye lucre is more estemed then ofThe euill [...]st [...]tion of the lawe is [...]ause of moche mischefe. honestye / and pryuate proffit is preferred to a common wealthe / the lawes be bowght and solde in the merket: Godly decre­es be taken prisoners. Iudgement is gy­uen for brybes▪ so that he optayneth vic­torye: not that hathe the better cause / but that is the more welthye stryuer and that hathe gyuē or promysed greateste rewardes. In courtes where the lawes sholde be [Page] truly mynistred and withoute perrialyte the pore widowes and the Orphanes cause is not regardyd: true iustice hath hir legge broken and can not come to the consistoryes / where the wicked doth sy [...] in iudgement and the pore man lyethe troden vnder fote / the innocent cryethe owte / The vngdoly doth reioyse / sette­the vp his bristles / and dothe auaūte hym selffe / Where bytter worme woode come thforth for the swete frute of equitie: Honestye and godlynes is rent in sondre:prod [...]es [...] theues that be robbers of coun­tr [...]yes / ād and p [...]ra­ [...]es / why­che spoy [...]e and robbe [...]y th [...] see cruelly tormented and torne in peces as it were with wheles / ladye righteousnes lyethe in hir chambre greuousely woun­ded and is almoste deade. Therfor are mē spoyled in the feldes & slayne in the woo­des Iournayes taken by lande be daun­gerous thorow predons & by see thorow pyrates. Townes tremble with vprou­res & seditiōs. Warres be holden moste cruelly / and men be slayne withowt pit­tye / Villagies be brente. Cytties fall in to asshes / theyr goodes taken away / and not asked agayne / nor theyr enimies disclosed. Doth not that troblesomenes of thinges and extreme vngratiousnes re­quier that Nabuchodonosor cummyngeHieremy. [...]xxi [...] with Nergall and Sacasar may set his throne in the gates of Hierusa [...] and tea­che [Page lij] them to execute iudgement and righ­teousnes? But this place requireth me to speake of batayle whiche thinge my mynde abhorreth / for as moche as I haue not bene accustomed vnto tentes and pauily­onsMuses after the [...] ti [...] of poetes are called the da­ughters o [...] Iupiter & Mem [...] ­rye / by whom th­erfore is is vnder­stonde the knowle­ge and studye of the lyberal sciences. / but rather vnto lernynge and vnto the Muses / I will ther for speake a fewe thinges. It is not onely the ciuile decrees and statutes of nations that permitteth mē to kepe iuste warre. But the lawes of god also and the examples of moste holy men gyueth suer knowlege vnto the ma­gistrates that they may laufullye defen­de righteousnes with the force of armes / for they are commaundyd to carrye the sworde vnto the defence of good men and to the oppression of the wycked. But it chaunceth many tymes that Christen mē d [...] offend in the contrary parte and it cu­meth to passe that they put on harnes & take weapons in their hādes: not for righteousnes / religion and lybertye / to dryue a waye iniurye and despite / from theyer childerne / virgyns / wiues parentes / frē des / womē oulde mē contrey / from theyr howses / theyer altares / and theyer tem­ples: but warres are taken vp for euery lyght cause and theyr are endyd or put downe mosts shamefullye. Not the insty­tution or musteringe of the souldyours▪ [Page] Not the crafte or science of warfare. Not the money & wages whiche is the syne▪ There is no poynte of owre warre that we prepa­re to a go­od & god­ly purpose we of battell. Not the prouisiō of vyttel­les. To conclude the distribution of mea­te in dew tyme / the obseruatiō of ordre & araye / theyr signes / theyr weapons / a wise and prudent pollycye to come to the knowlege of their enemies councelles / & the necessarye preparation of battell are not referred to an honest and holsome victorye or ells to a firme and suer pea­ce. For why show me the man of war­re and paynte hym to me with wordes a persone put in office to playe the souldioure in the cause of the publyke weale whiche at the commaundement of the magi­strateLegiōe is a mombre or a multitude of mē of warre contayni­g [...] ▪ 6000. footemen and. 732. horse mē. defendeth righteousnes with his weapon / and beynge sworne or bounde with an othe fyght [...]th agaynste his ene­myes and dryueth awaye force by force. If a man to day wolde requier soche soul­dioures amonge the multitude of Christianes / I am a frayde he shal not fynde many legiōs worthy to be admitted and put in office. For as farforthe as Ise the com­mō sorte of p [...]ple prepared for the warres we maye better diffine a souldioure to beThe soul­dioure described in his right coloures. a man whiche hathe put of all gentlenes of nature or at the leste way [...] a greate parte of it / proude in apparell / in spekinge & [Page liij] in goynge: whiche is a shamed of sobre modestye / lawgeth vertu to scorne / hate­the peace / and abhorreth from no tyran­nye / Whiche willyngly procureth madnes with vnmesurable drinkynge / and with his greate & manifolde blasphemy­es settethe god agaynste hym & maketh hym angrye with hym selffe and other / whiche caryeth crueltye in his counte­naunce / Thretes in his tōge / redy rasshe audacite in his fiftes and sworde / and in his handes he bereth a lyffe redy be bo­wghtBy incor­porate di­uylls vn­derstande the sou [...]d­ [...]urs ter­ce and cr [...] e [...]l as it were hellishe and [...] [...]rnall t [...] [...]yes. and soulde for money. What ma­ner of men are the dukes and captaynes? not so moche the armed defenders of ri­ghteousnes as they be the coniurers of incorporate diuells: Whome except they holde faste with a very wyse inchanute▪ wēt with in theyer prefixed cyrcles / by & by they may se them breake owte vnto the destructiō bothe of them selffe & other What be theyer tentes and pauylions? The moste vngratious scholes of all ma­ner of mischeffe. What ys warre and bat­tell? The moste miserable calamite and fi­nall destructiō of mankinde. But yf the­se my diffinitions shall seme to be more folyshe then trwe: They that be lerned men and haue vnderstondynge of the science and feates of warre I truste will [Page] pardon me. But the rasshe vnlerned han [...] vals [...] be cru­ell men of warre / so called of [...]ni [...]al somety­me Duke of Ca [...]t [...] [...]. maye lawghe me to scorne as A dotynge busye fole whiche durste be so boulde to wryght of soche matters as are pertainynge to warres with in the walls off an howse dedicate to the muses.

Cap. ixNOw they that haue sene the order of the Turkes howseholde kepynge / as dyd Septemcastrēsis (whithe in the dayes of Sigismūde the empe­roureSeptem­castr [...]sis. described theyr affayers as farfor­th as he had knowledge beynge a pryso­ner amonge them by the space off .xx. ye­res) declare soche a maner and condition of all thinges pertayninge therūto / as semeth to be more agreable / not to the preceptes of Plato / but to the lawes of the churche. then that / whiche is sene at this daye in the howses of them that be priua­te parsons and magistrates amōge Christianes. The men be sadde and full of gra­uitie▪ Theyr wyues chaste and busely occupyed in kepynge of the howse. Theyr childerne be diligently browght vp: andThe or­der [...] [...] ­ [...]er of the Turkes howseholde keping well instructe in theyer relygyon. There is little or no thinge gyuē vnto idlenes and immoderate sportes. Vnthryfiye ga­mes and playes as cardes and dyse hath [Page liiij] lyttle place amongste them. In gettyn­ge and in kepynge off substāce they be studious and actyue / proffytable and clenly in theyr buyldynges / in theyr meate and drynke / and in the clothinge and aparell off theyer bodyes. And therfor they haue ryches pryuately sufficient and coffers replenysshed with treasure: from whense the chargys be mynistered and all the ex­penses in the busynes of warre and pea­ce. And leste I sholde be to longe / I wyll passe ouer the cotages of husband men in the contrey / the howses of ryche men / of merchants / of preistes / nether wyll I compare the ordinaunces of ower ene­myes to ower instytutions / whose how­ses it were conuenient to be as chur­ches and the habytations of holy men. Onely do yow behowlde the order and maner of greate men and of the Christen nobylytie in theyer howsehowld kepynge. Let yowr eyes be caste abowte by the hawles of prynces / by the companye of studentes / by the colleges off preistes / by the cloysters off monkes / by the cowrte off ower moste holye father / the secre­te chambres of hys blooddy red carnal­les and the palaces and houses of owre [Page] Bisshopes moste reuerēde fathers in god And you shall thinke yow to see soche a blyssed companye and soche an order and prouision of thīges concerninge howse­holde as the Poete Horatius doth paynte in these verses.

That is to saie: we are a nōbre borne to cō sume the frutes of the erthe. The husban­des of penelope / very vicious lyuers and yet men of greate Authoritye / In pam­peringe of the flesshe / yongeth doth hys parte more then right requireth.

In conclusion to cōpare the offices and dutyes of all ower men & those thynges whiche be contrarye to honestye and vertu by all maner off wayes with the ma­ners of the Turkes / it were an infinite la­bor. I wyll therfor towche the matter cō pendiously & yet wyll I do it so largely as shall be sufficient to discerne the truthe.

There is in the Turkes a certen mani­feste manlynes and wyse takynge hede / The wy­se pollicie of the Turkes befo­re the be­ginninge of theyer warres and circumspectiō in goinge a bowte the­yer busynes. For before they begynne theyer warres or any other matter it is [Page lv] theyer propretye to councell to gether in the wysdome of wordes / whiche done / they do prosequte theyer purpose and fo­lowe soche thinges as they take in hande very ernestly with stronge and mightye dedes. Nether ar there any labors so gre­uous and paynefull whiche they do not almoste suffer with incredible patience. In ower men allthowgh ther be no excellencye wantynge nether of wytt nor mynde: yet I cā not tell howe or by what meanes that ether to moche cowardenes or faynte herted sluggyshenes spryngeth vp amonge them when they muste take vpō them any harde enterprise / honeste / and proffytable to the bublike weale: Or elles we be carryed vnaduysedlye after the maner of wylde beastes into grete perelles which chaunseth many tymes vnto vs thorow ower owne rashe folys­shenes and the lacke off good cōsyderatiō in tyme. And therfor beynge stryckē with greate impaciēcye / thowght and care / weThe lake of good cō sideration in tyme bryngeth the Christian­nes in to greate da­ungers beginne to shitte the dore whē the stede is stowlne and to ban and curse the matter so vnhappely ended whiche we had befo­re so folyshely begun. And one reprehendith an other if any thinge fortune otherwise then accordinge to theyr opinion & expectacion where as the fawte is cōmon [Page] and partayninge vnto them all. I wyll speake no thinge of owre greate intemperācye in sportes / in playes / in wordes / in lyuynge / in the filthy affayers of ladye Venus / in playner inglysshe called lecherye luste of the bodye or carnall concupiscēce Nother myll I saye any thinge of ower apparell whiche we chāge dayly after the maner of apes so that no thinge offereth it selfe so folysshe & worthy to be lawght at / so that it seme to be a new trycke / whiche we do not delyte to folowe. I wyll saie no thinge of ower pryde and ower bostyn­ge and crackynge not of that vertue and good thinges whiche we haue in dede. But wiche we falsely fayne for to haue. Some men are so greatly gyuē vnto vay­ne glorye that they reioyse in misscheffe and be well pleased / for that they be pore in vertu and voyde os all goodnes. I will passe ouer many soche other thinges of the same kynde / in the which the honestie of the Turkes is sene to be greater thē of the common sorte of Christianes: a miserable thinge and yet (ah lase for pittye) it is to trwe. But yow peraduenter wyll saye that the Turkyshe princes and emperoures do burne with ambition that is to saye the immoderate luste and desyer of dominion / and they wrastle▪ as thowgh [Page lvi] they were shytte vp in some narrowe straytes amōge the large & moste wyde landes of so many kingedoms / and they ceasse not to enlarge the costes of theyr empyre. It is very trwe / they do so in dede / but I wolde to God that they were syke alone of that same disease and that a greate nombre of proude and am­bitious mē were not to be fownde amō ­ge those disciples that are named after Christe / to whome it is sayde. ExceptMat. [...] [...] yow wyll receyue the kyngedome of god as lyttle children yow shall not en­tre in to it: To whome it is sayde. God [...]. of Pe. [...]. resisteth the prowde and gyueth grace to the lowly. For that I maye passe ouer with sylēce the greate contentiō that is amonge cyttezynnes who sholde be takē as cheiffe / and how euerye man study­eth to exalte hym selffe: That I may holde my peace & speake neuer a worde how princes drawe owt theyer swordes one agaynste another / not onely for the cōqueste of dominiō: but also for the vay­ne and vsurped names and tytles of ru­le and authorite: Good god what thurste is there of vayne glorye / honor & digni­te? what feruent desyer of promotion? what gredy and hungrye huntinge after [...] [Page] ge and sellynge and in theyr bergaynes made hyther and thyther. What is in the more parte of ower men to whome the Lorde sayde ernestly: except yower rygh­teousnesMatthe. v. shall be more abundant then of the scrybes and Phariseys yow can not entre in to the kingdome of heauen? I am a frayed leste ower tyme be the same wher of ower sauioure sayde: whan the sonne of mā shall come suppose yow that he shallLuk. xviij fynde faythe in the earthe: And one bro­ther shall be traye an other vnto deathe / and a mannes ennemyes shall be they of his owne house. Whyles nation shall ryse vp agaynste nation / and people agaynsteThe greate abhominatiō rey­guing in the worl­de / vertu beyng bā pis [...]hed & righteousnes put to t [...]ghte. people / ryghteousnes is put to flyght / and bannysshed owt of the cōtrey. And in hir stede ther is cumme gyles / fraudes / dysceytes / vsurye / false barganynge / cir­cumuentiō of pore wydowes & fatherles children / corruption of marchaundyse or makynge of false wares / iniquitye in sel­lynge withe false weyght and measure / false performation of hyred worke and labor / losse of rewarde & wyth drawynge of wages truly deseruid counterfaytyng of monye / robrye of the comon treasure: Stealyng of all thinges bothe holy & vn­holy. Fayth is no where sure: not betwe­ne companyōs and prynces confederate: [Page lviij] Not betwene felowes and frendes / not betwene man and wyfe. The lawes of na­ture betwene them that be kynsfolke and of alyaunce by maryage are vanysshed awaye in to a beastelyke / wylde ād cruellPolypu [...] is a fisshe with ma­ny fete / which turneth hym selfe into many co­lours. Vertum­nus atumbler or a turner in to many shapes & similitu­des. madnes. To showe a fayre face: to turne the cat in the pan / as it were Polypus & Vertumnus: to fayne and dyssemble all thynges: whyth fayer promyses to make foles fayne and to deceyne by any maner a meanes: That is in conclusion the wys­dome of owre worlde: those thynges be the defensys and moste sure councelles of owre lyffe: all ower delyte is set in lying. And to be smered about the mouth with the swete venome of flaterye: we gyue greate rewardes: nether is there any man better accepted or more in fauor in the haules of greate prynces then flatterers / the whyche at all tymes hath bene theyr moste greuous and vtter destruction / but why do I speake of Prynces haules / whā in the chayers or pulpetes of churches where the gospell is or owght to be pre­ched / men are founde / whyche tycle yche­ynge eares with swete wordes / and wyl not scrape the lyttle tendre ones / or rub­be them harde with the bytynge truthe. In those places to submytte them selffe to the iudgemente or opynyons of the [...] [Page] the dyuyll vnto the lybertye of the chyl­dren of God / vnto the light of the trueth / vnto the worshyppynge of vertu and ho­lynes vnto euerlastyng lyfe and the per­fruition of Godly felicite. And he hath commaunded vs for to be holy as he is holy:Leuit. xix. for to be perfyt as he is perfyt: for toMatthe. v. be salte wherewyth the worlde myght be powdered: for to be lyghtes shynynge be fore other men in the purenes of lyuyng: that they myght therby be prouoked / en­tysed / retayned / and brought vnto the felowshyp of Christe. And by what waye that thinge maye be obtaynyd he hathe largely and planely expressed in his euerlastynge worde. And that we might lede a lyffe agreable to so greate and soche an excellent profession: he replenisshed owre myndes with his spryte sanctifyenge: Nether dyd he orden vs to be gyuen to bea­stelye luste / as the bondmen of the fleshe. Nether dyd he bynde vs to the powers of the planetes. Nether made he vs subiec­te to the dyuylles instigations. Nether wolde he haue vs adicte to the conspyra­tions of the wicked. But that we beyngLuke. 1. delyuered from all ower enemyes / might serue hym the lorde in holynes and righ­teousnes:Actuo. i. he gaue vs his worde and spry­te to be the master and guyde of owre ly­uynge. [Page lx] And that it sholde not greue vs to walke in the waye of helth: he mo­ueth / prycketh forwarde / and prouoketh vs ther vnto wyth many greate and god­ly promises / & those not vaine. For why? God forbyd that the supreme and one­ly veryte sholde make a lye. And he la­boureth to dryue awaye cowardnes and sluggysshnes wyth horrible thretes pre­pared euermore not for the louers / but the dispysers of god / lest we shulde at any tyme slepe in death. Moreouer he hath paynted before owre eyes the condytyon bothe of the good people and lykewyse of the wycked / with many greate and noble examples in the monumentes of holy scryptures / that I may speake no thynge of other hystoryes / and that I maye passe ouer wyth sylence those dedes whych be done / we lokynge vpon them.

But what is done with vs (o yow Christen men? How doth owre maners / lyuin­ge and dedes agre wyth the beste appro­ued lernynge of Christe? What frute or proffyt doth owre celestiall father recey­ue of the fylde of hys peculiare people? What thankes do we rendre vnto hym for hys infynyte and inestimable benefy­tes? If we wolde knowlege the truthe we do all thynges wyckedly: For why? [Page] those men whych ought not in any wyse to be made lyke to the worlde in euyll thynges / nor to drawe a yoke wyth the [...]. Cor. vi wycked / doth so greatly degenerate and falle owte of kynde from all godly dyspo­sytyon that they are fownde to be moche warse then the manyfeste enemyes of the Christen religion. Loke I praye yow vpō all the maners and dedes of the common sorte of the Christen people. In what ob­stynacye of mynde / hardenes of harte / dulnes of vertu / and wylfull blyndnes and ignorance of the truthe / lyue they? Con­syder all the partes of their lyfe. Beholde all the owtwarde orders of the churche / Bysshopes / Preystes / deacons / kynges / prynces / Lordes / Gentlemen / elders / cy­tezynnes / merchauntes / yemen / husband men / masters / seruanntes. And how mo­che do yow se of Christen Godlynes? ForBaal was an idole▪ whereof meutiō is made .iij. Reg. xix. therfor to bowe knees vnto Baal is to honoure & worship­false go­des. I speake nothinge of them that kepe thē selues secrete and be pryuely good men / & hath not bowed theyr knees vnto Ba­al. And I wolde to God that they beinge armed wyth dyuyne power wolde ones come abrode / and set vp agayne the Lor­des glorye greatly darkened wyth ower vyces / and repayre the moste extreme & greuous ruyne of the churche. I truste al­so that amonge the Tu [...] they be not [Page lxi] all so greatly inwrapped and addicte vn­to the superstitiō of Mahumet: But that some of them are pertaynynge vnto the holy catholyke church / whych is the com­munion of sayntes / for as moche as Ab­dias dyd serue in the palace of Achab thatiiii. Reg. xviii. wonderfull wycked kynge / and yet was he a moste faythfull seruaunt vnto hys Prynce / and a noble patrone of the Pro­phetes of God / from whose indignation Helyas flyinge supposed hym selfe to be lefte alone whych truly myght worshyp the God of Israel / but he is tawght by an oracle and diuine answere that there was reserued by the helpe of God seuen thou­sand faythfull worshyppers of the Lordes holy & woste reuerende Maiestye / whych neuer had bowed theyr knees to ydoles / nor dyd consent to the veneratiō or wor­shyppynge of creatures. Vnder a lyke maneriiii Reg. v Naaman the Syryane was a faythful taptayne / & dyd trweseruyce to the kyng hys master / a cruell enemye to the Israe­lytes / and yet dyd he worshyp & call vpon the name of the trwe God of Israel / that Christ myght preferre his fayth vnto the disceytfull / coloured / & paynted holynes of the Iewes. But the churche doth not iudge of thinges that be secrete. Where fore I muste speake of the lyffe and ma­ners [Page] bothe of the Christianes and of the Turkes / as far forth as they be many feste to the iudgemētes of men. Therfore what vertu wyll ye showe in the men of owre tyme / which is not more louyngly fauoured amonge the Turkes? What thynge can yow allege to be done of the Turkes vntruly / cruelly / proudely / and immode­rately / wherof there is not a lyke or a worse example in ower men? TherforeThere is none oth­er thinge the cause [...]tower e­uilles but ower owne mis [...]che [...]e. the mouynges of the celestiall circles or planates are not the parēts of owre cala­mities / as the vanyte of ower Mathema­tycall masters do tryfle / nether hath the prechinge of the gospell and (as some e­uylle mowthed slaunderes saye) the new sectes of the Lutherans and Zwyngly­ans browght forthe bothe these other euyles / and also these destructions and iuiuryes done vnto vs by the Turkisshe Mahumetanes: But ower manifeste my kednes / but ower coutenmynge of godes worde. But ower dissolute / corrupte and abhominable lyuynge / declaringe vs to be epicures rather then Christianes / hath caste vs in to these miseries / the lorde cal­linge vs backe in vayne / that the stepe & daūgerouse wayes of perdition auoyded we myght entre in to felicite by a waye that is playne / saffe Easye / Ye and to the [Page lxij] louers of christe also iocoūde and pleasant Show me the worlde that hath bene at a­ny tyme more vngratious then owers? Showe me the people whiche beynge defyled with the vyces of ower tyme / hath eskaped the wrathe and punisshement of god? The longanimyte or the prolonged pacience of god wyll not suffer hym selffe to be euermore despisyd. And he hath warned vs a greate whyle / he hath gentlely exhorted vs / he hath fered vs with won­derfull signes and terrible tokens / bothe in the heauenes aboue and in the erthe benethe.The cause wh [...] god castt [...]th in his [...] and bringeth h [...] plage vpō [...]s. But we beynge obstinate / harde harted / & styffe necked / do still resyste the holy goste and will not amend ower vici­ous lyuinge wherefore ower righteous / holy / & well willinge father casteth in his rodde amōge vs that by the smarte therof we may know the stryker / whiche coulde not / or elles rather wolde not be amēdyd whith any more gentle & softer handleynge. More ouer by what enemyes sholde we be punisshed more iustly then by the Turkisshe Mahumetanes / whome the sinnes of ower forefathers & cheiffely the perfidie / that is to saye the false breakynge of promysys in fallynge awaye from the trwe Christen faythe & theyer vniuste dealinge both with god & mā / hath browght owte of the rokes of Caucasus: hath lyfte [Page] them vp from smale beginninges and be­gerly pouertye vnto the empyre & domi­nion of Asia. Hath made them lordes andAsia / Africa / & Eu­rope / be those .iij. partes of the worl­de / into the why­ch Cosmographers haue de­uyded the whole ea [...] rth. rulars in Affrica / and in conclusion hath gyuen them power / strength and lyber­tie to inuad Europe with theyr shippes and galleys by that parte of the see that is called Hellespont. We do still norysshe them / and that they may go on forwarde and attempte all thinges merely as they haue begunne▪ we leauynge to the vices of ower elders do minister vnto them courage & audacite / so that by the ryghteous iudgemēt of god we way come at length vnto lyke confusion captiuite and bon­dage. Whe abhorre the name of a Turcke so that we iudge them as the moste vn­gracious and wycked enemyes of god & relygion / and worthy to be slayne with euerlastinge punisshement▪ Agayne they on the other syde perceyuyng the fylthy­nes of lyuynge that is amonge Christi­anes / ather by heresaye / or ells by that they haue sene with theyer owne eyes beyng present amōge vs / are so cōfirmed in theyr superstitiō. That theyr iudgemēt is they sholde be the children of hell fier / if they wolde change the receyued maner of theyr lyuinge with the Christen rely­gion: that they had rather suffer deathe [Page lxiij] then to come in to ower churches on eue­ryeIt abhor­reth the Turks t [...] to se and perceyue owre abominatiōs syde polluted with Maumettes and Idoles: that they beynge browght by so­me trayne or chaunce in to the howses of ower moste reuerend fathers / and behol­dinge the pumppe of theyr pestiferous & moste stynckinge vyces / do take them to theyr legges / and they flye awaye frome them as it were from the burninge of Sodome [...] and Gomorre: that they do suppose they can not gyue vnto god any greater honoure / or do hym better seruise / then to endeuer them selffe / to theyr vttermo­ste power / to destroye ower pride / to murdre ower people / to waste ower contreys to spoyle ower kingedoms / to ouerthrow ower cyttyes / and laye them flatt wyth the grounde. The Turkes therfor do ry­se vp into iudgement before the seate ofMat. xii▪ god the iudge & Gouernoure bothe of he­auen and erthe with the Christen generation so greately degenerate and falne owt of kinde / and they do accuse them for to be onely Christen men in theyr names and wordes. But with theyr dedes to denye all maner of godlynes. The Turkes I saye bere wytnes agaynste vs / that they beynge made and fasshyoned after the lawes of Mahumet / haue more ver­tues and lesse vices then we: whome ther­fore [Page] we do heare Agayne of saynte Paule▪ InRoma. ij. that thow iudgest an other / thow con­demneste thy selffe because thow dosteLuke [...] xi [...]. the same thinges: We heare of ower lorde God thow euill seruāt. I iudge the eue­ne of thyne owne mouthe and of thyne owne wordes I do condemne the. The Turkes beynge righteous men in comparyson of the vayne braggers of the Chry­sten religiō are alowed and destinated of God for to punishe his churche so fowly disfigured and to correcte hir with soche punisshement as is dew for a woman ta­ken in aduowtrie / For why? she hath bro­kē hir wedloke and violated the couenaū te confirmed with Christes blood in fo­lowynge of false gods in whome she hath put hir truste. She whyche is Christes spouse is no thinge affrayde to hurte hym with spytefull iniuries with fallse brea­kinge of promyse / and with moste greate vnkyndenes [...] And therfor do ower enemies truely dispoyle and take awaye ower ryches whiche we denyed to the pore / yea rather to Christe requiringe them in the pore. Whiche we dyd rather gyue to Idoles and to scoffynge knaues and raylers and we owerselffe vsurped them to the greate superfluite of ower carnall luste & pleasur & not to the necessarye vse of ower [Page lxiiij] lyuinge. They waste ower lādes / they le­de vs awaye prisoners owte of ower owne swete cōtreies in the whiche we regarded not to worship god truly or to seke diligently for the kingedome of heauē. In the whiche we dyd not studie for the con­seruacion of the publycke weale / but as the wycked betrayers of ower contreye we applyed ower myndes / not to vertu and godlynes / but to tyrannye / pryuate proffit and all maner of misscheffe. They take awaye ower libertye / whiche we mo­ste vnthankfull and vngratious wretches dyd turne all together in to the seruyse of synne / they teare ower fleshe and they wounde ower bodyes with they: cruellVenus is fayned of Poetes to be the goddes o [...] loue & Bac­chus the god of w [...] [...]. Mam­mō is euil gott [...]n or euyll kep­te godes therfor by Venus Mammon Bacchus vnderstonde lecherie couetousnes [...]lat [...] uy [...]. croked swordes. They defile they murder & choppe them in peces with horrible spy­tes and scornes because we do not kepe them as the moste holy temples of god. But do dayly pollute them and haue ma­de them the brodell howses of Venus / Mammon / Bacchus & of all vnclenlines. They rip [...] the bellies and cut the thro­tes a sondre of ower yonge infants and swete lyttle babes taken awaye by cru­ell violence owte of the bosome / and armes of theyer parentes. Or elles they kepe them vp to make them slaues taide faste with chaines to rowe in theyer [Page] Gallyes / and do reserue them to a myse­rable lyffe / because that they being borne vnto Christ and dedicate vnto God are not browght vp amōge vs with soche vertu and diligence as is conueniēt / fitt and agreable to the lordes requeste. The husband and his wyffe be rent a sondre and are carried awaye into straunge regious very far of the one from the other because that matrimonie is so greatlye abused / carnally polluted / viciously corrupted / and is not holden in reuerence accordinge to the honoure and dignite ther of. Ower de rely beloued parentes are taken awaye from vs because we nether gyue vnto them dwe honoure for theier greate caresDeuter. b and paynes taken in ower bringinge vp: nor yet worship truly and in spiryte and verite ower celestiall father whiche is in heauen. Ower brotherne also ioyned vn­toIohn .iiij. vs by dyuine kynred we do not so greately embrace / with holy loue / that we can fynde in ower hartes to helpe and socure them: but we are better contented nether to be idle nor yet well occupied in goin­ge abowt with spitefull malice to do them displeasure / to slaūdre and to hurte them And leste that manye sholde be borne the children of the churche (whiche know legynge the one onely and eternall ly­uynge [Page] god and whome he hath sent Ie­sus Christe / might obtayne euerlastyn­ge lyffe) we hyndre and lette them with the fylthynes of ower vices / and ther for very well worthy whiche hauynge myllestones tayed abowte ower neckes myght be caste into the depeste waters of the see to go fysshe after haddockes.

Cap. xiNOw are the welles and runnynge sprīges of all those euills showed and discouerd whiche redounde or flowe owt of Thracia into Germanye and threteneth a greate floodde vnto Europe and that for be cause that the people pro­fessynge the Christen religion that is to saye the true and onely and perfyt religiō dothe not perfourme in theyer maners and lyuynge any thinge at all or elles suerly verye little: that is agreable to the doctryne of Christe / in so moche that the Turkes the professed enemies of trwe religiō / the vphowlders of the stādarde and the moste sharpe defenders of Mahume­tes superstitiō do excell ower men (which haue but the names and not the dedes of Christians) in the godly vse and exercyse of righteousnes and of all other vertues / and they synne more moderately. This is also the disposition of god and his perpe­tual custome / as the diuine scryptures [Page] [...] eute / and the hysto­ [...]s done / bereth recorde: [...]pen vnto men the pleasu­ [...]l wyll / and dothe monys­ [...]e what is to be done & [...]uoydyd. And he calleth [...] as go owte of the ryght [...] waye agayne: But soche [...] whom he can not bringe [...] reason or perswasion ofCap. xi [...]heyer euyle disposition & [...]ons and vyces / that they [...]p god with dew reueren­ [...]f faythe and charyte: ether [...]te them with hungare / or [...]lages or wyth the [...]soday­ [...] Deuter. [...] horrible wylde beastes or [...]tye of the sworde / or elles [...]uylls to gyther. And so [...]e vnto theyer myscheffe.Iohn .iiij. [...] for that in this ower tyme [...] Christ and other innumera [...] of god hath made vs no thī [...] And seynge ther is lyttle [...] of godlynes and vertu lefte [...]ge (whiche thinge good mē [...]d it can not be denyed: bo­ [...]amityes / then truly moste [...]nuasiōs of owr aduersaryes [...]s turkes doth vexe and troble [Page lxvi] vs / that ether they maye dryue v [...] to repentaunce and amendment o [...] uynge / or elles vtterly destroye vs [...] brynge vs to confusion.

Therfore now (o yow Christē men) [...] ought for to thinke of the remedye of [...]se euylles / and we muste seke owte some good hauen that is wyth owte daūger / and by what rowynge or by what gouer­naunce we maye arryue in to it / and esca­pe these cruell tempestes and dangerous ragynge sees: For they that haue smale substance / and the whiche are diseased with dett / do not suppose it to be ynough to haue knowne the causes by the whi­che they dyd fall in to those myseryes / but they labour dylygently / except they want reason and theyr ryght mynde that they maye come owte / and be d [...]uered of soche daunger and dett / and that euer more afterwarde they maye take hede that they slyppe not agayne into the sa­me mysfortune. And they whych are wrapped and taken with the feuers / the ague / or any other maner of syknes / are not contented onely to lerne the causes of theyr dysease / but they serche owte studyously some medycyne / yf they be wyse / that they maye be restored vnto their good helthe / and knowe the reason [Page] how to preserue the same▪ whiche maye defende them after wardes from lyke euyl­les hāgynge ouer theyr heades: How moche more truly is it conuenient for vs to seke owte not onely for what thinges the wrathe of God is styrde vp agaynste vs and owte of the same bothe other calamytes / pouertie of thīges / murrayne / pesti­lence / seditions / and also the moste gre­uouse warres of the Turkes: But more ouer to gather togyther the most suer reasons & meanes to please god / that the e­uylls supressinge or thrustinge vs downe might be remoued. And that they come not agayne hereafter: to prouyde with rype and perfect councell in dwe tyme And that ower many ād greate offences are in the cause that god beinge āgrie maye delyuer the people / whiche bere the name & Sacramentes of Christe / in to the hādes of theyr moste greuous enemyes: it is manifestly▪ declared as I suppose. Now that we maye please the celestiall maiestie and take awaye the causes of all ower euilles there can no thinge be browght better & more sure then that whiche is the moste sincere and brefeste concell. Truly that ower vngratious dedes beynge amended and ower contumacye and disobedience seta syde / by the whiche we haue despised [Page lxv] hyther to the preceptes of the lorde ower god and father: we may come agayne in to fauor with the gouernoure of all thin­ges. The same thinge how moche it is honeste and fayer / and how it owght to be done with greateste studye / all thowgh none other proffit therof sholde be set for­the: it hath no nede of probatiō. For why? seyng it is a fowle thinge to offende ow­er parentes / or ower kinsefolke / or ower frendes and companions / or any other deseruinge well of vs / and by ower offence to breake frdeship / a fowler thīge to be­are hatred still / a moste fowle thinge not to wyll to do ower diligence that the of­fences might be taken awaye / and frendeship renewed: What a more vnworthye thinge is it and ioyned to gether with greater fylthines / to haue offendid ower celestiall father / whiche hathe garnished vs with infinite benefites / and to proro­ge enmitye & not to wyll to be browght agayne in to fauor with hym that was hurte / and may by good right vtterly de­stroye vs / and yet he rather requyreth vs to eschue the paynes & to posses with pleasure his goodnes neuer spente? That repentaunce and amendement of lyuinge is truly proffittable vnto all men / cyttyes / people / and kyngedomes. The storyes of [Page] the bible do teache euery where and it is recorded in very many places of the holy scripture planely pronounced. Owte of the which onely / we wyll towche a fewe thinges. For Hieremye the .xviij. Chap. declarynge the parable of the pottare / in whose iudgemēt it is set / to breke the ves­sell quickely now beyng made or beynge brokē to make it agayne: Towcheth very plesantly the power & strength of repen­taūce or of the new amēdemēt of the for­more lyfe that he might dryue awaye the euyls hāging ouer ower heades & so gre­atly euē now suppressinge or thrustynge vs downe on euery syde. For euen thus he sayth. May not I do with yow as the pottar doth (o yow howse of Israell) sayth the lorde / behowlde ye house ofIere. xviii Israell ye are in my hande euen as the claye in the pottars hande. I wyll speake sodēly agaynst a peple & agaynst a kinge­dome that I may roote it owt / destroye & waste it / but if that pepole agaynste who me I haue so deuised, cōuerte from theyr wickednes. I wyll repēt also of the plage that I had deuysed to bringe vpon them. What cā be spokē more clerely? The ora­tour of beste approued faithe & moste worthy to be beleued maketh promyse wyth the wordes of god that he wyll call backe [Page lxviij] his punysshement / yf men wyll amend theyer synnes for the whiche he had determyned to plage and correct them. For god dothe not kepe warre wyth man kynde. But he perscuteth ower offences and desyreth to saue the people the very worke of his fingers. Nether owght the twy­sted and dysagreable interpretations of sophisters to be herde of thretenynge of diffinytion and predestinatyon. But the promyse of god is to be embraced and houlden sure wyth all ower harte / euen as it were wyth an holy Anchore: whiche doth promyse remissyō of synnes and forgyuenes of payne vnto all men how many so euer wyll by his helpe amēde theyr disposityon / and maners and dedes. In the whyche thinge god is not chaunged nether is there wyth hym any inconstan­cyeThe nature▪ ād mercyfull in­clinatyon of God to warde vs moste myserable sinners. of whose nature this is the propre­tye: to wyll well vnto all men / to helpe them / to exhorte thē to indeuour thē sel­ffe for to take healthe. To call them backe from perissheynge. To chasten them wyth whyppes / to spare them beynge amēdyd and to enryche them with good thynges. O the ineffable clemencye of god whyche stryueth to make his enemy­es & traytours / his frendes wyth louyn­ge kyndenes. O the moste mercyfull [Page] swete and confortable voyce a faythefull witnes of greateste goodnes and declaringe to carefull synne [...]s the moste sure ho­pe of helthe. What speaketh Ezechiel vnto the Israelytes of hys tyme / when the lorde had thretened a greate while by his seruantes the Prophetes that Nabu­chodonosor kinge of Babilon sholde de­stroye the natiō of the Iwes oneles they wolde amende? If I saye vnto the wicked thow shalt suerly dye / and so he turneth from his sinnes & doth the thinge that is laufull and right in so moche that he gy­uethEze. xviii the pledge agayne / restoreth that he had takē away by robbery / walketh in the commaundementes of lyffe and doth no wronge: then shall he surely lyue and not dye. And a little aboue ī the same chapter it is furthermore added / as truly as I ly­ue sayth the lorde god I haue no pleasure in the deathe of the wycked. But moche rather that he wolde turne from his syn­ne and lyue. Turne yow Turne yow (O ye of the house of Israhel) Oh wherfor wyll yow dye? These and many suche wo­ther thinges doth god speake by his Pro­phet Ezechiel the .xxxij. & the .xviij. Chapters / whiche do well expresse the power of repentaunce and of turnynge agayne to the mercye of the lorde ād the studie of [Page lxxi] godlynes. But what thinge sholde weGod hath sworne to be mercy­full to vs yf we wyl repent. seke to be more sure then the promisse of the supreme verite and that with an othe added therunto? Iohn the baptisie threte­neth vnto synners the wrath of god whi­che shall destroye them and the whycheIohn the Baptyste Mat. iii. shall cutte downe the vnfrutefull tree as it were with an axe set vnto the roote / but the same Iohn doth also declare that the waye to auoyde all maner of euylle is by the amendement of the former lyffe / and he sayth to the Phariseys and to those that came to the baptisme of repentaun­ce. O ye generatiō of dipers who hathe put yow in minde to flye frō the vēgean̄ ­ce of god hangynge ouer yower heades? Peter also promiseth vnto the IewysPeter. Actes .ii. knowlegynge the cruell haynouse offen­ce of crucifyinge the sonne of god moste sure healthe if they wolde repent and be baptised in the name of Christe the sauioure. And that we maye taste also of Moses the fountayne or springe of all diuynyte whiche when he semeth to be the moste cheyfe & styffe demaunder of diuine iusti­ce:Moses Deutero. xxviii. ād Leu [...]. xxvi neuerthelesse in the enumeration or nombrynge of rewardes and paynes Leuitici the .xxvi. Chapter and Deutero­nomium the .xxviij. he showith greate­ste hope of health vnto synners not obstinate [Page] / but to soche as be penitēt and wyll forsake their euyll offences / in so moche that he promyseth the fauor of God & an ende to all euylles to thē that were now oppressed vnto the vttermoste & brought into bondage: yf wyth all their harte in theyr enemyes lande they wolde turne vnto the Lorde theyr God. And that cle­mencye of the Lorde and easynes of spa­rynge so that men wyll ceasse to synne is vttered with a celestiall voyce / Exodi theExode [...] xxxiij [...] xxxiiij. Chapter. For why after that Moses had requyred to see the glory of God and a proste to be gyuen of the Lordes dyuyne maiestye: he heareth that no mortal man and lyuynge in thys worlde maye see the face of God: Notwithstanding the same Moses sholde be conserued in the clyfte of a rocke / that he myght see the backepartes of the Lorde / & that he wolde passe wyth all hys goodnes by the face of Moses. Whyche therfore standynge in the denne to hym assygned / dyd se a clowde / and he herde the nature of owerThe nature of owre lorde god declared vnto Mo­ses Exod. xxxiiij. Lorde God to be showed vnto hym with a celestiall or a dyuyne description. The whyche for as moche as it is a thynge moste worthy to be knowen▪ I wyll re­herse it in Inglyshe wordes / whyche is some thinge more agreable to the scrip­ture [Page lxx] of the Hebrew then the commō trās­lation of the Latyne: Iehouah / Iehouah / Deus misericors. &c. That is to saye: Lor­de / Lorde God / mercyfull and gratious / longesufferynge / and abundant in goodnes and truthe / kepynge mercy in store for a thousand worldes / forgiuinge wyc­kednes / vngodlynes and synne / and yet for all that not leauinge them all wayes vtterly vupunysshed visitynge the wyc­kednes of the fathers vpon the thyldrē & vpon the chyldrēs chyldrē vnto the thyr­de and fowrte generation. But that the same thinge also is perfourmyd with dedes that this description teacheth to be in the nature of god: bothe the holy scrip­tures and the Ecclesiasticall hystoryes do sufficiētly beare recorde / that we may passe ouer and speake no thinge at all of other strange & prophane matters / and howe easye and gentle the lorde is to them that repente. More ouer what an houlesome and goodly medicyne the chaungynge of owre dispsition and maners after the rule of godes law is vnto ower miserye: the register or commmentarye of the Iwes affayers vnder the admini­stratiō & gouernance of the iudges doth [Page] teache very well. For Iosue beynge dea­de and that people which had perceyued the workes of the lorde in the dayes of Moses and Iosue beynge Iudges ouer them: they that cam after them immediatly dyd caste awaye from them the worship of the true god / and they serued Baalim and other creatures after the manee of the heathē to whome they dyd gyue false existimation of diuine power. Wherefo­re the lorde waxinge angrie / delyuered thē in to the power of Chusan Rischeatane / kingeIudg. iii. of the Sirianes that they shol­de suffer his tyrannie .viii. yeres and whā they beynge oppressed whith greuous ca­lamites wold come againe in to the right waye and knowe the one onely true and euerlastinge god worshippyd of the holy fathers and wolde call for his helpe / chaungynge theyer wickednes in to the studye of vertu: God dyd remytte the iu­ste perseqution of his displeasure / and of theyer couenaunte broken / and he gaue them Othoniel a reuenger of theyr iniu­ries whiche might supporte the publyke weale falne in decaye and brynge them agayne to lybertye. By soche a lyke mea­nes Ehud dyd lose the Israelytes from the captiuite of the Moabytes / and Ba­rachIudg. iiii and Debora from the tyrannie wher [Page lxix] with Iabin kinge of Canaan had oppres­sed the Israhelytes / by the space of xx. yeres: And Gedeon defendyd them fromIudg. vii. the Madianites whiche with contynu­all inuasiōs had wasted them by the tyme of .vii. yeres. And Iephthah repressed andIudg. xi. brought vnder the Palestines and Ammonites when Israhel by affliction had ler­ned to feare and worship the lorde. Samuel also restored the people of god by none other meanes / thē by the amendment of the former lyffe and that sodenly done and not fayned in the translation of cer­ten yeres. For why he preached vnto all [...]. Kynges vij. Israhel after this sentence. If yow wyll turne vnto the lorde in al yower hart: thē put awaye the straunge godes Baalim and Astaroth from amōge yow / and pre­pare yower hartes vnto the lorde and ser­ue hym onelye / and he shall ryd yow owt of the handes of the Philistines. What dyd they at lenght? The children of Isra­hel remoued Baalim and Astaroth and they serued the lorde onely. But the people beinge gatherd to gitther in Maspha Samuel dyd gyue commaundament and called the publyke weale backe agayne to the lawes of god / where they dyd also knowlege theyr offences vnto the lorde / and they fastyd and prayed desyringe Sa­muel [Page] also / whiche in the name of all the people sholde hartely desyer the lorde his god to be mercyfull to them / whyles he was occupyed in holy thinges and made his prayers wyth all the people: the mercyfull Lorde dyd gyue vnto them moste readye remedye. For why it thonde­reth in the element / and he caste a soden feare vpon hys vncircuncysed enemyes / so that parte of them were slayne of the Israelites / and parte of them recouered thē selffe in to theyr cōtrey wyth moste shamefull flyght / whyche victorye they dyd ascribe full & hole vnto God onely to whome it dyd partayne. And the Phily­stines where browght vndre as the storie of the kinges sayeth / nether dyd they at­tempte any more that they myght come in to the costes of Israel / and the hande of the lorde was agaynst the Philistines all the dayes of Samuel / and the cytyes were restored agayne vnto Israel whyche the Palestines had taken awaye. But why so I pray yow? Verely because Samuel was in verye dede a godly rular of the publy­ke weale and therfor dyd gouerne and re­garde the same: and not the vayne name & fayned person as it were in some playe or tragedie of a good prynce: for he dyd both [Page lxxij] reuerently obserue relygyon and righ­teousnesPrynces [...] magystrates of the publyke weale be tawght theyr dewtyes in m [...] nistringe their [...] ces vp the exāple of Samuel. hym selffe. And that they myght also be obserued of all the peo­ple / he spared no dilygence / no fayth / no paynes / tyll he had browght it to passe with greateste vigilancye / goynge abou­te the people assembled or gathered together here and there in Israell / that he myght ernestly treate wyth them all of the publyke weale and of the busynes of the Churche / vysytynge theyer scholes that the doctryne of godlynes and theiij. Re. xxi admynystratyon of holye thynges shol­de be kepte pure and saffe. Achab the kin­ge of Israhel a meruelous a monsterous and a wōderfull wicked prince to gether with his wyffe Iesabel the Sydonite dyd opresse the beste cyttezyn Naboth by a false quarrell. Agaynste whome Elyas dyd immedyately pronounce sentence of deathe. But when Achab herde the worde of the Lorde by Helyas / he rent hys clothes / and he couered hys fleshe wyth a shyrte of heare / and he fastyd and slepte in sackecloth / and he walked with hys heade hangynge downe to hys bosome. And the worde of the Lorde ca­me to the Prophte Elias the Thesbyte / sayinge: Doeste thow not se how Achab [Page] humbleth him selffe before me? Be cau­se he so submitteth hymselffe for the cause of me: I wyll not bringe that euylle in his dayes whiche I had deuised but in his sonnes dayes I wyll brynge my plage vpō his house. These be the wordes of the storye of the kinges the third boke the .xxiiiii king. i Chapter. Neuerthelesse Ochozias the so­ne of Achab dyd not consyder his fathers mischeffe / as the wycked with Ezechiel do boste in a prouerbe. The fathers haue ea­ten sower grapes / and the chyldrēs tetheEze. xviii are set on edge: But for because he folo­wed the dedes of hys wycked father & the thretes dyd nather moue hym brought vnto his father by the excellent Prophet of god / nor yet the plage of drowthe whi­che dyd occupye the lande of Israel threiii Kyng. [...]vii. Iames .v. yeres and syxe monethes wyth the greate derthe in a maner of all thinges: God dyd persequte the iniquite in the kynred folo­wynge / whyche the father had exercysed before / and the sonne dyd not amēd after many excellent warninges. Whiche thinge in the dedes of the iewes kingedome is manyfestly perceyued. For when theiiii▪ Kyng. xv [...]. state of the people was moste corrupte Ezechias rayninge ouer them a godly prynce But neuer the lesse whiche was not with oute moles or red markes of the [Page lxxiij] flesshe and had in hys courte asorte of vn­gratyous knaues / as Sobna and other / Esay. xxii and the cheffe rulars and masters of rely­gyon dyd myserablely bewytche the vn­luckye people as it is manyfeste in theMicheas .iij. wordes of Esay: Micheas brought forth the sentence of God after thys maner in the thyrde chapter of his prophecie. Therfore shall Syon (for yower sakes) be plowed lyke a felde / and Ierusalem shall beco­me an heape of stones / and the hyll of the tēple shall be turned into an hye woode. Shal we suppose God to haue spokē tho­se thinges in sporte? Was it hys wyll to moue their myndes wyth vayne threate­nynges that they myght as chyldren be sodenly taken with vayne feare? No tru­ly: but the same thynge was declared by Micheas that they had deserued / and that God wolde do vnto them. All though wyth no herde condytyon / that yf they wolde repent: by the mercy of God they sholde be saued. Therfore Sennacherib kynge of the Assyryans dyd compas tru­lyiiii. Kin­ges .xix. the cytye of Ierusalem rounde aboute with a greuous seyge: but he dyd not ta­lie it / as Micheas / as Esay / and as other dyuyne Prophetes had thretened wyth the worde of God. Why so? Verely be­cause Ezechias and Iuda dyd feare the [Page] Lorde and prayed before his face. And the Lorde repented hym of the euyll / whiche he had spoken agaynste them: euen as it was bosted of the elders in the congregation of the people / whiche defendyd Hie­remye agaynste the qwarelynges of fal­se prophetes & preistes / as it is wrytten the .xxvi. Chapter of Hieremye: AfterwardeIere. xxvi when Ezechias not well remem­brynge how he was preserued by the helpe of God from the power of the Assiria­nes & delyuered from his deadely dysease dyd wax proude for the message done vn­to hym by the ambassadoures of Babiloniiij Re. xx and showed them all his treasures for a boste & a pryde: the prophet Esaye dydEsa. xxxix gyue diuyne sentence agaynste hym and prophecied that al those thinges shold be carryd away from thens vnto Babylon.ij. Chron. xxxiij. Whose Sonne Manasses laden wyth all maner of myscheffe was taken pri­soner and brought to Babylō: Neuer the lesse when he dyd knowlege his synnes / & thowght ernestly for to amēde / he was restored to his fathers kingedome & playde the godly & vertuous pri [...]ce: But hisiiij. Reg. xxi. sonne Amō after the deathe of his father callynge backe agayne the former abolys­hed wickednes was shortly slayne in his owne howse of his owne seruantes. In whose steade Iosias his sonne was ordi­ned [Page lxxiiij] kinge / which hearyng Hieremie and other godly men prechinge of the moste [...]iij. Reg▪ xxij. and xxiij. corrupte state of the people dyd correct with moste syncere diligēce the seruyse of god and the politike ordre of the publike weale falne in decaye after the rule of the holy byble. Therfore Iosias beynge a ly­ue the Chaldeis dyd kepe no warre with the Iues: But when his children whichiiij. Reg▪ xxiij. an [...] xxiiij rayned after hym: Ichoahaz / Iehoakim / Zedekia & theyr Neuye Iehoacin dyd gouerne the kingedome moste vngracious­ly & wolde not be called backe with the preachinges of the prophetes: Zedekia & his councellers & the false prophetes did bothe brynge thē selffe / & also the people & the hole countreye vnto destructiō. And yet the moste stedfaste prophet Hieremie (which many tymes had towlde before hāde that the cyttye Ierusalē sholde be takenIere. xxi & xxxij. and xxxvij. ā [...] xxxix. of the Chaldeies / & that the tēple ād howses therof sholde be consumed with fyer / & the kynge with his childrene to be hādled moste wrechedly in the beseygein­ge therof) whē the tyme was at hāde that they sholde be expulsed: did promise Zedekia wyth the wordes of god / that yf he wolde delyuer vp hym selffe & the cyttye in to the hādes of the chaldeis / with whō Eze. xvij. he had brokē his othe & promise before: he [Page] sholde bothe be gentlely intreated of the kynge of Babylon. And the cytye also with their goodly temple and other holy thinges sholde not be destroyed. What cā be brought more clere to declare the prof­fyt of vnfayned repentaunce: Whyche in the laste article of troblesom paine was so greate a socure vnto the Iwes? And lest any man sholde suppose the sayde godly vertu called repentance to be at any tyme in this worlde vnprofytable or ouer late? euen as it is sayde in the common prouerbe: it is to late to spare in the bottome: the example of the Nyniuites doth tea­cheTo spare in the bottom / that is to say when all to spent. vs abundantly. For after that God had reproued the moste vngracious my­scheffes of the sayde cyttye / and towlde them that Niniue sholde be ouerthrow­ne wyth in fortye dayes: fyrste the inferi­or people and then after warde the kyn­ge indeuoured thē selffe very ernestelye­to amende theyer maners. And they we returned vnto the mercye of the lorde. And God dydle theyer workes and how they were conuerted from theyer euyll waye / and he chaunged his decre of sodē vengeaunce to be browght vpon them / Nether dyd he destroye them as he hadIonas .iij. and .iiij. spokē by the prophet Ionas / whose euyll affection God also reproued for that he [Page lxxv] was sorye to be cowntyd as a false and lyinge prophet the cytye beynge saued to the whiche he had prophecyed extre­me subuersiō. Wherby it is euident that there is no thinge more pleasant vnto God▪ then that men with the amende­ment of theyer disposition and maners myght auoyde the sworde of his celesti­all wrath shakyd at theyer heades. And allthowgh that euery hole natiō or citty wyll not put awaye theyr vyces: yet the amendment of some and syngulare men is very acceptable vnto the lorde. And it optayneth the puttynge awaye of vrgent payne and greuous punisshemēt or elles truly a mitigation therof yf we muste nedes be slayne withe the stub­borne harted. For whē the Gothians dyd inuade Rome Halarich and Radagaste be­ingeHalarich and Radagaste hea­de Captaynes to the Gothians theyr Captaynes / a greate parte of the cyttezynnes were infideles / and they layde all the cause of that cruell warre, & destruction vpon Christen religion / and the despysed honourynge of ydoles. And they requyred their tēple and abolysshed superstitions for to be restored and set vp agayne. An other parte of them puttyng their truste in God / and flyinge to hys celestyall helpe / by theyr prayers made in the name of Christ obtayned remission [Page] of all theyer synnes. Therfore the cyttye beynge taken / Halarich the emperoure of the Gothians dyd commaunde that no man sholde be spoyled in the temples of the Christianes / wherefor the good peo­ple flyinge to the lordes howses as in to a Saynctuarye were defendyd by the helpe of God and amongst them certen in infideles I cā not tell whyther I may saye professynge or sodenly faynynge the christen relygion. When in the meane tyme the cyttye was defyeled with robberyes slaughter / fyer / the forcynge of women and rauysshynge of virgyns. At the sa­me tyme the Duke or captayne of the Hūnians called Subtarus the brother of Mazuchus whyche brought forthe At­tylaSubtar­us the br­other of Mazuch­us father to Attyla borne in Scythia / and called the scour­ge o [...] god for the gr­eate dest­ructiō th­at he ma­de in Germanye / which af­ter he had sub dued Hungary and ouer throwne Aquncia / a cytty in Italye / returnynge home a­gayne / dyed & was choked wyth im­moderate bledynge the scourge of god / the gothianes ād the Germanes beynge dyuersely vexed: dyd inuade the Burgundions whiche haue theyer habitation by the ryuer called Rhene / the formar inhabiters therof be­ynge dryuen awaye / that the same thin­ge myght chaunse vnto them that Publius Mimus dothe teache. Thou muste lo­ke to be dealte with all thy selfe as thow dealeste with other men. Wherfore the Burgu [...]dions vtterly mystrustinge the­yer owne power / myght / & weapons: do turne them all to gether to the helpe of [Page lxxvi] god. And forbycause they had serued by the commō fame / that the God of the christianes dothe euermore helpe his deuou­te clientes whith his moste present po­wer: They do all with one consente em­brace the faythe of christe. And the .vii. daye from theyer baptisme thre thow­sand Burgundions dyd come vpon the infinite multitudes of theyer enemyes / and ten thowsand of them beynge slayne togyther with theyer Duke: They con­straynyd the residue with fearefull flight to recoyle backe to theyer owne contrye: Truly how moche goodnes the chaun­gynge of an euyll ordered lyffe dothe brynge vnto men: can not to be showed in this place / and it is euery where decla­red in the doctrine of godlynes.

Chapt. xij.IT foloweth therfor that I may tea­che it to be an Esaie thynge to trāsfourme ower lyuynge & to put a­waye the bourdē of iniquite / for the whiche the vēgeaūce of god both wyth other instrumētes / & also wyth the weapons of the turkes inuadith christēdome with ragynge violence / so that we do not disday­ne to vse those facultyes whiche god him selffe dothe offer vnto the same thynge / and to walke in the ryght waye whiche [Page] the holy scriptures doth showe / and not the fayned traditions inuentyd by sophy­sters of contention / confession and satisfactions. But leste I sholde be to full of wor­des in a matter that is very playne I do thinke or iudge repentaunce as it is takē after the maner of diuinite / for the amendemēt of all ower lyffe and a newe retur­ninge vnto god: to be verye well diffined in the wordes of the .xxxvi. Psalme / whyche also be repeted in the Epistle written vnto the Hebrues after this maner. De­parte from euyll & do the thynge that is good and dwell for euer. Now we vnderstōde that thinge to be good / that is right and honeste. Agayne we houlde that▪ thinge to be euyll that is false & fylthye: of the whiche .ij. thinges god doth alowe the o­ne / he commaundith and perswadith and promyseth gyftes vnto it / and he prayseth and honoureth and rewardeth it. The other he improueth / he forbiddyth / he dy­swadith / he rebuketh ād he persequteth it with payne and punisshements. TherforWhat it is to do penaūce & to repent truly. to do penaunce / as dyuines speake / and to correcte ower lyffe is to caste owt of o­wer mynde and all the purpose & maner of owerlyuynge / those thinges / whiche be cōtraye to the will of god / whither we ower selffe receyued them by ower owne [Page lxxvij] affectiō and error / or whither they weare deliuered vnto vs by some other men / as it were with handes / and to do / yea and with greatest studye to ensue those thinges whiche are a greable vnto the supreme lawe & moste perfyt reason / that is to saye vnto the minde of god / so that he whiche before tyme dyd superstitiously wor­ship thinges created: let hym now religiously worship onely the true liuing god / Whiche before was periured / may now kepe his othe ād perfourme those thinges where vnto he is sworne: Whiche before was an homicyde may now abhore from slaughter & bloode? Whiche before was a breaker of wedloke and an vnclene per­son may now houlde matremonie in holy reuerence and lyue chastely: Whiche dyd hurte his bretherne with crafte and gyles may now abstayne from iniuries and do good to as many as he is able to proffit. Vnto the whiche thinge there is nede of a sure and perfyt knowlege of synne and vertue / whiche the boke of the ten com­maundementes of the lawe of god dothe breffely expresse / and also the doctryne of Christe whiche with his passiō and death doth iustifye the wicked with owte any of theyr owne workes / or of any creature so, that men onely will knowe them selffe [Page] to haue oftēded and cōfesse the same vnto god againste whō they haue sinned & whiche alone by hym selffe may forgyue syn­nes: & let it not greue mē onely that they haue leapte ouer the diuine lawes / but let them houlde also a sure purpose ād stu­die frō henseforth to liue after the prescrybed coūcells of godes worde. Soche repē ­taūce the true worshippers of god owght euermore deuoutely to remēbre / the whi­che is allwaye bothe effectuall and houle­some / purifyinge the hartes with fayth and the whiche doth lose the knotte of all ower synnes / so that god doth not re­membre them any more / as the ProphetesEze. xviij. are wonte to speake / That is to saye / he doth not impute that they shole be tormented with payne appoynted / for whye that were to requyer and persequ­te synnes and not to forgyue them. Ne­ther doth god receyue any other satsfacti­on then the bloode add death of his one­ly begotten sonne whiche the true fayth doth knowlege leuynge to the remission of sinnes / and not to beynge ād sellynge lyke hucksters that the fyne may begyuē to the preistes whiche they haue ordined / & that parte of ower synnes might be re­demed of pardoners and parte scowerde awaye in the fyers of purgatorie. Truly [Page lxxviij] the church is satisfied whē she seyth a mā chaunged and conuertyd vnto vertu and godlines / that he whiche dyd lately offende wiht wickednes and fylthye lyuinge vnworthy of the compayne of holy men: now beynge trāsfourmed by the grace of god: bryngeth Ioye & is houlden worthy of the folowship of the churche. Truly we do not disalowe that he whose mynde is trobled with any daūgerous dowte caste in to his conscience sholde aske councell of mē that are experte in diuine matters & namely of his owne curate / whiche maye lyfte vp his afflicte cōscience with the cō ­forte of diuine promises & also showe hym the meanes & the reason by the whiche in tyme to come he may be ware to offende god. But to rūne frō corner to corner & frō ryfte to ryfte lyke as swyne do whē they seke after acornes & to serche owte the se­cretes of mēnes myndes with auriculare cōfessions: It rather cōfirmeth the tyranniePrestes [...] ­wght not to be so curious in the serchi­ge owt of other mē ­nes syn­nes as to gyue thē good coū ­cell. of a fewe thē it doth fourther Christē godlynes. How doth it chaūce thē that to alter ower maners disposytyon and ac­tes when they be euyll and nawght / and to directe the course of ower lyuynge vnto the marke of godes wyll pleasure and cōmaūdemēt: semeth vnto many mē of ower tyme a verye harde thinge & also [...] [Page] wyll. Thē afterward let hym cōsider that euery warke semeth to be very difficul­teDegetius before a mā proue it as Degetius sayth / & that many thinges of insuperable diffycultie in the opiniō of mē: to be browght to passe with little busines whē a proffe of thē is made. Whē Elephātes were firste browght forth agaynste the multitudes of the Romanes the greatenes of the beastes made the greately afrayde & draue the mē of warre owte theyr place / whiche had neuer before fowght with Elephantes: But whē they dyd assaye to set fote by fote by thē / & to stryke theyer hoked noses with theyr swordes & to thrust theyr speares in to theyr bellies: that thinge was turned in to a game. The lorde pronownceth that it is not onely an harde thīge but alsoMat. xix. [...]. Luk. xvi [...]j a thīge vnpossible that ryche mē sholde entre in to the kingedome of heauē. But the same lorde teacheth also that no thin­ge is vnpossible with god / & that those mē cā not entre in to the kingedome of heauē that put theyr tr [...] in theyr riches. Furthermore it is to be thowght that it is far away a more Esaye thinge to caste awaye the yoke of hellisshe Pharao thē toHollyshe Pharao sygnyfy­eth the [...]y [...]yll. beare it. Set before yower eyes a mā ve­ry desirous of honoure and dominiō / and what doth he suffer? Yea what greuous cares is there whiche he doth not deuoure [Page lxxx] / that the may excell othermē? Set before yower eyes the lyffe of a tyrant whych with thretenynges and violence had ra­ther haue enemyes then by iuste gouer­ninge to retayne faythfully frēdes ready to styke by hym ageynst all fortune. Be­houldeDionisi­us. the sworde whiche Dionisius dyd hange vp that it myght lye ouer and aboue the heade of a certen Philosopher meruelynge at the wreched condition of ty­rantes. Sett before yower eyes the hellyshe spryte of an eniuous man: Sett befo­re yowr eyes the lyffe of a couetous nig­garde / of a mecher / of a Glutton and yow shall perceyue those men to beare a moste greuous burthen that lede a lyffe repug­nynge to the lawes of god. And to trāsfygure the same in to a better state: is to ca­ste a waye a greate fardell. And on the contrarye syde yow shall se the lordes yo­keMat. xi. to be verye lyght / as he saythe in the gospel & a swete burthen yf yow loke na­rowly vpon the lyffe of a moderate man / whiche beynge a rulare in the publike weale dothe bere hym selfe in his office iustly and truly / whiche beynge a priuate person is obedient to the lawes / gentle / fayer and symple / chaste / sobre / and profi­table. I wolde haue it also to be consy­dered how many tymes those men whi­che are a lyue to the worlde: do begyle thē [Page] selffe of that pleasure and felycite thatThe loue­rs of the worlde gape many tymes after those thinges that they can not optayne. they couet moste / and how they alter daylye / and somtyme euery houre the tra­de of theyer lyuynge in to contrarie thinges / and often tymes they haue hope set before them of very lytle proffyt. As those men whiche be conuersant in greate mēnes houses / whiche go a warfare / whiche playe the marchāt mē. But yow will saye the mighty mē of power doth let that the synceryte oft the christē doctrine & the rites of the churche and honestye of ma­nersMyghtye men of power may gnashe th­eyr tethe agenst the lorde & his Christ / th­at is to saye his verite but they can not ouercome it. (whiche in tymes paste was in the people of god and owght allwaye to be present) can not be called backe agayne: for why the īferiour magistrates do ouer moche behoulde theyer superiours / & euery man or the fewer in nombre hath a respect to te greater multitude. Nether do the townes and lordes whiche perad­uenture houlde but the iurisdictiō of one parisshe / suppose that any thynge owght to be attēptyd oneles the lorde of the hole countrey called an Erle go before thē. And vnder a lyke maner the Erle loketh vpō the Duke: The Duke vpon the Kynge The Kinge vpon hym that is greater then he / or vpon mo Kinges. And the same folyshe obseruation (whiche is a more vnworthie thinge) is sene in the ecclesiasticall [Page lxxxi] officys / that the parson taketh hede ofWhyle e­uery man gaseth o­ne vpō a­nother re­ligion ly­eth in the duste & no man rech­eth owre his hande for to helpe hyr vp the Metropolitane. The Metropolitane behouldeth the Archebyshop The Arche­bishop the patriarch or vniuersal Puppet when neuer the lesse there is equall po­wer gyuen vnto them all to edyfye and not to destroye / that after the rule of go­des worde / and not mannes pleasure / a spirituall buyldinge might be made. And many do suppose that with owte the Au­thorite of a generall councell no thinge can be brought to passe. But there be many reasons at hande where with all this opinion sholde be proued false yf I wea­re dysposed to applye my mynde. Neuerthelesse by the moste euident examples of ower tyme / faythe can not be taken a­waye at no hande. For why how many thinges within these fewe yeres be there correctid both in many places / and not in one tyme nether by any couenaūte or promyse made before: but onely by the pre­scription of the holy scriptures / whiche the superior magistrates wente abowte to kepe backe very obstinately? And can not all other matteres that are behynde be redressed vnder a like maner? May not other cyttyes beynge also wrapped in papisticall trifles do the same thinge why­che we se to be done of thē all redy / which [Page] beynge inferiour in riches and lenynge to the helpe of god: hathe proued to set vpon a thinge very excellent and holye & necessarye? Dothe not the Romishe puppet lye wounded & slayne in the conscience of men / so that nether his wares can fynde marchātes to bye them / nor yet his thonderclappes feared and his blyssin­ges & his cursynges are taken bothe a ly­ke / which vnto all men but a lytle a whyle ago was a very fearefull beaste. The Israelytes in the boke of the Iudges areIudges. ij sayde that they cowlde not put awaye the resydue of the Chanāites: But why so? verely because they wolde not: But they myght haue abolyshed with very lytle busynes all the Chananites / yf they despysynge the commaundement of god had not preferred cowardely idlenes be­fore the moste holy busynes / & that with the greateste losse of theyer owne goo­des as they dyd shortely after proue it in dede. And leste that ether euerye man or elles euerye cyttye sholde couer the difficultye of theyr cowardenes in renewinge of religiō and righteousnes: the lorde hath set forthe Niniue the cheyffe cyttyeNiniue of the Assyriās kingedome / where vnto there was no thinge wātynge at all / that [Page lxxxij] myght make repentaunce I say not very hard▪ but playnly īpossible. For why? first of all this very greate & moste riche cyt­tye dyd flowe & swyme whith many and greate abhominations / with ydolatrye / vnfaythfulnes / vnrightousnes / crueltye murders / ambition / excesse / & that I mayons tell alltogyther in fewe wordes: it was a worlde with all hyr malice brought with in the precincte or bridgemēt of one wall. And those mycheffes had continued by the space of a thowsande and .ij. hondereth yeres & more / and they were turned by moste longe custome into nature. Al­soThe Nin [...] uites wā ­ted no th [...] ge which might wi­thdrawe them frō repentaū ­ce and ke­pe and retayne th [...] in vycyo­us liuin [...] theyer victoryes and successe of fortu­ne and the inerpugnable defence of the place and theryches of the cyttye and the greate plentye of men mete to gouuerne all maner of matters / whither strenghte or pollicye were to be vsed / dyd comma­unde them to be in saffegarde and to go on forwarde as they had begonne wyth theyer formar mischeffe. Or elles yf the Niniuites dyd thynke to turne awaye from the wrathe of the godhed by the a­mendment of theyr maners / the longe continuans of theyer moste vngratious dedes dyd caste agaynste theyer shyn­nes the desperation of health. For who [Page] may suppose that the dyuyll dyd not mo­ue his instrumentes / that he myght pos­ses for euer the cheiffe heade of his kynge­dom? Or who can denye that god was not angrie and displeased with the Niniuites for soche greate abhominations / namely seynge he thretened vtter destruction vnto them with in fourtye dayes? Neuer thelesse the Niniuites▪ at the onely pre­chinge of Ionas the prophet a straūge & an vnknowne man / and the whiche had lyttle preuayled in longe prechinge a­mongste his contrey mē the Iewes / & as a runagate was lately brought in to the office of a prophet: dyd sodenly turne vn­to the onely true God / so that euery mā departynge from his iniquite dyd call forIonas. iii the mercye of the Lorde. Nether dyd the people tarye for the decreis of theyr most mightye kynge that they myght referre so greate a busynes vnto the kynges co­uncell and then in conclusion to set vpon the renewynge of a better lyffe yf yt sholde be his pleasure. The kynge also be­yngeThe king of Niniu [...] had not the people nor the people the kynge to be the au­thor of th­ir repen­taūce: but both the people ād the kyng had God for theyr Author. ignorant of the will of his people / decreyd with him selfe to amende his ly­uinge / & he perfourmed it with dedes / so that nether the kynge had the people to be the Author of his dede nor the people the kinge to be the Author of theyer de­de: [Page lxxxiij] But both the kynge and the people had god for theyer author / whome they beleued beynge warned by his prophet / whiche dyd reproue theyer wycked abhominations and did denounce the payne therof bi the righteous iudgemēt of god. Wherfore ower cowardenes ād luskyshenes doth make at this daye that to renewe diuine honoures / the syncere doctri­ne of fayth / the ceremonyes deliuered of Christe ād truly obserued of the holy fa­thers / the syncere healthe or honestye of mynde / the innocentye of lyuynge / the estimation or the honouryng of iustyce / and of all vertues / semethe to be a warke very harde & difficulte & full of parell. But this moste heauie slepe with owt wakynge which owr firste parent Adam hathe sente vnto vs / a thinge pertaynynge after the fleshe to ower inheritaunce dothe caste soche a myste before ower eyes and iudgement / that we desyer righteous thinges and we desyer them not: & we are vexed with the false fantastical images of greatest difficultyes: lyke as it where the slouthful mā / which in the prouerbes of Salomon sayeth. There is a lyō Prouer. xxvi. without / & I shall be slayne in the mydest of the stretes. And a lyones is in the wa­ye. Lyke as adore turneth abowte vpon [Page] the poste where vpon yt hangeth / euen so dothe a sluggarde welter hym selfe in his bedde. The slowthfull luske putteth his handes vnder his harmeholes and it greueth hī to put them agayne vnto his mowth. Therfore that euyll vice of slug­gysshenes is to be throwen of with ver­tue / and religion is to be styrred vp with godly zele / that ower wyll maye applye it selffe to perfourme those thinges that God doth commaunde / & to dryue awaye those thinges which god doth improue / and that we maye strongly resyste the vayne feares of the worlde ād the diuyll.By a pro­fe the thinges are many ty­mes foun­de easye / which se­meth ve­ry▪ harde. And it shall be knowen by a proffe those thynges to be very easye / which semed to be moste harde▪ that grownde to be very playne / which dyd apere to soche as we­re blynde to be full of depe deuourynge goulffes: Those feldes to be fayre ād opē / where they supposed to haue sene moste hye toppes of hilles. Why therfor do we not folowe the example of kynge Alexā der of Macedonye? whiche whan he wasAlexāder of Mace­donye. full of melācoly humoures and by his nature moste inclyned to slepe / takinge his reste / was wonte euermore to howlde in his hande a baulle made of syluer / whiche fallynge downe in to a brasen basyne that was vnder nethe / myght styrre vp [Page lxxxiiij] his mynde vnto the remembrance of those thinges that were most worthye for a moste mighty emperoure. Often & ma­ny tymes owght we to remembre what hope what rewardes are set before vs yf we will houlde faste the commaundementes of god: and what paynes be or­dined vnto them that regarde not his holy preceptes. The redynge of holy scri­pture owght dylygently for to be applyed. We muste vse one to exhorte an o­ther / and one to do for an other. Euery man owght to stryue that he may runne before in the warkes of god / and not to come lagge behynde / and as a cowarde­ly souldioure to followe the hyndermoste parte of the hoste. The moste goodlyThe god­ly exam­ples of moste holy men must be euermore set be­fore ower eyes. exāples of holy men are to be set before ower eyes and to be looked vpon: as of patriarches / prophetes / Aposteles / martyres / confessors / matrones / vyrgynes / children / in whome a fiers strenghte of godlynes dyd excercyse it selfe / and in whome the worde of god was well de­clared to be of soche effecte: that kingedomes did yelde and giue place vnto it / yea and all the hole power and myght of the worlde. Let relygion onely be well intē dyd wyth vertu annexyd ther vnto: and [Page] God shall prosper with his present spryte al the noble actes that we go a bowte. Wherfore to dispute with any longer processe of this vertu repentaunce how easy & how profittable a thinge it is / may seme vnto any man to be but a vayne or superfluous thinge / seynge that moste extreme & laste necessite lyeth vpō vs to renewe the true honour of god & righteous­nes: oneles we be fullye determined to put ower wyues / children / parentes / bretherne / frendes / contrey / libertye / and in conclusion ower selues wholye in to the handes and arbitrement of the nation of the Mahumetanes. For why? Wko hath brought the Turkes owt of the rockes of Caucasus in to Christēdome? Verely the corrupt lyuynge and sinnes of the Chry­stianes / for saynte Hierome doth witnesHierome. the same thinge: whose wordes I wyll reh [...] in the stede of a conclusiō. Who dyd exalte the Turkes vnto the dominiō of A­sya and Europa and Affryca? Ower syn­nes: for whye the storyes of ower recey­ued fayth do declare the same. Who hath browght them to the costes of Italye and Germanie? Ower greate sinnes: whiche thinge Palatina a very wise mā & of greate approued vertu doth knowlege in the lyffe of the Bisshop called Marcellyne [Page lxxxv] whyche at the commaundement of Dio­cletiane was crowned with martyrdome. For wher as Eusebius in the begynnyn­geEusebius of the .viij. boke of the hystorye called Ecclesiasticall / doth attrybute the cause of moste greuous perseqution vnto the synnes of the Chrysten people: Platina / whyche vnder the puppet Sixtus the .iiij of that name / dyd descrybe the lyues of the Bysshops of Rome: doth applye it ve­ry well vnto hys tyme. But that yow maye perceyue in the meane season ower tyme also for to be payntyd. He wryteth verely after thys maner: This calamyte whych ower men hath suffered. Eusebius affirmeth to be permytted and suffered of God / for the maners of the Christen congregatiō beinge corrupted with ouer moche lybertye and pardon. But namely of the clergye. Whose peruersite the righteous iudgement of God dyd determyne to brydle wyth soche perseqution whyles he dyd behould dissimulation in theyer countenaunce / Gyle in theyer harte / and disceyte in theyr wordes. For they stry­uynge amongste them selffe with enuye pryde / debates / and hatredes / dyd seme rather to playe the tyrantes thē the preystes / beynge vtterly forgetfull of Chry­sten godlynes and pollutynge diuine mi­steries [Page] rather then celebratinge thē. But what do we suppose wyll come to pas in ower time in the whiche ower vices are growne so farforth that they haue scātly lefte vnto vs with god any place of mer­cye? How greate couetousnes ther is amō ge preystes and namely them whiche do posses greateste promotions and ryches. How greate luste and carnall pleasure there is had one euerye syde. How greate Ambytyon and pompe. How greate pryde and Slouthefulnes: How greate ig­noraucye bothe of them selffe and of the Christen doctryne: How lyttle relygyon and that false ād fayned rather then true. How corrupte maners worthy to be ab­horryd / yea euen in prophane men whom they call seculares: it partayneth not to speake / seynge they sinne openly and in the face of all the worlde after soche a ma­ner as thowgh they sowght to be praysed therfore. Beleue me / the Turke wyll co­me / wolde to god I were a false Prophet yea he wyll come in dede a more vyolent enemye of the Christen name then Dis clesiane and Maximiniane. Euen, now he knoketh vpon the walles of Italye. We sluggardes & full of slepe do looke af­ter a common destruction: gyuynge hede rather to ower owne pryuate pleasure [Page lxxxvi] then to the common proffit. Hitherto wrighteth Platine. But for as moche as the Turkes affayers are not knowen vn­to all men and seynge they haue a very great respect vnto my purposed consulta­tyō / this place semeth to requyer that the fyrst origynal ād increacemētes of the turkysshe empyre might be compendyously towched by euerye principall parte there of / neuer the lesse some thinge more depe­ly then in ower beginninge before reher­sed / that it may be sene moste euidently / that the ryches power and dominion of ower aduersaries hath encreaced thorow the sinnes of the Christen people. And that ther shall be none ende of ower euyls whiche the Turkes bringe in vpon vs: except that we forsakynge ower vngodly­nes and moste vngratious sinnes / wyll flye vnto celestiall helpes and socoures.

Chap. xiijAVthors worthye of credyt do attrybute the habitatiō of the Turkes to be at the moūte Caucasus betwene the Sarbarousnes of the north & the fyers Scythyās / as Pōponius who sayeth thatPompo­nius. they do inhabyte greate wyldernes & sharpe with contynuall rockes & also the samePliniu [...]. sayeth Plinie. And I am easaly perswaded to beleue the Thuscanes to be named in [Page] Ptolomye for the Turkes / the letter. [...] ­beinge chaunged that. S. myght be writ­ten in the stede therof. And the moste ex­perte men in the Hebrew tonge do iudge the Turkes to be named of Thogorma / Gene. x [...]. Chron. 1 the sonne of Gomer / Neuye to Iapheth. The whiche kynred wyth Gog & Magog folowynge Antiochus, that moste cruell tyrante called Epiphanes / that is to saye illustryous dyd scourge the Iewes accor­dinge to the prophecie of Ezechiel wryt­ten in the .xxxviij. and .xxxix. Chapters / aboute the houndreth and fourtye yeres before the byrth of owre Lorde. At whych tyme the warre of Antichrist was great­ly fygured by the stryuynges of Antio­chus Kynge of Syria and of the Macha­bees. Where vpō ī the .xx. Chapter of the Reuelation / Gog and Magog be put asGog and Magog. for the aydes of Antichriste / whom the Iewes by vayne expectation do looke for to come in the ende of the Romane Em­pyre to kyl Messias the sonne of Ioseph. And that incontynētly they sholde be op­pressed and ouercōne by Messias the son­ne of Dauid before the walles of Ierusa­lem. And the same opinion of the Iewes sprongne owte of the holye scriptures & sayinges of the oulde fathers / but not wellvnderstāded / hath not a lytle busied [Page lxxxvij] the myndes euen of the Christen men. And saynte Augustyne wryteth agaynst it in the .xx. boke intiteled and named De ciuitate Dei / that is to saye / of the cyttyeMethodi­us. of God. Methodius Bysshop & martyr who florysshed aboute the thre hondreth yere of the Lordes byrth dyd iudge more truly of Gog and Magog & of the other people of Scythia. He prophecyed that these borderers of the moūtaynes of Caucasus sholde inuade the Christen domy­nyons not as wholy Antichriste / but as parte of hym / A foxe openynge to thē the gates and stronge inclosed howldes / the whiche hitherto did kepe them backe from anoyance of the Christē people. And the­re be whiche interprete Mahumet to be the same foxe / and Gog and Magog to be the Turkes. But hereafter I wyll sho­we yow that a longe tyme before Mahu­met was borne the Christē men were gre­atly plaged by the Turkes / and that for sinne / yf that firste I shall haue fownde owte the significatiō of the foxe / the whi­che Methodius not with owte the prophecye of the spyrite dyd make to be captayne to the Caucasiane armye. For it is well knowne that the witte of a foxe is craftye and moche spoken of in the prouerbes of the common people for preparynge of [Page] his dennes and lyuinge / for disceyuinge the howndes / for eschuynge of snares & soche other thinges. Where vpon for the declaration of a suttle disceyuinge or false mā a foxe is mencioned both in holy scripture ād also amōgest prophane wryters. And therfore the lorde casteth of the dis­guysed or counterfet dyscyple the why­che for the loue of the present commoditeMat. viii. had purposed to folow hym sayinge. The foxes haue dennes and the byrdes of hea­uen nestes / but the sonne of man hath not where he may laye his heade. Also heLuke. xiii calleth Herod the tyrāte instructed with manye disceytes a foxe. And EzethielEzee. xiii. doth compare the false Prophetes of the Israelytes the whiche regarded not the glorie of god nor the helth of the people but theyr owne priuate welth vnto fox­es. The spowse also requyreth the foxes [...]ant. ij to gether with theyr welpes for to be ta­ken whiche deuower the byne of the lor­de hir husband / that is to saye those why­che be false towardes god and man / as bene heretykes and they whiche exercyse the administration of hygh offices / not for any common wealthe / but referre all thinges vnto pryuate proffyt / that they maye gather to gether / Ryches / Excellē cie / voluptuous pleasuers / not regardynge [Page lxxxviij] the losse of other men / nether yet the hynderance rf the glorie of god. Therfor the Turkes beynge prouoked or called owte of the rockes of Caucasus as by a token gyuen them by the rulars of the Christā people whiche had a foxisshe witt craftes / falsehed / and maners compoun­ded for to deceuye: And beynge led forthe as it were by certen grees / steppes and pases: they haue clymmed vp to a moste greate dominion / and now they drawe nere vnto vs / by the sufferance of god whiche suffereth Hypocrytes to reygneIob. 34 for the synnes of the people as we rede written in the boke of Iob.

The worlde dryuynge forth thre hon­dereth fowre score & the nynetenth yeareTheod o [...] us tathes to Arcad [...] us and [...] [...]ortus. frō the lordes byrth Arcadius & Honorius dyd receyue theyr fathers dominiō / The­odosius beynge deade: then whom amon­ge Christen prynces there was neuer none more godly. And the same man for his wysedome / strength and all kynde of vertues is worthy to be conferred or compared vnto beste princes. For he conside­rynge that he sholde leaue his kinged o­me beynge very greate vnto so yonge mē / & of so careles & vntowarde dispositiō dyd thincke that it sholde be beste for the cōmon wealthe to appoynte men whom [Page] he had enryched with many benyfytes & annourned with greate honoures / beynge mete also for those thynges both for councell and strēgthe / to be moste fayth­full tutors vnto his sonnes and iuste ad­ministers of the empyre. But the benig­nitye of the ryght liberall prynce coulde not correcte theyer euyll dispositiōs. Nether coulde his wytty forecaste / beholde the blynde corners of theyer vnfaythfull myndes. Nor his godly prouidence dryue awaye the plage cominge to the Christen dominions for contempt of the worde of god and all maner theyr mischeues. For anon as Theodosius the valyante mayne taynour of religion and iustitie was trāslated to immortalytye and heauenly glo­rie: the thre men to whome the right ho­ly prynce had deliuered his children and comon wealth both to be f [...]fully vsed and defended greatly deceyued by the dis­simulation of the foxes / they beynge kyndeled with the fyerbrandes of ambytyon and couetousnes / by theyr false councells fraude / deceytes / and manifeste violence did enflame the easte partye / Tracye Grece / Italye / Germanye / Fraunce and Af­fryk with deadely warres / and as in ty­mes passed the foxes hauynge the fyer brondes tayed vnto them the whiche Sā ­son [Page lxxxix] dyd put into the feldes or landes ofIud. v. the Palestines did burne vp the corne bothe far and brode: euē so these traiterous rulars not so moche sent forthe by The­odosius as by the wrath of God / whyles they go abowte to vsurpe the kyngedo­me vnto them selues / by the space of fyf­tene yeares / do destroye & pyllethe Christen dominions bothe with inwarde and owtewarde warres / euē vntyll Rome it selfe was ouercome by them of Bothlan­de. For Rufinus a Frenche man borneRufinu [...]. whome Theodosius had ordeyned to be the cheiffe rulare of the courte of Cōstātinople / the defence of his sonne Arcadius & the Easterly empyre beynge cōmitted vnto hym: dyd trayteroufly procure the Gothians to vexe Grekelāde / ād he moued the Caucasiane inhabiters to inuade Asia wyth fyer and sworde and other ca­lamites the which warre doth by his ow­ne swynge brynge with it. And some wryters do name those destroyers of A­sia Isaures / & some to be Hunnyās. Hie­ronimusHierom [...] ▪ the which beynge at that tyme at Bethleē was in a maner the noter or marker of all those calamytyes / and he promysynge in the Epitaphye of Nepo­tianus that he wolde remembre the vn­luckye chaunces whiche men had suffred [Page] with in two yeares: doth reherse the dea­the of Rufinus / Timasins and Abundan­tius and the destruction and wastynge of Asia and India by the newe and that mo­ste crell enemye / whiche cam from the caucasiane rockes. But the Hunians and I­saures had now a lyttle before destroyde or spoyled the Romane prouinces. And Rufinus his treason beynge knowē was slayne at Thessaloma by the souldiours of Archadius whiche lately had bene the re­tayned warryours and followed the ban­ners of Theodosius and so receyued the rewarde of his treason in the selffe same yeare wherein he inuaded by his foxysshe wylynes the dominion of rchadius / and opened the gates to the caucaseane Tur­kes / shewed the waye vnto them and by his promyses styrred them vp to destroye the Cristen people. Neuer thelesse by this his very vyle & vnhappye death he hath lefte an example behynde hym whiche the folowers of the same his falsehed maye su­erly looke for / that is to saye / they shall be the porcion of foxes and rewarded withPsal. lxiii the betrayers of theyer owne contrey / of libertye / Iustice / relygion / and of the churche of Christe ower kyng & sauiour. But Gildo vnto whose trusty defence Theo­dosiusGildo. had commytted Aphrica parte of [Page xc] the westerly Empyre whyles he attempteth to take it vnto hym wrongfullye was shortly slayne by his brother Meste­zelMestezel. at the commandemēt of Honorius the Emperour whiche had also commaundyd Stilico and his sonne Eucherius for to beEucheri­us. headed two yeares before the Gothians had takē Rome. For Stilico whome The odosius had ordined to be the Gouernou­re of the westerly cowrte and to be the defender of Honorius and of the Romane kyngedome had by a cruell craftynes the longer kepte secrete his treason mayntay nynge the Gothians in Italye to the in­tent that the Kyngedome beynge extor­ted or taken a waye by violence from Ho­norius by meanes of the warre / he might delyuer it to his sonne Eucherius the whiche from hys yougth dyd pretende the destruction of the Christen fayth. Therfore (o yow Christen men) marke and prynte diligently in yower mynde this yeare thre hondreth fower score and xix in the whyche Theodosius the right godly prynce beynge taken owte from thys worlde dyd leaue hys Empyre de­uyded / and his sonnes beinge far vnlyke.Arcadius Of whom Arcadius was so folysshe and destytute of all goodnes & vertues / mete [Page] for a Christen kynge / that his wyfe na­med Eudoxia mouynge hym vnto it: heEudoxia. bannyshed the greate clercke and moste holy man Iohn Chrysostome beynge byshop of the churche of Constātinople. And Honorius receyuinge newes at Raue [...]naHonori­us. that Rome was loste: merueled greatly that Rome his play fellowe had so shortly loste the victorye with whom the daye before he had mexely played. This worde playefellowe cam more re­delye into his mynde then the towne of Rome the whiche now longe afore had suffred very greate assaulte. In the same yeare thre not defenders or gouernou­res but traytours receyuynge the comō wealth dyd myngle or myxe all thinges with māslaughter and spoyles that the­yr tyrannye myght be made stronge vnto them / euen as it were with sure bul­warkes and brasen walles. In the whi­che moste wycked inuentions. RufinusRufinus Gildo. and Gildo yet neuer thelesse were by ād by oppressed. And in the same yeare the Caucasean gates were vnlocked and set wyde open the gates of warre the gates of greateste calamityes. And the turkes beynge called owte of the hydeous roc­kes / dyd begynne with owte any certen captayne / with owte lawes / and with [Page xci] owte lerninge to spoyle & robbe through Asia. The same yeare god showed fourth his wrathe by the heauens and dyd pryc­ke men forwarde to amendment of lyffe beynge the onely and moste suer waye to eschue the euills hangeynge ouer theyer heades. For truly the elemēt was sene to burne. And the erth trembled withProdygi [...]us sign­es ād wō der full tokens. greate mouynges by many dayes to ge­ther. Also before Theodosius dyd orden before hāde that Honorius his sonne sholde be constitute in the same place where in he had fyrste wylled Arcadius to be partetaker of the kyngedome: the sonne sodenly loste hys lyght Furthermore abowte the deathe of Valentinianus toValenti­nianus. whome Theodosius bequethed his sonne Arcadius by .xxx. dayes continually a fyrye doue appered in the elemēt. For God whiche willeth not the deathe of a syn­ner but rather that he sholde be conuer­ted and lyue / doth styrre men by won­ders and significations of euylles / that in tyme they sholde marke theyerlyfe / how that it doth agre or varye from godes cō ­maundementes / and that they sholde consider the nature of god / and the wor­de and the examples showed agenste in­curable synners / and that therby they sholde lerne what sholde be necessarie for [Page] them to do / and that they may eschwe the vengeaūce to come. For what doth it ap­pertayne vnto me to speake of the hay­nous dissemblinges or of the backbytyn­ges of the rulars of the churche and of the moste corrupte maners of the Christē pe­ople in this tyme? seynge that the same may be knowne by the tenth booke of the ecclesiastical historye whiche is called tri­partyte And also by the wryghtynges of Ierome / Ambrose / Augustyne / Orosius Chrisostome and other whiche do often and greuously rebuke the synnes of the­se tymes.

Therfor the Turkes affayres seme conuenient and necestarye for to be towched here and there as it were by leapes / yea & that brieffely vntyll ower tymes. For whē the Turkes abowte the space of two hondereth yeares had inuadyd the scate­red regions of the christē men / and after the maner of theues with owte domini­on / with owt lernynge and lawes / with owte any captayne and therfor by an vn­knowne name: when they had (I saye) by startes inuadyd prouincyes and beynge laden with theyer praye returned home: at the laste in the tyme of Mauricius the emperoure theyer name was knowne inMaurici­us. Europe and Asia. For Mauricius a man [Page xcij] full vngodly holdynge the empyre of constantinople / a greate contētion than stir­red vp amongste the patriarchs of the churche for the primacye / yea and that by Iohn heade master of the churche of Constantinople / the Turkes / one BochamusBocha­mus. beynge theyer captayne / passynge through the lesser Asia / the towne of Bosphorus beynge taken dyd inhabyt them selues in the borderes of Europe / and that in the syght of them of Constantinople. The whyche plage excepte my Iudgement fayleth me / god dyd show forth to feare them from this contenti­on of honoures and lordeshyppe and other theyr wyckednes / and to call thē backe agayne to the studye of christē god lynes. Phocas the emperoure the why­chePhocas. had gotten the empyre by thefte and not done any good thynge in it (as some men saye) sauyng that he suffered the ec­clesiasticall primacye vnto the Byshop of Rome / dyd dryue agayne the Turkes in to the rockes of theyer natyue coun­trey Arabye at that tyme bryngeynge forth a greater myscheffe / except that maners warse then of the heathen were ca­ste awaye from the christen mennes her­tes. For when Heraclius the emperoure [Page] (Phocas beynge slaine) had obteined the empyre by thette and done many thyn­ges folyshely / vnrighteously / cruelly and vngodly / and that the byshops of Rome dyd studye with greate labour to establyshe theyer primacye / and dyd consu­me the goodes of the churche vpon vnmesurable or rather madde buyldinges of tē ples / and euery daye dyd coūterfayte more thinges the whiche sholde rather brynge in superstition then embrace godly­nes / ād that the wother byshops dyd not watche with iuste diligence to eradicate or plucke vp by the roote the oulde er­rors / as of the Arrians / nether to with­stande the heresyes spryngynge vp as of the false doctryne of the Monothely­tesPyrrus & Cyrus. whyche Pyrrus and Cyrus beynge also bishops did sprede abrode: Mahumet did nourishe & with greate studie brought forth a pestiferous mōster in Arabie. But for so moche as all thinges be wrowghtRom viii in to goodnes to thē whiche loue god: at the leaste waye Mahumetes secte shall bringe with it this one good thinge / that by comparation it may rebuke the super­stitious decrees of the Romyshe Bysshop and his extreme tyrannye not to be suffe­red ▪ vntyll allmyghty god shall abolysshe them bothe / with the spiryte of hys po­wer [Page xciij] / and that the kyngedome of Chri­ste s [...]all be fresshe and florysshe / lyke as the warre chaunsynge betwene Cosdro­esCosdroes kynge of the Persians and the empe­roure Heraclius. Whiche as it dyd grea­tely further the pretenses or purposes of Mahumet: so browght it greate frute to rebuke fayned religions and conterfey­ted holynes. For Cosdroes the firste Cō ­queroure of Ierusalem taken and ouercō ­me: carried awaye the Lordes crosse to amongest the Persians / and he worshyp­peth it beinge set in a gouldē throne with precyous ornamentes. But in the meane tyme he denyeth peace vnto Christē men excepte that they denyinge hym that was crucifyed wolde worship the sonne / after the maner of the Perlians. And partelyi. Corin. i. he flayeth / partely he kepeth vnderby vn­worthy bondage them: whiche knowlege none other wysdome / righteousnes / nor power to be sett forth by God then Christe onely / and that he was crucifyed. The same Cosdroes dyd receyue worshippynges and kissynges of fete wherof the Bishoppes of Rome do also not thynke themselfe vnworthye. This Persiane Turke doth dryue men by force to his relygion / and euē the same thynge doth Heraclius the whiche commaundeth the Iewes and [Page] circumcysed people to be drawne wyll they or wyll they not to the baptysme of Christ. And in that matter he is author to the kynges of Frēche men & of Spay­ne. By the whiche violence the Sarace­nes beynge the more vehemētly styrred vp for that the more parte of them were circumcysed: went vnto Mahumet. For Cosdroes beynge ouercomne and taken by the treason of his sonne Syrach whomSirach. beynge baptized Heraclius dyd set in the kyngedome of the persians: Mahumet dyd moue the Arabians vnto rebellion / and the nation of the Saracenes beynge bownde vnto hym with new lawes and superstition: he dyd fyrste inuade Syria / and then afterwarde the persians / agen­ste whome Heraclius called owte into Asia a greate nōbre of turkes to be his helpers / not then desyrynge health or ayde of the lorde God the gyuer of victorye from whom he had turned his moste vn­godly harte: but sowght it of the Tur­kes beynge there vnto hyred and waged for money. Therfor his councell fayled hym lyke as it dyd the Israelytes to calle for the helpe of the Egyptians and Assi­rians that he myght leade hym selffe and the christen people not onely of that ty­me but also theyr posterite in to extreme [Page xciiij] infelicite. For Mahumet [...]nd the sarace­nes beynge afterwarde made ryche with the spoyles of dyuerse prynces dyd spre­de abrode theyer kyngedome & superstiti­on very largely throwgh Asia & Affrica by yeares a fewe lesse then an hondereth & .xxx. parte of Spayne beynge also takē.

But Gregorye byshoppe of Rome de­fendyngeGregory wykedly the worshyppinge of Images agenste the emperoure of Con­stantinople and also wrappynge the kynges of the Frenche men in Italiane ba­tayles agenste the Lumberdes that hePipine myght also teache Pipine master of the Frenche courte to breake his faythe andHilfr [...]. to be false to his kinge Hilfrike vnder the vayne hope of the papisticall absolution wherby he might vse the sayde kynge Pipine & afterwardes other at all poyntes after his wyll & pleasure: the turkes affayres dyd lyfte vp the heade hygher and theyr busynes did prosper more ād more in Asia. For striffe ād discorde beynge begunne betwene the cheyffe rulars of the Mahumetanes abowte the▪ yeare of ower health recouered / seuen hondereth fyftye & syxe Mahumet prynce of Persia & Media with greate helpynge & assystingeMahumet multitudes of the Turkes dyd ouercome Imbriel prynce of Babylon / andImbriel. [Page] whan the Turkes dyd seme vnto them selues to be vnworthely entreated of the Persians the folowers of Mahumet one / Strā glinbecke beynge theyer captayne: they vexed Persia with blooddye batayles. Af­terwarde the elder men beynge called ow­te of Turkye / they inuade Babilon andThe coue­na [...]t ma­ [...]e betwe­ne the Saracenes & the Tur­ [...]s. afterwarde Arabye. At the whiche tyme they couenaunted with Calypha that the Turkes hytherto the worshippers of Images sholde vs sworne to the pleasures off Mahumet ād that they sholde holde to gether the empyre or dominiō of those lādes whiche they had now gotten by warres and for theyer power that they sholde de­fende the Saracenes religion. And from that tyme forthe the Clerenes of the Turkyshe name dyd more and more darken the Saracenes name / so that the kyngedome and superstition is more often named to be the Mahumetanes then the Sara­cenes. Wherefore the Saracenes beinge dryuen owte of Asia dyd the more gre­uouslye lye vpon Spayne / Italye / Grece and other prouinces towardes the West. After these tymes when the comō wealth of the Grekes by sondrye and ryght gre­uous trobles were deuyded amōge them selues and the doctrynes of relygyon / cō cernyng the procedyng of the holy goost [Page xcv] and of settynge vp of Images more vntē perately then Christē godlynes teacheth and requyreth were styred vp / and that the churche helde no better estate in the Weste partyes by the reason of warre / whych was begūne betwene the Grekes & the Armeniās: the Armenians whē theyArmeniā [...] perceyued them selues to be weaker in strength / and coulde fynde none other remedye dyd call the Turkes vnto them to be their felowes in warre. Which occasiō they vsinge and beinge by the same forty­fyed and made stronge: do troble the pro­uyncyes of the Grekes dominiō through Asia and Ponthus in soche wyse that Ni­cea beinge taken / they set or put one So­liman for to be Prince ouer the same. Nether dyd they cease after thys tyme to en­large their dominion throwgh Asia and Syria / layinge their handes also vpon the Egyptyās Mahumetans / that is to saye folowers and fauourers of Mahumetes lawe / vntyl the tyme of that notable voy­age of the Christē men made into SyriaGodfrey Lothary [...] ge. Godfrey Lotharynge beinge their Capi­tayne. At the whych tyme ower men dyd fyght often tymes moste strongely agen­ste the Turkes / so that theyer affayres begāne to decaye abowte the yeare of ower healthe recouered .xi. hōdereth / vntyll the [Page] Tartarans thrustynge in their helpinge handes whych after an hondreth yearesCan Gui­sta. they had escaped / one Can Guista being their Captayne / at the laste were oppres­sed. The whyche victoryes and recouerye of Ierusalem with the lande and contrey called Palestyne dyd clerely brynge more labor / charge and euylls vnto ower men then proffyt / whyther that yow marke worldely commodytyes or the encreace­mentes of religyon. For in the same time two moste stronge bulwarkes of the Ro­mysheThe fyrst origynall of the begginge fri­ars tyrannye and superstition begāne to be buylded and eyther of them deuyded into fower partes / I saye the orders of the beggynge friars and the bokes of the pontificiall or popysshe lawe / the whych very lōge & to moch more then lōge hath with stāde the glory of Christ & true godlynes.

And aboute the yeare of owre Lorde aOthomā ­nus the sonne of Othogru­laius. thousand thre houndereth Othomannus the sonne of Othogrulaius / whyche was a man borne and browght vp in Gala­tia dyd prouoke or styrre vp agayne the Turkyshe armye / Natolia and Bythy­nia beinge taken and many other tow­nes vnto Pontus / the whyche calamitye he that doth not se that it owght to be a scrybed vnto the people by theyer names onely Christianes: I Iudge hym to lacke [Page xcvi] his mynde and all vnderstondynge. For the same tyme Bonifacius the eyght a mā Bonifa­cius. of monsterous vngodlines ruled the Ro­myshe churche / who the angells of Sathā instructynge and assistynge hym perswa­ded Celestyne his predicessoure to forsakeCelestine the Bysshoprycke as thowgh by godly oracles he had bene admonysshed to leaue the charge vnmete for him / and the moste vnhappye Bonifacius entered secretely in to the churche as a foxe / he ruled as a wolue / and he wente owte as a dogge accordynge to the comon prouerbe spokē of hym. He made the decretals / ād renemyn­ge the Iubile an oulde ceremonye of the Iewes / he browght it vp in Rome in that selffe same yeare whan the Turkyshe nation receyuynge as it were theyre spirite agayne (by processe of tyme in the whiche they semed to be oppressed) begāne to tro­ble the world with new tēpestes▪ the hor­rible cometes & earthquakes no thinge at al mouing eyther the Bysshop or the hea­des or the comon people to iudge & know more truly the Christen religiō. And for as moche as it sholde be to lōge eyther in style or as it were in a summe to wryght or expresse the vices & myscheffe of Boni­facius as Platyne dyd / thus moch I will here saye that no mā of the Christiās dyd [Page] more fordoure or gyue greater ayde to the pretēces of the Turkes / then the Ro­myshe not pastor but wolue not Bonifa­cius whiche is as moche to saye as the Good doer / but Maleficus that is to saye the mischeffe worker. For he nourrysshed discordes amonge the people of Italye and specially betwene the Venetiās / and the Genuweys. And he thre tymes dydAlberte Philippe. refuse to confirme Albert kynge of the Germans. Anone after because that Phylyppe the Frenche kynge coulde not in all thinges beare the insolencye and tyrā nye of the Bisshope: he rēdereth the kyngedome of Fraunce vnto Albert / whome he had so often reiected and put of / Philippe prouokinge in vayne to haue a Syno­de or councell holdē / to the entent he shol­de not be diffamed with any wrongfullMichael Paleolo­gus. Bawdw [...]. curse or thonderbolt of interdiction or ex­communication. At this same tyme My­chael Paleologus and Bawdewyn (whyche laste of the nation of the Frenche mē ruled Constantinople whom the Vene­tians helped and the Bisshope dyd pryuelye prouoke vnto deadely contētyon) dyd stryue at Constantinople for the empyre. All whyche thinges dyd gyue bothe strē ­gth and courage vnto Othoman kinge of the Turkes. Nether were the oulde aun­cyente [Page xcvij] vertues euen then beloued in Germanye / in so moche that men were fown­de in the courte of kynge Alberte the whyche prouoked Iohn that he oppressynge his vncle beynge kynge: the yonge man by murder sholde make hym selffe a waye vnto the Empyre. Truly there was so moche vnrighteousnes amonge the ru­lars of the Heluetians called the Swytcheners / that men beinge the louers off Iustice and honestye to the entent that they myght the better defende the chasti­tye of theyer wyues and childeren: dyd gyue theyer faythe or made faythfull pro­myse one to an other with the oth of their fidelitye (holy religyon set betwene them that is to saye consentynge vnto them) that they for theyer power wold restore the wrongful and not to be suffered lorde­shype and domynion vnto good men / and that they wolde defende that whiche they knewe for to be true holy and righteous. I let passe to speake here what landes Orchanes the sōne of Othomane dyd take vsinge the oportunite of the inwarde discorde of the Grekes whē that Iohn Cā ­tacazenusOrchanes master of the palace dyd fyrsteIohn Cā ­tacazenus Caloiohā nes. orden and chuse Calo Iohannes the Em­peroure an oulde man a dotarde to be his sonne in lawe and to marye his dowgh­ter [Page] and then afterwarde dyd trayterously put hym owte of his kyngedome who in­stantly desyred Amyrathes Neuye of theAmyra­thes. fyrste Othoman that settynge vnto hym xij. thowsand Thurkes to ayde and helpe hym: he myght so be reuenged of Cantaca azenus and vexe and troble Greke lande. I passe ouer vnto the yeare a thowsand fower hondereth and lij in the whyche Ma­humet toke the kyngedome of Constāti­nopleConstan­tyne. from the Christians / Constantyne the kynge beynge slayne and men of eue­rye age degre & condition beynge right miserablely afflycted. But what tymes passed afore / how stynkynge / how full of vngracious mescheffes both of the Eccle­siasticall and seculare persons? Was it not that the churche beynge deuided thorowe the discorde of thre ambitious Bysshops / cowlde not with a coūcell holden be vni­ted and made at one agayne? Was not the generall faythfull promyse made not onely vnto Iohn Husse but also to theIohn Husse. heades and comōs of Boheme shameful­ly violated and broken agenste the Iuste ordre of the cyuile Iawes? Was not the truthe and Christes doctryne by violence oppressed? Were not the innocent men & the wytnes of Christe (the councell of the Christen people) partly condemnynge / par­tely [Page xcviij] grauntynge / partely to gentlelye and fylthelye suffrynge) consumed wyth cursed burnynge? Who lettyd the Coun­cell of Basill (whyche all orders had de­creed at Constantia) that nothinge coul­de be browght to passe / amended or re­fourmed?Eugeni­us the fo­urth of that name bysshop of Rome. Was it not the Bysshop Eu­genius the fowrth? Who styrred vp the Dolphin / that the Germans myght per­ceyue thē selues to be a mockynge stocke vnto the Romās / Amadeus being in vay­ne created to be Bisshop after the contu­macie or disobediēce of the Romisshe Pre­late? Eugenius the .iiij. Who for his ow­ne ambytion and couetousnes dyd make cursed warres in Germanie the whyche the Heluetians beynge ryhht stronge men dyd with theyr bloode restrayne? Eugenius the fowrth. But in the mea­ne season what dyd Eugenius? what de­termined he what browhht he owte of the secrete closet of his breste fyrste at Ferraria and then afterwarde at Floren­tia when that the Armenians and Iohn Paleologus Emperowre of Constanti­nopole and Patriarch of the same cyttys dyd con̄sayle with him? What did Eugenius (I saye) that rome holy father deter­myne & cōclude with the sayde Armeniās? [Page] for sothe that the Grekes sholde beleue that after this lyffe there is a purgatorye or a place of purgation / that they sholdeThe stronge foundatiō of purgatorye the papisticall primarie. confesse the Romyshe Bysshop to be the true vicare of Christe and the Laufull successour of Peter to holde and to enioye the hyghest place in the worlde to whom both the esterly and wasterly churche sholde be duty eobey / for thus doth Platyne sett forthe in the boke that he hath wryt­ten of the Lyues of the Bysshops. And do we yet meruell that Constantinople is taken awaye from the tyrannye of the Ro­myshe bysshope and after that Trapezon­tes? How or by what meanes the Rhodes was taken of the Turkes / how possessed and loste / what truces haue with in these xxi. yeares bene cōcluded with Solyman­ne or agenst hym / or for what causes / and how moch good or euyll they browght to the sco [...]ged flocke of Christe Iesus ower Lorde and sauioure / how moche men hath here studied to set forth his glorye / who styrred vp Lewes the best prynce of hungarye to make warre / & whyther he was prouoked ther vnto with studye and sett purpose to oppresse the gospell spryngynge vp throwgh the kyngedome of Boheme and Hungarye or to helpe the Christē affayres / who Ioyned to gether Iohn his [Page xcix] successour and Ferdinandus: I am more vnapte then that I owght to carye the co­mon fame any farther in the style of my wryghtynge orells to discusse the secre­tes of prynces. But there is a God there is a Iudge of all men / before whose Iudgemēt seate all men shall be stayed. He is the sercher of the hartes the whyche shallHie. xvij: Matth. v. rendre vnto euery mā openly that which he hathe done in secrete. He in that grea­te daye shall make manifest or showe for­the the defenders and oppressors the frendes and the enemyes the good coūsayllo­urs and the traytours of the ryght holy churche.

Chapt. xiiij.NEuer the lesse this is a playue ca­se / whiche all good and wyse men do knowlege and they do great­ly complayne the shyppe of the churche to be corrupted with a stynkynge pumpe flowynge in to hir with greate vyces and moste vngracyous mischeffes / gyles / stu­dye of lyynge / false brekynge of promyse / treasons / discorde / lyttle regarde of the publyke weale / immoderate accuration of priuate proffyt / robberye of the common treasure / sacrylege / in temperancye / surfy [...]tyngeSacrilege is the ste­alynge of holy thin­ges. and dronkennes / Aduoutryes / all maner of vnclenlynes / Tyrannyes / cruel eye / supersticion / the contempt off god / [Page] contempte of the lawe / of equite / of hone­stye: which thynges euery one of thē hath destroyed in tymes paste the moste florys­shynge cyttyes and greatest kyngdoms. And in al worldes ather by diuisions and robberyes amonge them selffe / or elles by some straunge enemye or by some other paynes: they haue bene plaged of God in hys peculiare people. And they haue brought the Turkes ower moste greuous and deadly aduersaryes (the gates of Caucasus beinge vnlockyd) as it were owte of an other worlde vpō the Christen peo­ple. And they haue made thē of pore men ryche men / & of weake men and feble / va­lyāt & inuincyble / frō small begynnynges by meruelous increacemētes they be now made moste myghty & feareful. What cōfidence therfor is there or elles rather what madnes to hope to gett the victory of thē which with ower great losses hath grow­ne vp to an immesurable dominion: and to put none ende vnto those vyces / by the whiche the ryches or substāce of the Tur­kes is increaced whyles they do cruelly exequte and mynyster the paynes decreid agaynst vs of god beynge angrye? And for because it greueth vs to for sake tho­se vngracious euylles whiche hath subdu­ed inmumerable townes / Verymany I [Page C] landes / ryche kingedoms / people and na­tiōs (in tymes paste inuyncible) to the do­minion of the Turkes / and hath made god displeased and angrye wyth vs / and thro­wgh him all the worlde / what remdey is ther now at the laste wherby we wolde take awaye / I say not from the Turkes those regions that they now occupye and haue in theyer possession But to retayne or kepe them sure whiche the clemencye of ower Lorde God callynge vs backe al­so vnto repentance hath yet left vnto vs? Shall the nature of ower contreys and stronge bulwarkes defende vs? No / no: For ther is nothinge that so moche dys­pleaseth God as when (the helpe and con­fidence in hym onely neglected and refu­sed) we flye vnto owre awne witt / polycy and truste in the strength of owre men / goodes / ryches / castels / and towrs / as ye may se what displeasure he toke with Dauid / for noūbring his men / and vnto what an hard choyse of thre greuous plages he did puthī to. Also it is wel knowē that theThe [...]ul­de fable of the roc­ke Tan­rus other wyse na­med Caucasus / ād what it signified. Turkes being but weake in the beginninge dyd perce the great moūtayne or roc­ke Taurus / in the which the olde antiqui­tye dyd proprely fyers a ferce nation / for to be shytte vp wyth in yron gates / with owt dowte signifyinge therby that [Page] the: Barbarous conditions the fiers and cruell maners of those turkyshe Scythy­ans sholde be remoued from the costes of christendome by the brasen decreys of godes defence / whiche can none otherwyse be takē awaye / but by the hande of God the reuenger. The Lorde also threte­ueth the people of Idumea / whiche had theyer truste in greate rockes not ea­sye to come to that he wolde caste them downe / yea though they buylded theyerIere. xlix. nestes amongste the clowdes. The see called Euxinus / Hellespontus / Aegeus / the ouermoste & the nethermoste see from Syria vnto Gades: Are they not all knowen for to be occupyed with the turkys­he Nauyes / and do they not sayle in thē at theyer wyll and pleasure? How often was Hierusalem the moste valiante cyt­tye of al the este parte of the worlde / how often was it taken? Caste yower eyes rownde abowte the worlde and behoulde what goodly cyttyes lyeth clene extync­te so that there appereth not any sygnes or tokens of the owlde foundations whi­che semed some to haue bene inex­pugnable: Where is Amon / Troye / Ty­re / Ninine / Babylon / Cartage? Lye they not all flat with the grounde? Was not Constantinople beynge fettered wyth [Page c.i] the gyues of synne / taken of Mabumet soner then herbes wylbe sodē in a potte / whiche sustayned the violent assautes ofConstantinople be­seiged of the Paia­zites. the Paiazites eyght yeres / and was not able to be ouercomne of the Saracenes in the moste greuous seyge of thre yeres whyles a cruell pestilence dyd fyght also with in the walles god defendynge it? Shall we stryue with the nation of the Turkes in goodes and ryches? But there are fownde priuate mē amongste this people which haue greater riches / iuelles and treasure far awaye then ower kyn­ges. Fourthermore what dyd greate tresures proffit Persepolis / Susa / what dyd they proffyt Babylon / Cresus / Darius / and diuerse other? Are the leages or couenauntes of peace more sure at this daye amongst christianes then in tymes pasteLeages of peace are not to trusted vnto. in the whiche we haue bene a pray to ower couetous and ambitious enemye? But all the partes of christendome was neuer torne in peces with greater hatre­des and more diuisions / namely thorow theyer faute which coueteth nothinge so moche as to blott owte the doctryne of criste the kinge / & diuers people & kinges not of the meaneste sorte of the chrysten name are confederate with ower enemyes. Maye we compare wyth the Turkes [Page] in the weapons of warre & the multitudeThe Turkes be e­qual with vs in strē ­gth and feates of warre. of men? Do we excell them in the strēgth of ower bodyes / in the science of warre fa­re / in the obseruation of the disciplyne ād gouernaunce excercysed in tentes & pauilions / in pacience / in vigilancie / in studi­ous diligēce / & in al the [...]eates of batayle? Or elles what dyd those thynges proffit ower elders that they myght haue bene preserued from the subiection of the Turkyshe dominion when bothe ower enemies were lesse instruct in all these thinges & ower forefathers dyd far awaye excellThere is no thinge that can helpe / but the brea­kers of Gods la­wes must needes be [...]laged. thē: How often haue we proued by playne experience that the lawe of the lorde doth thretē the breakers therof / that the lorde settynge his face agaynste vs / we sholde fall downe before ower enemyes / and be subiecte to them that hate vs? How often haue we lerned the same thynge to be true whiche the moste excellent war­ryoure Dauid wryteth in the Psalme? The lorde hathe no delyte in the strengthPsalme .cxlvij. of horses nether is he well pleased in the armours of men: but the lorde is well cō ­tented with them that feare hym ād with all them that truste vpon his mercy. But we do not truste vnto fleshe nather yet to [...]. Pet. i. Esa [...]. xli. mannes helpe & presydye / knowynge very well that all fleshe ys lyke vnto haye [Page c.ij] and all the glory therof as the flower of the felde / and that he is cursed of the lor­de and infortunate which putteth fleshe for to be hys arme. We truly set the hope of ower help in the lord. We leans to the helpe of the christen religion. We looke for celestyall aydes and succoures. I am pyttyfullye affrayed leste that many do bragge whith theyer mowthe that they put the truste of theyer healthe in the name of God whiche is the stronge towerProueth .xviii. of defence from the face of ower enemye. But theyer mynde beynge dryuen with the wyndes of affections to be caryed awaye with a carnall securite or saffegarde into an vncerten hauen. Of the why­che sorte of men Micheas speaketh / the­yerMich. iii. pryncys dyd gyue sentence for gyf­tes & and theyer preistes dyd teache for lucre / and theyer prophetes dyd prophe­cye for money / and yet they wylled them selffe to be taken as men that holde vpon God sayinge. Is not the lorde amonge vs? Tushe there can no mysfortune hap­pen vnto vs. Therfore shall Syon for yower sakes be plowed lyke a felde / and Ierusalem shall become as an heape of stones and the hyll of the temple shall be turned into an hyghe woode. Esaye also in the .xxviii. Chapter reproueth [Page] the vayne confidence of the people with [...] xxxiii a moste weyghtye sentence sayinge: hea­re the worde of the lorde (o ye mockers) which beare rule ouer the people that is in Ierusalem / because ye haue sayde / we haue made a couenaunt with death / and with hell are we at agremēt / ād though there go forth a sore plage it shall not co­me vnto vs. For we haue made falseho­de oure refuge and vnder vanite are we hyd. Therfor thus sayth the Lorde God Beholde I laye in Syon for a foundati­on a stone / euen a tryed stone / a precious corner stone / asure foūdation: Who so be­leueth let hym not be to hastie. Iugemēt also will I laye to the rule▪ and righte­onsnes to the balance so that the hayle shall take awaye yower lyinge hope / and the pryuye place of yower refuge shall the waters renne ouer / and thus the co­uenaūte that yow made with death shall be disanulled / and yower agrement that yow made with hell shall not stonde: yeaAll ower [...]eu [...]rs [...] couenauntes be frustrate whiche be de­uised agē ste the lor­de. whan the sore plage goeth forth ye shall be troden downe vnder it. From that tyme that it goeth forth it shall take yow awaye. For early in the mornyng euery daye / yea bothe daye and nyght shall it go thorowe and whan the noyse therof is perceaued it shall gēdre vexatioō. Whiche [Page c.iij] therfor be the sure foūdatiōs of ower hope? With what reasons shall ower mindeThe name of christianitye pre­uaileth vs no thynge oneles we haue the thynge it selffe. be supported? What diuine promyses doth lyfte vp ower minde? Where be the documentes of godly and christen men? Shall we be in saffegarde because we do bragge and boaste the name of Christe / & are called his brotherne & the sonnes of god? But what dyd soche lyke vayne ap­pellatiō of names with owte body & sprite proffit the Israelites? Do they not heare of Ezechiel yower father was an AmoryteEzech. [...] & yower mother a Cethyte. Doth not Amos also take awaye the vayne boste of theyer kynred and goodly names sayin­ge: Are ye not vnto me as the childerenAmos .ix. of the Moryanes (o yow children of Israhel) sayth the lorde? All those wycked doers of my people shall surely peryshe with the sworde that saye. Tushe the plage is not at hande / there shall none euyll come vpō vs. Beholde the eyes of the lorde are vpon the realme that synneth to roote it clene owte of the erthe. Those men are not approued / god beynge they­erIohn. [...] iudge / to be the chyldren of faythfull Abraham whiche callynge Abraham fa­ther dothe not brynge forth the workes of Abrahams faythe. Nether are they the children of god and the heyeres of his [Page] promysed blysse and kyngedome / which in theyer dedes represent the dyuyll for to be theyer father. Shall the moste holy mysteryes of the Christen religion / Ba­ptisme and the lordes supper kepe vs in saffegarde and defende vs from all ower enemyes? But what dyd holy sacramen­tes proffyt the Israelytes whiche were all baptized vnder a cloude / and vnder Moses / & dyd eate with vs the same spi­rituall meate and drynke the same spiri­tual drynke as the apostle teacheth vnto [...]it. 1. Corin. x. the Corinthians? But for because they were Idolaters / the seruātes of euyll cō cupiscence / tempters of Christe / fornicatours / murmurers agaynste god / and false reprouers of his holy iudgemētes: They ware slayne in the deserte / decla­rynge vnto vs also an euidente example leste yf we gyue ower selffes to be lyke vnto them: we maye lykewyse suffer after the same maner: that I may passe ouer the prophanations of holy thynges and the symonicke byinge and sellynge of Messes wherwith the wrath of god be ynge kyndeled can not be quenched oneles soche monsterous wickednes be takē owte of the waye. Shall the doctryne of the gospell bosted in ower bokes and in ower often talkynge defende vs? It was [Page c.iiij] not sufficient to the preseruation of Sa­mariaIt is not sufficient vnto ow­er preser­uation to boste / cra­ue ad speake of the gospell. and the kyngedom of the ten tri­bes to haue herde helyas thonderynge and lyghtenynge owt of his mouthe the wordes of God and lykewyse Heliseus / Oseas / Amos and other moste excellent preachers of the lordes diuine iudgementes whō they wolde not obey. But they were browght vnder the power fyrste of the Syriās & then afterward of the Assyrians tyll they weare vtterly consumedIer. xxxix and brought to naught. Hierusalē with the kynges Ioachim and Zedekias were not preserued by the prechinge of the moste diuyne Ieremye that the Chaldeys sholde not ouerthrow it: Nether was it defendyd by the prechynge of the Apo­stles and of Christe the sauioure from the weapons of the Romanes: For why? aLuke .xij. seruaūte knowyng his masters wyll and not doynge it shall be beten with many strypes. And the kyngedom of god ys not set in wordes but in dedes / not in sayinge but in vertu.

Peraduenture the holy temples of the sayntes owre aduouryes and specyall ad­uocates as it were towers and saynctua­ryes wyll delyuer vs from the swordes & crueltye of the Turkes ower enemyes. But they haue holdē now a greate while [Page] the scpulchre of our lorde / they holde the churches beutifyed and consecrate with the diuine prechinges of the Apostles ād of the Apostolyke men they howlde the shrines of the moste holy martirs. More ouer ower tēples whyles they be stuffed with the imagys of all maner of beastes and of monsterous men some harnysed / some shauen / some anoynted / some hauinge fete of woode / some halffe whyght / so­meAnnubis was any [...]dle amō ge the E­gyptians made lyke a dogge whē they dyd wors­hyp for Mercuri­us feyned of poetes to be the god of e­ [...]oquens. halffe blacke / are more lyke the tem­ples of Egypt in the whiche somtime were monsters of all kyndes of gods and the barkynge dogge Anubis / then they do resemble the lordes howses / If a mā sholde beholde what byinge and sellynge ād lucre is in them: they be more lyke the tauernes of marchantes then the oratory­es of holy men. In conclusion the lordes tabernacle in the whiche the arke of his holy couenaunte and the moste holy relyguesi. R [...]. iiij. ware set: dyd it defēd the cyttye Sylo and the kyngedome of Israel frō the palestynes? What holyer house buylded vnto god was there euer in this worlde then the temple of Ierusalē? What chur­cheIere. vii. more famous? But what sayeth the scrypture? Amēde yower wayes and yo­wer councelles and I wyll dwell wyth yow in this place. Truste not in false ly­inge [Page cv] wordes sayinge: here is the temple of the lorde Here is the tēple of the lordeIere. vi [...] Here is the tēple of the lorde. But rather Iudge right betwyxte a mā and his ney­ghboure: oppresse not the straūger / the fatherles & / the wydow / shede no innocent blood / Cleue not to straūge gods to yo­werowne destruction: Then wyll I lett yow dwell in this place / yea euen in the same lande that I gaue afore tyme vn­to yower fathers. But beholde ye truste in lyinge tales that begyle yow / and do yow no good: for when yow haue stollen / murthered / commytted aduoutrye / and periurye / whē ye haue offered vnto Baal folowynge straunge and vnkno­wen Gods: shall ye be vnpunyshed? Yet then come ye and stande before me in this house which hathe my name giuen vntoThe reprehensiō of of ower carnal hope / truste [...] and confidence in burnynge of cādels [...] tapers [...] franckin­sence and s [...]che oth­er lyke carnal sacrifi [...]e▪ it / and say: Tushe we are absolued quyte thowgh we haue done all these abhomi­nations. What? thynke yow this howse which is called by my name to be a den­ne of theues? But god is well pleased with ower holy actes / ministratiōs / and goodly seruise done in the temples / with swete smelles / with perfumes / with cā ­deles ād tapers burnynge / with all ma­ner of gyftes and oblations / with syn­gynge / with organs and other soche [Page] lyke melodious instrumentes of musyc­ke / with quyristers syngynge bescante / with Turky she coniurations and the fe­refull thonderclappes of excommunication. Let vs heare how moche god dothe alowe al these thinges in Amos the pro­phet:Amos .v. I hare (saythe the Lorde) and I do abhorre yower holydayes / and where as you do cēse me whē you come to gether. I will not accepte it / and thowgh ye oshre me brent offeynges and meate offeyn­ges yet haue I no pleasure therin. As for yower fatte thanke offringes I wyll not looke vpon them. Take a waye from methe noyse of yower songes. I wyl not heare the sownde of yower organes and the playes of musycke. But se that equi­te flow as the water and righteousnes as a myghtye streame. Furthermore we owght for to ponder whyther god hathe gyuen vnto vs the same power which he promysed vnto Abraham / that whome soGene. xij. euer we blysse shold be blyssed / and who­me so euer we curse / sholde becursyd. Or elles whither the spryte of erroure hath rather disceyued vs with a false persuasiō / euē as Balac kyng of the Moabites sayd vnto Baalam: I know that he is blyssed whome thow blissest / and he is cursed / Num. xxij whome thow cursest. Neuer the lesse it is [Page cvi] wrytten I will blisse yower curses andMala. ij. I will curse yowre blyssinges sayth the lorde. But wyll yow be saued by yowerSuperst [...] tious [...]y to fast to n [...]t to faste that god m [...] ght be pl [...] ased b [...] to make hym an­grye. fastynges? wolde to god yow fasted tru­ly and not rather after the maner of those hypocrites whome the holy goste repro­ueth by the prophet Esaye saying: lyfte vp thy voyse lyke a trumpet / Crye as lo­wde as thow canste and show my people theyer offences and the house of Iacob theyr synnes: for they seke me dayly / andEsa. lvii [...]. wyll knowe my wayes / euē as it were a people that dyd ryght and had not forsa­ken the statutes of theyer god. They ar­gue with me concernynge right Iudge­ment / and wylbe nye vnto god. Wherfo­re faste we (saye they) and thow seeste it not? we put ower lyues to straytenes & thow regardest it not. Beholde when ye faste / yower luste remaineth still / for yow do no lesse violence to yower detters thā yow dyd before. Lo ye faste to stryffe and debate / and to smyte with yower fyste withowt mercy. Now yow shall not faste thus that yower voyce myght be herde aboue. Thynke ye this faste pleaseth me that a man sholde chasten hym selffe for a day and to wrythe his heade aboute lyke an whoope / & to lye vpon the erthe in an hearye clothe? Sholde that be called [Page] fastinge and a daye that pleaseth the lor­de? Doth not this fastīge rather please me that thow lose hym owte of bondage that is in thy daungere / that thow breake the othe of thy wycked bargaynes / that thow let the oppressed go fre / and take from them all maner of burthens / to deale thy breade to the Hongry / and brynge the pore wanderynge home in to thy house / when thow seest the naked that thow co­uer hym and despise not thyne owne fle­sshe. Then shall thy lyght breake forth as the mornynge and thy health floryshe right shortly. Thy ryghteousnes shall go before the and the glory of the lorde shall embrace the. Now by these wordes as it is euident that the lorde abhorreth all ow­er fastynge whiche is prepostorous and not referred to the lawe of god: euē so lyke wyse is he dyspleased to se vs obserue superstitiously dayes / monethes / yeares / and tymes and to put a dyfference of tho­se meates whiche he hathe created to be receyued withe thankes gynynge of thē that beleue as it apereth to the Galathianes the iiij? Actes the x: and to Tymothy the iiij: and in many places mo. But what say yow to ower litanyes and ower pray­ers and supplications? Do not they pur­chase the helpe of god? Hath not god pro­mysed [Page cvij] that by prayer we shall obtayne whatsoeuer we aske? Hath not prayer made vnto god dryuen awaye greatest daungers and calamityes? Hathe it not ouer­throwen the hoste of ower aduersaryes? Hathe it not preserued the pauilions of good men / cyttyes / regiōs / and hole kyn­gedoms? There is truly a greate and aThe necessarye vse of holye prayers. necessarye vse of holy prayers at all ty­mes in the Christen congregation / of the whiche mo thinges shall be spoken hera­ster in a place cōueniēt. Neuer the lesse it can not be denyed and it owght not to be dissembled that the prayers of all men are not herde / nether do the petitions of eue­ry man go thorow the heauēs. For whyThe prayers of all mē be not herde. those prayrs for to begynne with all / are to be holden as vayne and of none effec­te whiche are not made vnto god the fa­ther by Christe the sauioure in the holy goste. Wherfore saynte Augustine vponAugusty­ne. the Psalme an hdesireth & .ix. sayth / that that prayer which is not made by Christ hath not onely no power to put awaye synne: but the same is also turned in to synne. Wherfore the Litanyes commen­ly vsurped amongst Christians whiche by name prayeth vnto sayntes: as vnto Iames / Mauryce / Leonarde / Barbara / & in theyr kynde Angelles / Archangells / [Page] Patriarches / Prophetes / Apostles / mar­tyrs / confessors / virgyns / and wydowes: doth not so greatly obtayne thinges that be good at the hand of the Lorde: but they do rather make the wrath of God more greuous & styrre vp the tēpestes of euyllMath. iiij plages. For truly that maner of callinge vpon he sayntes and she sayntes is farre wyde from the example of Christ and all good men / and also forbyddē by the lawes of God▪ for why it is wryttē: Thou shalt worshyp thy Lorde God / and serue hymDeuter. v onely. And in the Psalme .xlix. Call vpon me in the tyme of troble / so wyll I heare the / and thou shalt honour me. It is also forbydden in the fyrst precept of the boke of the .x. commaundementes / to hope or to aske those thinges that be good of any other than of God▪ onely / from whomeIames .i. they be descendynge / or to gyue thankes for benifyttes receyued / that is to say / for victorye being gotten / for peace / for abū ­daunce of ryches and all other thynges pertaynynge both to the bodye and also to the sowle to any other then to God / for why he sayeth: I am thy Lorde God / whychDeuter. v. brought the owte of the lande of Egypt / the house of bondage. Thou shaltThe hea­thē wolde neuer ha­ue prayed to theyr I­dolles y [...] they had beleued thē to haue bene creatures haue no straunge gods before me. It is furthermore wrytten in the storyes of [Page cviij] the heathē / as of the Romās that in shar­pe and dāgerous tymes the people were accustomed to make their prayers fast by the beddes or tabernacles / not as they supposed of creatures: but as they falsely beleued of the immortall gods and go­desses. The Prophetes also doth vpbray­de the people of God very greuously for their superstitious worshyppynge of the creatures / & they do teache the same my­scheffe for to be the cause of all infelicite. But yf the same thing do fortune sometymes vnto men / that they haue required of sayntes & creatures: we are tawght in the Christē doctrine that soche maner of pray­ers are not the cause wherfore they obtayned any maner of good thinge: but an ac­cident or a chaunce: euen as it fortuned in one tyme that the Christen men whyche were hyred to playe the souldyoures vn­der Marcus Aurelius in Germanye dydRayne gyuen by pr­ayer vnto the souldyoures of Marcus Aurelius aske rayne of the lyuynge God by Iesus Christ / & the heathē men of warre dyd lykewyse aske the same of their false gods. Now were it both a wycked & a very fo­lysh thinge to saye that the prayers of the heathen had obtayned rayne / wherby the hole armye of the Romās was delyuered faythfull & vnfaythful / & not rather to attribute it to the godly supplicatiōs of the [Page] Christianes and to the greate goodnes of god whiche doth euermore fullfyll the de­syre of them that feare hym / heareth theyrPsal. cxlv payer & wyll saue them. Moreouer those prayers are not effectual which al though they be powred forth in the syght of the lorde of hostes: yet are they so folysshely dispersed that the wynde as it were carryethHe that wyll op­tayne by prayers may not Wauer. them away / whiche thinge the Apo­stle Iames doth witues spekynge of the celestiall wysedome. But that the precept of God myght haue hys full strengthe in all other thinges: let hym (sayeth he) that lacketh wisdom aske it of god (why­che gyueth it to all men abundantly and casteth no man in the tethe) and it shall beIames .i. gyuen hym. But let hym aske in fayth & wauer not / for he that dowteth is lyke a waue of the see whiche is toste of the windes and caryed abowte / therfor let not that man thinke that he shall receyue any thinge of the Lorde. Furthermore the prayers of those mē be frayle & of none ef­fectGod wyl not heare vs when we praye for vayne thinges. whiche aske vayne thinges and also hurtfull or soche thinges as be contrarye to the wyll and glory of God / whyche beynge beste can not but wyll the best thinges / and therfor they be not herde whē they praye for those thinges which be not worthy ether to be asked or ells [Page cix] to be receyued of ower moste holy father that is in heauē. Wherfore Christ the Lorde sayde to his Apostles desyrynge thatLuke. [...]. fyer fallynge downe from heauen myght burne vp the towne that had shytt them owte: yow know not what sprite yow are of yower selffe / the sonne of man did not come to destroy sowles but to saue them. Also saynte Augustine wryteth ve­ry eycellently vpon the fourtye PsalmeAugusty­ne. sayynge. Call vpon god wyth prayse and thankes gyuynge / and not with reprehē tion / for mhy when thow callest vpon hym to destroye thyne enemye / when thow wylt reioyse of an other mans hurte / and callest god vnto that euyle: thow makest hym partetaker of thy malyce. For why thow supposest god for to be as thow arte / wherfore it is sayde vnto thePsalm .l. in an other place: these thīges haste thow done and I helde my peace. O thow wycked creature thow doste coniecture that I wolde be lyke the. Kyther to speaketh Augustyne. Now therfore ower prayers owght to be made after the rule of the lordes wyll and we muste euermore pray with these exceptions. Thy wyll be full fylled and not owers / Thy name be sanc­tifyed / asMatth. v [...] ower Sauioure dyd go before in his wordes and the vnyuersall congre­gation [Page] of good men dyd followe after for why the lorde knoweth what thīges we haue nede of and what thinges be profy­table or noysome vnto vs before we be­gynne to pray. Nether will he reche a scorpionLuke .ix. vnto his children requyrynge brea­de / nether will he suffre vs to haue ower desyer when with owte knowlege we aske that is euyll. And we receyue that is good: when we be not herde. Moreouer loche as be cowardely and slowthefull synners are suffred of god to departe from hym in vayne and voyde of theyer purpose and that worthely / whiche temp [...]eSluggardes maye well bab­ [...]e / but all the [...] pra­yer is of none effecte. god and wyll not walke in the waye of health whiche god doth showe thē / nor wyll not vse those meanes / facultyes and instrumentes whiche god hath sett in the myddeste of them or elles rather gyuen in to theyer handes to remedie the euyl­les hangynge ouer theyr heades: or elles to dryue awaye those thinges that now opresseth them and to conserue theyer healthe. Agaynste whome the moste wyse ād noble man of moste famous memoryeThe notable sentē ­ce of Marcus Cato. Marcus Cato hath gyuen a memorable and playnely a diuine sentence / that the helpe of God is not procured with folys­she & vayne tryfelynge vowes and pray­ers: but all thinges cometh luckely to [Page cx] passe by diligent takynge hede / by labo­ryng lust [...]lye [...]d by good councell. When thow gyueste ouer thy selffe to slowthe­fullnes and cowardenes: call not vpon god / for he is vtterly angry and sore dis­pleased with the. Therfor if we will haue ower desyers to be confirmed: / If we co­uet to fele the helpe and socure of god: we muste applye ower selues withe all ower harte vnto the common health / we muste watche / be circumspecte and labo­re very sore and strongly. and as the common prouerbe dothe monyshe vs / wyth god we muste put to ower hāde / whyche vnto noble actes requireth soche as be diligēt labourers studious and actyue / and not Idle and slepye lookers on. TheEsopus fab [...]e o [...] the carter pr­aying vn­to Hercu­les / whō the poe [...]es do rayne to be the God of strength. fable also of the carter reprehendyth ve­ry wysely the cowardenes / and slowthe­fullnes of sluggysshe bableynge oratou­res / whiche desyred of Hercules to haue his carte styckīge faste in the myre to be drawē owte / but answer was made hym that he muste laye his shoulders vnto the wheles / ād prouoke his horses to drawe / and so by that meanes it sholde easelye begottē owt of the swalowing goulffe: last of al the eares & mynde of god doth abhorre from the prayers of them the which are wrapped in deadely crimes & doth nather [Page] from theyer harte desyer that theyer syn­nesRepenta­ [...]ce must be ioyned with ow­er prayers for the lorde stopp [...] ­ [...] his [...]a­ [...]s from [...]sty [...]ate offenders myght be forgyuen them / nether do they ernestly studye to amend theyer ly­uynge: whyche thynge the lorde god hymselffe hath wytnesed wyth many diuyne sentēces in the holy scriptures of the whi­che we wyll onely towche a fewe. In the fyrst chapter of Salomons Prouerbes wysdome and the worde of god speaketh to hir dispisers: because I haue called and ye refused it and haue stretched owte my hande and no man regarded it / but hath despised all my councells and set my cor­rectyon at naught: therfor shall I also laughe in yower destructyon / and mocke yow whē that thinge that yow feare shallProuer. j. chaunce vnto yow / euen when the calamities falleth in sondenly lyke a storme and yower destruction lyke a tempest / yea when trouble and heuines cometh vpon yow. Then shall they call vpon me: but I wyll not heare them. They shall seke me early: but they shall not fynde me / and that be cause they hated knowlege and receyued not the feare of the lorde: but abhorred my councell and despysed all my correction. Therfor shall they eate the frutes of theyer owne waye and be filled with theyer owne inuentiōs. And in the .xxviij. Chapter. He that turneth a­waye [Page cxi] his eare from hearynge the lawe:Prouerb [...] xxxviij. his prayer shall be abhominable. Agay­ne in the .xxi. Who so stopeth his eares at the cryynge of the poore: he shall cryePro. xxi. hym selffe and not be herde. Mycheas al­so saythe / O heare thys ye prynces of the house of Iacob and ye Iudges of the howse of Israell. Sholde ye not know what ware laufull and right? But ye hate theMithi. ii [...] good and ye loue the euyll / ye plucke of mennes skinnes and theflesshe from they [...]r▪ bones / ye choppe thē in peaces as it were in to a cauldrō and as flesshe in to a pot Now the tyme shall come that whē they call vnto the lorde: he shall not heare thē / because that thorow theyr owne Imagy­nations they haue dealte so wyckedly. The lorde also speakth in his Prophet E­saye the firste Chapter sayynge. when yow houlde owte yower handes / I wyll turne myne eyes from yow and thowgh ye make many prayers I wyll heare no thinge at all▪ for yower handes are full of blowde. Wasshe yow therfor and ma­ke yow cleane / put awaye yower euyll thowghtes owt of my syght / cease fromEsay. [...]. doyinge of euyll / lerne to do right and apply yower selffes to equyte. & ce. And in the .lviij. of Esay: God professeth him selffe to be very harde and playnely inexora­ble [Page] vnto the wycked as it is euident byIuexora­ble / that cā not be w [...]ue and obtayned by prayer these wordes: Beholde the Lordes hande is not shortened that it can not helpe / ne­ther is his eare so stopped that it may not heare / but yowre greate offences hath se­parated yow from yower God and yowre synnes hydeth hys face from yow that he heareth yow not / for yowre hādes are polluted wyth bloude / and yowre fyngers embrued with vnryghteousnes. &c. NowSayntes whyther they be deade or [...]yne can not preuayle by prayer to helpe the wyl­ful resys­ters of gods spryte and truth that the prayers of sayntes whyther they be departyd from the dutyes of this lyffe / or whether they be yet styl lyuyng in the erthe can not put away those calamytyes which God the ryghteous Iudge bryn­geth vpō the obstynate offenders and the wylfull synners agaynst the holy goste: the onelye testimonye of Iohn the Euan­gelyste in his fyrste epistle doth sufficient­ly declare / where as he sayeth: there is a synne vnto death / for the whyche saye I not that a mā sholde pray. The Lorde also sayeth in the gospel that synne agenst the [...]. Ioan. v. Mat. xij. holy goste shal nather be forgyuē in thys worlde nor in the world to come. But Ie­remy declareth it more euidētly / spea [...]in­ge of the sayntes / which whyles they we­re alyue obtayned very moch by their feruentIer [...]m. xv prayers: Though Moyses and Sa­muel stode before me yet haue I no herte [Page cxij] to this people: dryue them awaye owt of my syght that they maye go some vnto death / some to the sworde / some to hūger / some into captyuyte: And of the lyuynge sayntes there is a famylyar example Ie­remye the .vij. Praye not thow for thys people / nether gyue thow thankes nor make intercession for them: for in no wyse I wyll heare them. Why? seist thou not what they do in the cyttyes of Iuda and in the stretes of Ierusalem? And the same thinge is also repeted Ieremye the .xi.Iere. x [...] chapter after thys maner. It is fownde owte that whole Israel and all the cyt­tyzyns of Ierusalem are gone backe: They haue turned them selues to the blasphemyes of theyer fore fathers why­che had no lust to heare my wordes. And a lyttle after it followeth: therfor praye not thow for thys people / byd nather prayse nor prayer for them for thowgh they crye vnto me in theyer trouble: yet I wyll not heare them. & ce. It is a pla­ce well set forth and moste worthy for to be looked vpō very inwardly / for as mo­che as saynt Hierome that notable doctor of most famous memory interpreting the same not onely clerkely but also playne­ly sayeth: Of these wordes we lerne that [Page] he wasteth his labor in vayne which pray­eth for an other man whē he is not wor­thy to receyue of god the thynge that is prayed for. And that an other mannes ri­ghteousnesIerome. al though it be neuer so excellent may not defende the iniquite of other men: it is moste playnely expressed the xiiij of Ezechiel: That lāde whych sinnethEz [...]c. xiiij agaynste me and goeth forth in wicked­nes: I wyll stretche owte mine hande vp­on it and destroye all the prouisiō of theyr breade / and sende derth vpon them to destroy man and beaste in the lande. And though these thre men Noe / Daniel / and Iob were amonge them: yet shall they in theyer righteousnes deliuer but theyer owne sowles / sayeth the lorde of hostes. And a lyttle beneth it is sayde: yf these thre men were in the lande as truly as I lyue (sayeth the lorde god) they shall de­lyuer nether sonnes nor daughters but onely be saued thē selues. Wherfore it is wrytten Esay the thirde: byd the righte­ousEsay. iii. do well for they shall enioye the frutes of theyer studyes / but wo be to the vngodly in theyer wickednes for they shall be rewarded after theyer workes. And in Habacuc the seconde chapter an excellent diuyne sentence is proponed / and set for­the with the whiche ower mynde may be [Page cxiij] fortifyed and kept suer euen as it were wyth an holy anchore in all parells and temptations. He that is vnfaythfull his lyffe is not in safegarde within hym selffe: [...]cuc. [...] but the ryghteous shall lyue by his fayth. The Apostles also gyueth often warnyn­ge that euery man sholde be honeste in all poyntes and kepe a good conscyence hauinge with in them selffe an holy reioy synge / for as moche as euerye man shallBalat. vi. beare his owne burthen in the day of the lorde and reape that he hath sowed. For the promyse of god made vnto AbrahamBe. xviij. that the Sodomytes sholde not be destroyed yf ten righteous men might be fown­de in that cyttye / and lyke wyse in Iere­mye the fyfte chapter: Go ye rownde a­bouteIeremy. v the wayes of Hierusalem and be­holde and consyder and serche in the stretes therof / yf ye can fynde one man that doth equall and right or seketh for the truthe / and I shall spare that cyttye: is not so to be taken or vnderstonde in this sense / that god is wounte to spare many wicked and vngracious lyuers for one or .ij. good men of excellent vertu / for Hieremye and Baruch & Abdemelech & other moste godly men ware at Hierusa­lem4 Re. xxv▪ / whē it was destroyde of Nabuchodonosor. Also Ionathas which was a man [Page] noted in holy scripture of so mocke vertu as no man more was slayne to gether with hys cursed father Saule fyghtinge strongly agaynste his enemyes the Palestynes / whych before tyme beinge acom­panyed [...] xiiij but with one onely mā his fayth­full esquyer or the bearer of hys harnes had ouerthrowne the tentes of the sayde his aduersaries / and put them to flyght. But then do godly men resiste the wrathEx [...]. xxxij of God / euen as dyd Moses to whome the Lorde sayde: Suffre me that I maye destroye this people: Then do they stande in the gappe of the broken wall / left that any plage shold inuade the people: Then do they defende their cyttyes with stron­ge bulwarkes / and make intercession for the people: when they onely represent / not theyr owne syngulare goodnes / butHow and whē good men may stāde wy­th theyr prayers / betwene the people and the wrath of God also the goodnes and vertu of the people wyllyng & redy to amende their lyuyng. When they be not accepted onely for thē selffe / but in the name & stede of al the cyt­tezyns / and that they may haue lybertye in the place of iudgement / in the commō coūcel / in holy assembles and cōgregatiōs gathered to gether to speake and saye their mynde frely of relygyō and of righ­teousnes / and innocencye of lyuynge to be renewed. For then ther remayneth so­me [Page cxiiij] h [...]e of better amendement and a sig­ne of some vertu / labouringe and stryuin­ge to breake forth into light / whych God wyll not put owte: but doth socoure it / nouryshe it / & helpe it / that it may bryn­ge forth it selfe / and growe vp vnto rype­nes and plentyfull frute. And it is a thin­ge alienate or disagreable from the dispositionEsay. xliij Mat. xij. of Christe owre kynge that he shol­de breake the brosed rede / or els quenche the smokynge flaxe: As on the other syde or contrary parte Salomon gyueth war­nynge in hys Prouerbes that wycked meProuerb▪ xxix. brynge a cyttye vnto confusiō. And after hym Hesiodus the Poete confyrmethHes [...]od [...] the same / whyche dyd wryght this verse: Saepe luūt ciues quicquid peccatur ab vno That is to saye: All the hole cyttezyns do many tymes suffer for one mannes offence. Not that the iudgement of God is agaynste the lawes gyuen by Mo­ses which neither doth ascrybe the vngra­tyous dedes of the father to the chyld / norEz [...]. xvi [...] the cursed offences of the chylde to the father / that the one myght be slayne for the others trespasse / but for because there is for the moste parte a cōmon participatiō amōge cyttezyns being partetakers one of an others iniquite / for that the wicked offenders be not punysshed / nether yet [Page] a iuste measure set vnto the murth [...]ryn­ge mischeffe of them sodenly inuadynge the publike weale. Wherfore by the rightous iudgement of god / for the rauesshynge of Dina Iacobs daughter not onely theGenesis .xxx. iij. lecherous yonge mā Sichem beynge the Author of that vngratious acte: but al­so his father Emmor beynge to fauora­ble and all the hole cyttye were vtterly destroyed of Leui and Symeō / whiche did cruelly reuenge the fowle iniurye done vnto theyer syster. The noble cyttye of Troye and all the kingedome of PriamusTroye w­as destroyed for the synne of Paris the sonne of Priamus was wholy wasted with ten yeres batayle for the mischeffe vnpunysshed of his son­ne Paris / whiche had taken away Helene the wiffe of Menelaus his hoste a Gre­ciā / and king of the Lacedemonyes. Whē the ambasadoures or messengers of Da­uyd were put to rebuke and spytefully intreated of Hanon the kinge of the Amonytes commaundinge the one halffe of [...]j. Reg. x. theyer berdes to be shauen / and theyer garmentes to be cutt in the mydle euen harde by the but tockes of them: not onely the coūcellers of that euyll dede were punished / which had prouoked the king therunto: but the kynge and all the people beyng defiled with the lawes of the hea­then dyd suffer horrible punishement [Page cxv] of the moste righteous kīge Dauyd. The cittie of Carthage hauinge spite at the domionCarthage of the Romanes and an obstinate folower of theyer example in laboringe by conqueste to subdue nations was vtterly destroyed ād ouerthrowne because that in tyme it dyd not resiste the councell and furye of theyer Duke Haniball. Be­cause the Gaabites wolde not delyuerIudg. xx. the wicked cyttizynes to be iustly pu­nyshed vnto the Israelytes requyrynge to haue thē: not onely those fewe whiche by force had oppressed the Leuites wyffe / dyd receyue the rewarde of that horryble dede: but also the towne of Gabaa and all the tribe of Beniamin whiche had put on harnes vnto the defense of that fylthye myscheffe dyd perysshe wyth slaughter vnto the nombre of syx hondereth men. And O the holye and wonderfull iud­gementes of God. For the faute of one cursed theffe whyche had vsurped vnto hym selffe a clooke & .ij. hondreth syeles of syluer and a tonge of gowlde of fyftye si­cles weyght beynge part of the excom­municate thinges of Hierycho whycheIudg. vij. were not destinate of god to be gyuen to the pore / nether yet to be reserued vnto the holye treasurye / but to be burnte wyth fyer: the hoste of Israel was turned [Page] to a most shamefull flyght at Hai / a great sorte of moste strong men beinge slayne. Nether coulde the wrath of God be pacy­fyed with any other ende / then wyth the death of the cursed these Achan.

Chapt. xv.VVhyche thynges for as moche as they be euē so (o ye Christen men) what hope of recouerynge owt of the Turkes possession owre regyons ta­ken awaye / or els to howlde them styll that the prouydence of the Lorde hath lefte vnto vs doth there appere ether in ower warres and councells / wysdome / ryches / or in the felowshyppe of godlye men / whom I dowte nothinge to lye hyd in the Christen churche / and to praye wyth feruent deuotion / that the wallesPsal. li. of Hierusalem maye be buylt agayne? Or ells what hope can we haue in the power and helpe celestyall / seynge that cruell myscheuous dedes are newlye commyt­ted euery daye / with monsterous lustes of the flesshe / intollerable dysceytes / in­uasyons of theues and spoylers of con­treyes / robberyes / burnynges / sacrilege? And the Authors of soche euylls be not sowght forth wyth iuste dylygence. And when they be discouered / manyfested and knowen. They be not punysshed wyth dewe correction / yea they be garnysshed [Page cxvi] wyth moste noble names / honours / and rewardes. They occupye the holy seate of iudgement / they be partetakers of the commmon councell / when any thinge is sayde / done / or treated of the publyke weale / of religyon / of ryghteousnes / and of the glorye of Christ the sauyoure. But those men whych studye to lyue in Christ and to be farre awaye from the disceytes of Antichrist are holden and proscrybedA thing [...] to be la­mented of all mē th­at haue o­ne dropp [...] of Christ [...] bloode in their bo­dyes. for enemyes of the churche and of the publycke weale. They are appoynted to be destroyed wyth blooddy decrees and the slaunder of those men whyche to ac­cuse them falsely receyue for theyr labour the fourte parte of their goodes: so that they haue nothynge any where in saffe garde / nothynge wythowte greate per­rell / in so moche that they be constray­ned to defende theyr lyues / theyr fame / and their goodes in pryuye corners / and they maye lyue more saffely in the den­nes of wylde beastes then in the temples of Christianes / and they suppose verely and not withoute a cause that it standeth them in hande to be more myserably afrayed of the Preistes and pastours of the churche then of the Turkes and Tar­tarians. The contynuall cryinge one with an other of them that be oppressed / [Page] banyshed / driuē owte of theyr contreys / spoyled / noted wyth markes of infamye wyth owte deseruynge / tormented wyth the boocherly exeqution of the hange­men in prysons and dongeons: is euen now gone vp in to the eares of the lorde of Sabaoth. Yea euen now theyr lamen­table gronynges and moste greuous sy­ghes do occupye the eares of the lorde whyche alone by hym selffe considerethPsal. ix. theyer paynes and sorrowes so that the prayers of Hypocrytes cryynge vnto hym can not be herde. There standeth in the syght of the lorde a watterpot fylled with the teares of wydowes / of fatherles childerne of them that be naked / of oulde men that haue loste theyer childeren / of them whiche are put from theyer herita­ge / and are vtterly forlorne / of those congregations whiche beynge destitute of faythfull flockefeders are destroyde by the bypathes of deathe. And it maketh that the moste mercifull eyes of god ower father doth not beholde ower miseryes. Many and often tymes yea euen daylye do men headed wyth swordes / strange­led with halters / drowned wyth waters / tayed or cheyned to postes / burnte with fyer / & buryed quycke: ascēde vp to the ce­lestial felowship aboue which maketh god [Page cxvij] sore displeased & angrye with vs / and all his angelles and other sayntes / and also they styrre vp agaynste vs heuen / erthe / fyers / sees / floodes / wyndes stormes / tē ­pestes / and in conclusion all the worlde. For whye? It is not the crueltye and ty­rānye of the Turkes that fyghteth agaynste vs: but the wrath of god from aboue is sore kyndeled and waxeth cruell vpon vs by a cruell people. The Turkes bryn­ge not in warres vpon vs so that ower garisons of men and con̄cell may not turne them awaye: but god the Lorde of po­wers and the maker and gowernoure of heauen and erth fyghteth agaynste vs. The hande of god / the plages of god are strycken into vs. Solimanne is onely the whyppe with the whych the holy andSolymā ­ne now Emperoure of the Turkes is a scourge sent of God for owre trāsgression. ryghteous Lorde dothe beate and scour­ge vs for owre vicious lyuynge. He is the rasoure wyth the whych he hath determyned to pare vs to the quycke. He is the sworde wherewith all the transgressors of Gods lawes be slayne. He is the fell and vengeable instrument wherwith we muste ether be amended / or els be vtterly destroyed. And to hope for an ende of tho­se plages beinge indued with soche euyll maners / soche peruersyte / and soche har­denes of mynde as can not repent: the nature [Page] or disposition of god / the thretenyn­ges of god the warkes of god / and the examples of all tymes doth so greately for­byd it: that it can not also be right to de­syer it. For truly it wolde growe vnto a sure and moste greuous destructiō / becau­se that in processe of tyme we sholde be confirmed in ower mischeuous dedes and wicked auncient customes and ordinaun­ces and in a lyffe fyghtynge clene contrarye with gods preceptes. And we sholde be perswaded that god were the alower of ower moste vngratious actes. Nather sholde any thowght or consideration / no not the lest that might be / come in to ow­re mynde of chaungynge the wayes of ower moste corrupte lyuynge. What pro­ffyt therfor sholde the captyued Christia­nes take of ower victories whiche by owre example: wolde turne the fredome of theyr bodyes delyuered from bondage in to the licence and facultye of carnall lu­ste / pleasure and concupiscence? What proffyt sholde the Mahumetanes take being ouercomne or losinge the victorye whiche beyng wrapped in no lesse tyran­nye and more profounde superstitions sholde be made the chyldrē of helfyer mo­re by doble then they were before? WhatMat. xvi. sholde it proffit vs to wynne all the hole [Page cxviij] worlde and to loose ower soules▪ How moche sholde the knowlege and glorye of Christe the kynge be promoted by owre vyctories and prosperous fortune (whyche also maketh werye and ouerco­meth the hartes of wyse men) seynge that vnder the hande and rodde of the lorde / and the wonders of nature also makinge vs a ferde / and that with manifeste significations of greuous calamytyes han­gynge ouer owre heades / that I may in the meane tyme kepe sylēce of the lor­des most louyng requestes / wyllyng vs to the contrary: we lede ower lyues in so­che saffegarde and intemperancye that we declare not ower selffe any thinge at all for to regarde the studye or exercyse of the Christen doctryne of syncere god­lynes / and the deuoute exercysing of vertues and innocencye. But yfit were ow­re mynde to be turned to the lorde correctynge vs and to come agayne in to the kynges hye waye whiche ledeth vnto felycyte / from the whiche we haue stray­edMat. vij. very far of vpon the right hande andDeut. [...]. the lefte hande / and that we were pleased to haue the doctrine of Christe the Lorde and of all his Apostles and moste holye Prophetes the onely rule bothe of true vnderstandynge and also of lyuynge [Page] well and vertuously / whych thinge as it is necessary / so is it also easye / & moste su­re and worthy for the Christen professiō: we sholde sone haue experience what greate dyuersite there is betwene a ryghteous man and a wycked / betwene hym that serueth God & that serueth hym not. For truly God (whych hath the hartes of kynges in hys hande / and maye inclyne them whyche waye he lyste / whyche alsoProu. xxi turneth a mannes enemyes for to be his frendes when he is pleased with his way­es) will ather turne the hartes of the kynge and people of the Turkes vnto the thowghtes and considerations of peace: Or ells yf they will styll continewe to be woode angry and to rage vpon vs with theyer warres as they haue begūne: the Lorde God of hostes shall be vpon ower syde and he shall gyue vs stronge and co­ragious hartes / honeste and houlesome councells / vntamed or inuyncible power so that the tentes of ower hoste muste be▪ the pauiliōs of god. And ower emperour muste be god hym selffe / in whose syght manlye to dye or ells to ouercome shall be all alyke one fayer thynge / houlesome and pleasant. And when the lorde shall be with vs and shall prosper whatsoeuer we shall inuade or attempte in his name / [Page cxix] (whych is a tower of strengthe before thePsalm. le Pro. xvii [...] Rom. vii [...] face of owre enemyes) who shall stande agaynste vs? Of a suretye then shall we perceyue the same thinge to chaunce vn­to vs that the Lordes mouth hath spokē lōge ago: Ye shall go forth / and the Lorde shall fighte for yow: yf ye shall walke inLeu. xxvi my ordinaunces and kepe my commaun­dementes & do them / there shal no swerde go thorowe yowre lāde / and ye shall cha­se yower enemyes / and they shall fall be­fore yow. And fyue of yow shall chace an houndreth / and an houndreth of yow shal put ten thousand to flyght. And yowre enemyes shall fall before yow vpon the swerde / and I wyll turne vnto yow. Yow shall be encreaced / and I wyll perfourme my couenant with yow / and I wyll wal­ke amonge yow / and wyl be yower God and ye shall be my people. Also owre vic­toryes shall be ioyned together wyth the glorye of God / with the health of ower bretherne whiche serue a cruell bondage amongste the Turkes / with ower owne healthe and theyers also whiche be ower enemyes / so that they maye complayne not for that they be ouercomne of Chri­stianes: but that fortune had so longe en­uied them the same felicite / that now at the laste they myght be ouercōme of true [Page cxx] Christians. Of whose preseruation we ought far awaye more diligently to thin­ke then of their destruction. And to per­myt the chaunce therof to the good wyll of owre celestiall father / whych by hys vnmeasurable mercye hath gryfted vs / be­inge vnworthy and al to gether alienate from the testamētes of God into the oly­ueLuke .iii. tree of the people of God. And is able yea euen owt of stones to rayse vp chil­dren to faythfull Abraham / and to make of Turkes / of Saracenes / of Tartarians / and Iewes / the beste Christianes. As it chaūced in tymes past vnto the Gothiās. Nether is the hande of the Lorde any thynge shortened or hys worde made ofIohn .iii. Luk. x. i [...] lesse strength or the holy gooste (whyche hath lybertye to breathe wher he lyste) shyt vp or tayed shorter that he can not euen styll at this present daye do the same thinge.

Chapt. xvi.BVt for because I promysed that I wold in the thyrd place of thys my consultatiō tell & declare with what weapōs and feates we must fyght agayn­ste the hostes of the Turkes: I wyll now expresse wyth fewe wordes and wythout the paynted eloquence of Rethorike all those reasons whych I iudge to be effec­tuall / and beste and singulare / not onely [Page] to dryue awaye the power of owre ene­myes / and to preserue ower owne affay­res: but fathermore to enlarge the lan­des of the Christē kyngedome by all tho­se regyons owte of the whyche the su­perstytion of Mahumet hath caste forthe and thrust backe by force all ower vayne braggynge what so euer it be of the Christen name. But yf any man shall brynge any better and more iuste councells: I wyll moste gladly obey hym. So moche is it awaye from my purpose that I wol­de wysshe any man for to consent vnto my sentence / oneles euery beste and mo­ste wyse man shall know the same to be ioyned moste nere with the glory of Christe the sauioure and the proffit of the publycke weale. And firste of all / the preten­sed purposes / and goodes / & riches of ow­re enemyes are to be looked vpon. Then afterwarde with what defences we owre selffe be armed. And the councell of the lorde is all waye to be vsed whyche that he gyueth in the gospell of luke all thow­ghe but for the cause of an exāple and in aLu [...]. xiii [...] parable saying: Which of yow willing to buylde a towre doth not first sit downe & con̄te the coste / whether he haue sufficiēt to perfourme it / lest after he hath layde the foundatiō & is not able to perfourme [Page] it: he may fayle and gyue ouer wyth the greate irrision or laughinge to scorne of all men. Or what kinge goeth to make batayle agaynste an other kynge / and doth not firste cōsider whether he be able with ten thousande to mete hym that cometh agaynste hym with .xx. thousande / or ells perceyuynge hym selffe for to be to wea­ke / whyles his enemye is yet a greate waye of / he wyll sende Ambasoudoures and desyer peace? The whiche thinge we muste folowe euē at this tyme and coun­cell muste be taken whether it be a more proffitable thinge and an honeste to kepe warre with Solymanne emperoure ofThe Tur­kes kepe warre with vs for two cau­ses / that is relygyon and dominion. the Turkes or elles to attempte some in­different conditiōs of peace. But the Mahumetanes kepe battell with the Christē people for .ii. causes / that they may as wet stryue with vs for religiō as for domion. And in the batayle of religion they be armed with weapōs that are of greate of fecte and may do very moche with vnler­ned myndes / & the which do not inwardly behoulde the truthe / but laboure obstynately to obtayne the victory. For the do­ctryne of Mahumet showeth a fayer face owtwardely of a great consent with the doctrine of Christ / for as moch as it doth confesse one true god and prayseth Chri­ste [Page cxxi] very greatelye. And it curseth the Iu­es Christes aduersaries and many other thinges doth it booste / so that the symple people and soche as take no hede and be not circumspecte do suppose Christe and Mahumet to haue bene cōpaniōs and fel­lowes confederated / which opinion hath addyd greate strengthe vnto many sectes and heresyes. Moreouer a certen exquisite kynde or face of holynes and the won­ders of myracles all moste done dayly / ād the continuance of theyr secte by so many yeares / and the consente and consprirati­on of so many nations and people in to the same / and the wonderfull successe ofThe dy­uersyte betwene the Chri­sten churche ād the Turkes church at this pre­sent tyme Cantic. i. fortune in victoryes / in riches / & in other temporall thinges doth vpholde and commēde the religiō of Mahumet: where as the Christen church lieth in the duste & appereth owtewardely very euyll fauored / sluttysshe / nedie oppressed and filled with diuerse and moche people weake feble & faynt in the fayth / with many vngratious men / & with many traytours. And all hir beutye lyeth hyd inwardely / that is to saye fayth / the knowlege of god / holynes and righteousnes by Christe / euen as the spouse of god speaketh in the balletts of Salomō: I am blacke / but yet am I well fauored / euē as the bagynges of Salomō [Page] & the pauiliōs of Cedar. And it is songe in the Psalmes that all the beutye and apparellPs. xliiij. of the kinges doughter was set inwardely wrowght aboute with gowlde and curious nedle worke of diuerse coloures: And ther for vnto spirituall batayle the Turkes brynge sharpe and obstinate myndes / so that a Turke beyng a prose­lyte is very seldome sene in the Christen churche / were as many of vs lyke false a­postatataes (which is a shamefull thinge & greately to be lamented) do forsake owre religion and fall a waye vnto them. Now partely thorowe the prescription of theyr lawe whiche commaundeth thē with warres to sprede abrode theyr rely­gion or ells at the leste waye to make men of a contrarye religion trybutaries vnto them / and partly thorow ambition (whiche is a kyns woman to slesshely dis­positions / and can kepe no measure whē the mater cometh to passe after hir owne mynde and supposerh the wynnynge orTo holde the wolu [...] by the ca­res / is t [...] be in do­ble ād douteful daū ger / lyke as is that man why che holde­ [...] a wol­ [...]e by th [...] ­eares / for yf he shot de lethim go / it is dāgerous [...] to hold [...] hym styl [...] it is dan­gerous also. takinge awaye of one newe kingedome / onely to be a steppe or a Grece to inuade other) the Turkes also do stryue with vs for dominion / and they gape after ower temporall goodes / so that we playnely (after the prouerbe) may holde as it were the wolue by the eares. For a substancy­all [Page cxxij] & sure peace can not be betwene the Christiās & the Turkes so longe as they do obserue the law of Mahumet. Wher for to abstayne from warres owght not so moch to be called a peace as a breathin­ge / & a sekyng of some better aduantage. And therfore we must praye vehemently to the Lorde owre God that he wyll wit saffe to open the eyes of the Turkes vn­derstondīge that they maye beholde the vanyte of theyr superstition and the sure and eternall truthe of the Christen rely­gion. For why by that meanes in conclusion an holy / a good / a saffe / an honeste and houlsome cōcorde bothe to them and vs might be optayned. Agayne to kepe batayle with the Turkes is a thinge full of greate perrell and of moche difficultie whiche way so euer we turne vs in the worlde / For why that dominiō of theirs is opened very wyde by Asia / Affrica / & Europa / and it is abundāt with the multitude of mē and of all other thinges that warre hath nede of. And there be leages or bondes of peace made betwene Soly­manne and the moste mighty polytyke rulers of the Christē name (as men saye) Whiche thinges how moche they helpe ower enemie & how greate oportunities they do brynge vnto hym / or how moch [Page] they do hurte ower affayers (I holdyn­ge my peace) all mē do vnderstōde. What sholde I speake of the conscripte and ordinarie multitudes of horse men and fote men and of men pertaining to theyr ship­pes and galyes? What of they supplementes or store of artilerye as of bowes / gunnes / harnesse and of other soche lyke thinges in a maner beynge infinite? What of theyer arays / vittle / lernynge / experien­ce / prouidence / and concorde? What of theyer perseuerance / theyer sufferaunce / and obseruation of dominion? All whiche thinges are better knowen vnto those mē to whome the knowlege of soche thinges belongeth / then to me. Nether can they be comprehended at one tyme in a­ny consultation / seynge that many times in the former parte of the hoste / in the ba­tayle and euen sodenly a good captayne muste take newe coūcell. But this thin­ge owght not to be dissembled that the Turkes are ower moste cruell enemyes and are beste instructe and prepared in all thinges. And that ower power agayn­ste them is very lyttle / weake / feble and in a maner worthye to be despysed: ex­cept ower healpe be looked for in the na­me of the lorde whyche made heauen and erthe / greate / incomparale / inuincyble / [Page cxyiij] and at all tymes ready for them that fea­re the same lorde / and hope for healthe in his mercye.

Chapt. xvij.NOw trulye by what meanes we maye get and optayne the same thinge and vse it euermore: I wyll from henseforth tell and delcare / trustynge no thinge at all vnto myne owne witt (whiche is very smale) nether yet vpon anye syngulare wisdome. But I wyll folowe the steppes of gods wor­de and the demonstration of those storyes whyche vnto soche as make dilygent in­quisitiō: do many festly expresse accordin­ge to the course of all worldes / what ha­th at any tyme ether proffited or hurte the churche / what god hathe done and wrowght / and with what instrumentes / or ells by what meanes / in the churche / ether before the word of god was incarnate or afterwarde. And yf I do coniecture truly: the lorde hath warned vs wyth a wondefull token that a sorowfull and bytter destenye hangeth ouer the churche and for what causes / and howe and by what meanes she may escape it / the fyfte yere before the Turkes dyd fyrste muade Asia (Rufinus the traytour callynge thē forthe (when by the space of .xxx. dayes to gether a fyerie doue dyd apere in the [Page] element / and was sene of all men. TrulyProdygy­ous sign­es and wō ders oug­ht nether with con­rempte to be neglected nor yet super [...]tytyou [...]ly to be obser­ued. as wonderfull signes and straunge sygh­tes & fasshions of thinges not acustomed to be sene owght not to be obserued superstitiously no more then dreames and ot­her soche lyke thinges: euen so lykewyse those thinges owght not to be despised whiche the maker and gouuernoure of nature hath obiected or caste in betwene the heathen and the companions of trwe relygion / as often as he wolde brynge forth any noble warke and prouoked men more inwardely to consider theyer lyuin­ge and also to pondre the Iudgementes of god / so that in tyme they myght flye from the euylles hangynge ouer theyr heades. Wherfore the Lorde in the gospelMa [...] xxiiij of S. Luke speakynge of the destruction of the Iuysshe nation / dyd tell before handeIosephus. that there sholde be sygnes in the son­ne and the mone & in the starres: But Io­sephus a writer of storyes / reherseth not a fewe of those wonders whiche the Iud­gement of God had prophesyed before. Abowte the descendynge of Iacob in to Egypt whē the afflictiō of the Israelytes was now at hande of the whiche god hadGene. xv. warned Abrahā ij. hōdereth yere before:One man that is to [...]ye Iose­ph the sonne of Ia­cob. Red [...] the story [...] Genesis xxxvii. ād xxxix The Lorde dyd ouerthrowe one man of moste excellent vertu wyth wonderfull [Page cxxiiij] mysery and calamytyes / that by the example of his pacience the people of god shol­de be encouraged for to perseuer in afflic­tions whiche the Lorde had prohecyed to come. And he also promised that ther shol­de be an ende of all those trobles and that they sholde be delyuered with glory and greate riches from that nation / whiche with cruell tyrannye had oppressed them. Also the children of Iob beynge destroy­ed with the fall of an house / his ryches takenIob .i. ii. from hym by the Sabees & Chaldees Theues and Robbers / hys body tourmented with botches from the sole of his fote to the toppe of his heade / an vnkynde people contemnynge hym whome he had rewarded with infinyte benifytes / his frē des accusynge him as a wycked creature / and his wiffe prouokynge hym for to cur­se god▪ Iob had none other hope of heal­the lefte him / then that he knewe his sou­le sholde be conserued in the hande of al­myghty God / and hys bodye to be resto­red vnto glorye in the resurrection of the deade / and to optayne euerlastynge bea­titude. Wyth the whyche hope he stode inuyncible and full of corrage agaynste all the assautes of hys enemye the dy­uylle / And that the Israelytes com­mynge afterwarde into the lande of [Page] Egypte for a lytle whyle to be strayte­ly corrected and all other the true wor­shippers of god sholde beholde more cle­rer then the light that the hope of them is not vayne whyche permytt and gyue ouer thē selues all to gether to the good­nes of god: Iob was not onely delyuered from all hys plages / but also he dyd op­tayne here in the erth greater felicite by doble so moche more then he dyd possesseIob. xlij before. And whē the sayde Israelytes dyd euē now grone vnder the yoke of Pharo or ells rather were baked in the ouen ofExo. ij. ilj afflictions / whyles Moses a man sted a­waye for the death of the Egyptian / dyd fede the cattel of Ietro the preiste of the Madianytes: he dyd se a busshe burnyng which not wythstandynge was not with the fyer burnte or consumed. And appro­chyngeWhat the bur­nyng bussh [...] [...]yd portend [...] and signifie. nere vnto it / he herde an angell / speakynge in the busshe with the wordes of God / that he dyd beholde the affliction of his people and had herde theyr crye / & that he wolde lose or set them at libertye. Which thinge being sene / the Lord show­ed to Moses the people of Israel / whych being vnto the Egyptians very odyous and as it were full of pryckes / and also rough with the thornes of vyces: were therfore exercysed in greate calamytyes. [Page cxxv] Neuerthelesse they were not yet all to gether destroyde / no nor sholde not be of the tyrannye of Pharao / God beinge present in the myddeste of them / whose prouydē ­ce dyd not fayle them / how soeuer they were troden vnder the fete / nether wolde he suffer any thynge to happen vnto thē that dyd not brynge moste greate prof­fyt. But lest my oration sholde wander to farre of in the explication of wonders / I wyl be cōtēted wyth these fewe before expressed / seinge that they proue sufficiētly monsters and wonders / and prodygy­ous signes and tokens and these stran̄ge warkes in the world not to be vayne / ne­ther yet with contēpt for to be demitted. For why they be as the tokens of God / which brefely and as it were with a short & quicke sentēce: do put before owre eyes the celestiall Iudgement of mennes affayres / and they cōmaunde vs to compare owre maners and this present lyffe with the disposicion and wyse sayynge of diui­ne scriptures and with the warkes of the lorde done before tyme. And so to pyke owte a sure sentēce what is to be looked for god or euyll. For as godly and obedy­ent childerne when they se theyr father / to houlde vp his fynger / to becken with his heade / to wynke vpon them / or when [Page] they here him whistle are moued in their mynde to cōsider diligētly by the disposiciō & maners of their parēt & by soche thī ges as he hath done & spoken before tyme what he wolde in that present for to be amēded & takē hede of / so that they wāder very seldom or ells truly not far of from the marke / all whiche thinges truly mo­ueth not a frowarde and a stubberne childe any thīge at all no not thus moch: euē so god striketh & stirreth vp the myn­desThe miracles of nature are signes gyuē of God to make [...]s citc [...]m [...]pecte in the consp­ [...]eratiō of his diuine pleasure. of good mē with the miracles of nature that firste they maye serche & examine them selffe & thē afterwarde the state of the publike weale so farforth as it may be manifeste or knowne and that they may compare it with the nature and worde & dedes of god rehersed in the table of the holy scriptures & other faythful histories By the which respect of the lyffe of men & of gods will ād pleasure a more sure sen­tēce & iudgemēt is gathered far awaye / thē Astronomers do pronosticate by the aspectes of the Planetes. Where of studie spryngeth or rather is increased / of plea­synge god with vertu / with innocēcie of maners / with almous dedes / with pray­ers and other holy officis. What may we therfor suppose the firie doue in the ayer for to haue signified / that I may passe o­uer [Page cxxvi] the defectiō of the sonne / the quakynge of the erth / the burninge of the elemē te and other thinges / whē as Maximus Arbogastes / Eugenius / and certen o­ther false desirers of tyrānie were the firste players of that fatall tragedie / which Ruffinus the caller forth of the Turkes & Gildo and Stilico had moued? Before the face of all the worlde there appereth a firie doue that euery mā myght [...]e / whiche some time bereth the figure of the holy goste & the gyftes of his grace / wherforeA declaratiō of the fyrye do­ne & what she myght porteno [...] and ligny [...]e. it is wryttē that the sayde holy spirite dyd reste vpō owre Lorde beyng baptized of Ihon in the lykenes of a doue. Also a doue sent owte of the Arke of [...]oe brought gladde tydinges / the waters of the floodes fallynge awaye and the wrath of god remitting it selffe. Sometyme a doue figureth the churche / as when in the bal­lettes of Salomō (which do celebrate the couenaunt of god and man & coplling to gether in Christ) it is sayde to the spouse:Cant. j. v [...] thow hast doues eyes. And agayne in an other place / one is my doue / one is my derlīg / she is the onely beloued of hir mother & dere vnto hir that bare hir &c. The Philosophers also called naturall / or the curious serchers owt of the secretes of nature do teache / that of all mortall creatures there is none that kepeth the fayth of [Page] wedlocke so truly as a doue and yet inThe nature and propertye of a doue after the iudgement of the Philosophes. the meane tyme to be moste frutefull in procreation. Moreouer they affirme that syttynge by the ryuer syde to drynke or to bathe hyr she obserueth or marketh very well the shadowes of haukes and of soche other lyke rauenyng fowles / and getteth hir selffe in to some pryuye den­ue or hole as it were in to a sanctuarye lest she myght be the praye of soch tyrā ­nous byrdes flying aboue and ouer hir heade: All whiche thynges do meruelou­sly agre with the catholyke churche and euery parte therof. Now fyer for the ma­nifolde power of gyuynge lyghte or bry­ghtnes / and of makynge whote / and of pourgynge / dothe resemble many tymes in the fygures of diuinite the afflyctions of the faythfull / as in the psalme-lxv. we wente thorow fyer and water and thowThe significatiō of the fyer wherwy­th the do­ue was tō passed a­boute. broughtest vs owte in to a place full of comforte and refresshinge. And the. xliij Chapter of Esaye in the comfortable speche (which as a sure thinge payed before hande / was destinate to the captiued prysoners in Babilon) it is written after this maner: When thow shalte walke thorow the fyre it shall not burne the / and the flame shall not kyndle vpon the for I am the Lorde thy god the holye one of Israel [Page cxxvij] thy sauioure. What therfor dyd the fyer prophecye? What dyd the doue sygnyfyeA greate fyer / that is to saye a greate troble [...] affliction in the space of thyrtye dayes not burnte vp or consumed in the fyer? Truly a greate fyer to be prepared and by the suffera­unce af god shortly to be throwne vpon the churche: But vpon what churche? ve­rely the Christen churche which had mo­ste brodely enlarged the coostes of theyer donnimon and had the fruition of greateste felicite vnder the beste prince Theodosius / and was taught lykewise of the moste holy and beste lerned masters / of Au­gustine in Affrike / of Hierome in Syria / of Ambrose in Italie / and other innume­rable by Greke lande / by Italy / Fraunce and Germany / vnto whome the celestiall clemencie of god had gyuen mē also that were contynuall in the redynge of holy scriptures / as Suuia and Fretela andSuni [...] [...] Fretel [...] ▪ other. But she slepeth and snorteth lyke an Idle houswyffe / nether dyd she regar­de for to make answere with prayse and thankesgyuynge and wyth other lyke dutyes and offices of vertu vnto the ce­lestyall husbandman for soche his greate costes labour and diligēce spēt vp on hir. And therfor dyd he prepare fyer stryc­ken owte of the caucasean rockes to come forth in to the este parte of the worlde [Page] whych by lytle and lytle myght reproue or take awaye all thynges partaynynge bothe to the body and also to the soule / and the whyche a longe tyme myght bur­ne the whole doue rounde aboute within and withoute that the moste electe seruā ­tes of god also myght be vexed or prouo­ked vnto a wycked defection. But whyBurnyng in greate­ste opero / that is to say dere [...] in great­est afflic­tian [...]. so? May we Iudge it to be done for that intente / that the churche burnynge in greateste fyers myght be brought in to coles and asshes? No verely / but that she not re­gardynge the benefytes of god and despy­singe lyghter corrections and thretenyn­ges / beyng chastened by an harder vexation: myght receyue the clere lyght of the truthe / that holy loues towarde god and owre bretherne (which euen then were very cowlde) myght newly be warmed and styrred vp agayne / that the spottes / the wrynkeles / the rusty vyces / and all can herd deformyte / the despysynge of hyr husband Christe / the truste in creatures and forged loues and worshipynges / the contempte of Gods worde / the perseqution of good men / the houckster lyke sellyn­ge of doues / that is to saye of the cele­styall gyftes of Gods grace and the re­myssyon of synnes / the symonyacke by­inge of the Lordes passion and of all o­ther [Page cxxviij] holy thynges / the perseueratyon in hardnes of harte wyth owte repentaun­ce and other synnes agaynste the holye goste-myght be baked / rosted or scoured away with fyre / so that then afterwarde (bothe the bellowes and the blower beynge destroyed) the doue shall come owte of that meltinge fornace as it were all newe and couered ouer with siluer / why­che then all to gether beynge fayer and well fauored may please Christe hir spouse / whiche onely may looke vpon god / all hir other aduouterus louers with the whyche she had playde the harlote befo­re beynge excluded far awaye oute of hir harte / whiche sittinge by the fresshe rii­nynge streames of the mellifluus wordes flowynge owte of the lordes mouthe the onely fiumtayne of euerlastinge lyffe / maye behoulde diligently the cruell dys­ceytes of hir enemyes and flye awaye from theyer vyolence in to the holes of that rocke / whose syde was opened vpon the crosse giuinge lyffe / & his fete and handes bores thorow with woūdes gyuing health / wherin conclusion / the doue beīg in safegarde / whē she hath hid hir selffe in the merit of the passiō of the sonne of god a lyue & of the sone of Marie of the house of Dauid: she may bringe forth swete and [Page] moste pleasant songes to the lorde hir husband / that is to saye. The confession of hir sinne / the imploration of gods helpe / prayses and thankesgyuynge in the name of Christ the onely sauioure / whyche with the father and the holy goste reyg­neth one god worlde wyth owte ende. Amen. Moreouer the coniecturatyon of this wonder (whyche was obiecte and se­ne aboute the begynninge of the Turkes persequtiō that the churche beynge war­ned before hande myght beware and ta­ke hede / or ells beyng wrapped in afflicti­ons / she myght constantly wayte for the helpe of god / doynge diligently in the meane season euerye thinge that hathe any moment or helpe of healthe be it neuer so lyttle) I put it all to gether vnto the Iudgementes of good and godly men beynge myndefull of the sayynge of Ieremie the xxiii. Chapter. The Prophet that. hath a dreame let hym tell it. And he that vnder stādeth my worde let hym showe it truly / so that this my interpretatiō may haue no more faythe or farther credit gyuen vnto it then it hath optayned by the consent of gods worde and by euydent demonstration of the truthe.

Now from hense forth I wyll brefely towche those thinges whiche flowe ow­te [Page cxxix] of the Christiane religion as owte of a spryng and brynge infinite cōmodyties / so that with them all publyke weales be florisshinge and happye / and with owte them ther is no thinge can be well done ether at home or abrode. And that is pro­ued with a meruelous consent of gods di­uine scriptures and of good reason and of the iudgement of wyse men among­ste the heathē and of histories as well that be straunge as of those that be familiare. Amonge the whiche concorde obtayneth the cheiffe place / wereof Salust called (asSalust. I maye vse saynte Augustines wordes) historicus veritatis / that is to saye a wryter of true stories / sayth / that by concorde smale substance doth increace: and agay­ne by discorde moste greate ryches wyll waste a waye and come to naught. And Publius a wryter of mery verses / neuer the lesse full of wyse sentences / affirmethPublius Mimus. weake helpe to be made stronge with su­re consent. Also the Psalmographe or the wryter of Psalmes commendyng concor­de as a moste necessary thinge sayth. BePs. xxxiij holde how good and Ioyfull a thinge it is for brethern to dwell to gether in vny­te. And in the last ende of the same Psal­me it followeth. There hath the lorde promised his blyssynge and lyffe for euermo­r [...]. [Page] It wolde be an infinite thinge to re­herse thorouly the testyfycations or wytnesses of cōcorde owte of the holy scriptures & other prophane hystoryes. But truly how moch dyscorde doth hurte / at the leste waye this one sentēce of Christ wil show & declare: Euery kyngdome dyuy­dedLuke .xl. with in it selffe must come to desola­tion. And of that samethynge there be ouer many exāples wryttē in the familiare hystory of the church: For what other thynge destroyed Constātinople / Thra­cia / ād Grecia / then warres & stryffes amō ge thē selfes? What was euer a more blo­oddy thynge or fuller of slaughter / then the contentiō of the Christen Prynces at the cyttye of Ptolomais in the battell of the Saracenes? Or at the fludde Verna in the battell of the Turkes? What hath so moch holpē the Turkes ād Saracenes atNothyn­ge helpeth the Tur­kes more then the dyscorde of Christē Prynces amōge thē selues. al tymes / as the discorde of ower mē whyles the Romysh Puppet as it were Ba­uus in Terēce doth troble and inquiet all thinges / & setteth the Grekes to gether by the eares with the Lōūbardes. The L [...] bardes with the Frēche men ād the Germanes / the Germanes with the Italiās▪ But when dyd that contention / permyt­ted of God (neuerthelesse throwne in to the churche by the bysshop of Romes La­bor and procurement) ceasse for to sow [...] [Page cxxx] greate calamyties? Therfore a certen barbarous man a Scythiane whych made or buylded the domynion of the Tartarans called by name Can Guista / dyd exhorte his .xii. sonnes (whyche dyinge he lefteCan Gui­sta. behynde hym) vnto concorde / as vnto the onely sure stabylyte of the publycke wea­le / by the example of a sheffe of arrowes / which being surely boūde▪ to gether / none of them was able to breake a sondre. But the shaftes beinge losed on frō an other they dyd very easely cracke thē in peces. And by the same meanes a noble Cap­tayne called Chria Sertorius dyd bringe hys hoste vnto a concorde showyng that the strongest men of warre coulde notChria s [...] torius. drawe owt the heares of an horse tayle all at ons / but takyng the weake heares dyuyded a sondre: they myght sone pull them owt / one after an other wythowt any payne. But the dyssymulatyō of ha­tred for a tyme or the fayned promysse of frēdeshyppe and helpe is not to be called cōcorde / whych thinges as they do many tymes greatly hurt those men which take no hede / and be not circūspecte and some tyme also destroy thē euē so be they moste fylthy ād reuēged or punisshed of louing Iupiter / that is to saye of god the presidē ▪ and author of frendeship & societie wyth [Page] greate paynes. But concorde is a sur [...] The diffi­nition of concorde. cōsent of myndes and wylles in any matter so that what soeuer thinges God say­the / to wyll the same / to not wyll the sa­me / whose parent and conseruatryce Sy­militudeSimilytude by in­terpretation is cal­le [...] lyke­nes / ād it is named amōge lerned men to be the mother of concorde / because [...]at whe­ [...] as men [...]e of a ly [...] [...]ayth [...] [...]te. as farforth as the nature of thinges doth beare and suffer: bringeth al thinges vnto a vnite. Nether is euerye conspiration and consent euermore good and howlsome / as the coniuration of Cately­ne agenste the publyke weale of the cyt­tye of stome / and the heresye of the Arry­anes agēst the church of Christ / but that concorde onely whiche is contracted be­twyxt good men with god for to optayne honeste thinges / ryghteous and holy / and to dryue awaye those thinges wiche vnto them are repungnaunte and contrarye. Whiche maner of frendeship or faythfull socyetye made strōge as it were with soche pynnes as carpenters vse in theyr frames when they nayle or Ioyne the greate balkes and beames to the wother timbre / is at no hande belonginge to the wicked / whiche of the Apostle are called vn­manerly and reprobate vessels. But it is onely partayninge vnto the companions of the one onely and true relygion / that is to saye the Christen. Whyche as they be holdē with one fayth and religion: euē [Page cxxxi] so are they bounde to gether with the sa­me Sacramentes in to one holy churche / whiche they wyll defend witth all theyer power beynge gathered to gether vnder the one onely and the greateste ByshopIohn .x. as it were in to the shepefolde of the beste shepeherd / in towhomeal godly mēbeyn­ge of one mynde do so moche consent that they do knowlege it to be the moste extreme vnfaythfullnes to fall a waye from hym and to forsake hym. For what other man is that moste hye Bisshop the heade affyxed and Ioyntely knytte vnto the churche to the worldes ende then Christe Iesus? Whiche ous dyinge dyd offer hym selffe for owre synnes / & dayly sacrificeth / Hebr. xl. dayly pacyfieth the wrath of god that he be not displeased with vs / maketh intercession for his electe / doth cōsecrate vs with his owne bloode / blysseth with all bene­diction and is of abilite to pardon and to takē compassion of ower infirmyties for as moch as he was tēpted by all thynges and made lyke vnto vs / sinne onely ex­cept.Heb. ii [...]. He also dyd communycate the same his power vnto the churche and he ordined some to be ouersears / some to be pa / stors / and theachers / that in the name of hym they myght preache repentaunce and remission of synnes and distrybute [Page] the Sacramentes / delyuerynge none o­therEphe. iiij Mar. xvi. relygion then the very same which Christe dyd teache with worde and ful­fylled with his dede goynge before in the good example of lyuynge. And he wyl­led greatest authorite to be vnto that office and ministration well and truly gouerned sayinge. He that heareth yow heare­th me / and he that contemneth yow con­temnethLuke. x. me▪ and my father that sent me. But agenste the stubborne and disobedi­ent / as agenste them that be seditious / a payne is decreed / so that they which resist the ordinaūce of god are iudged to resist the Lorde / & they that resyst hym shall of a truthe be destroyed of hym / as the exā ­plesNum. xvi expressed in Chore / Dathan & Abi­ron do manifestly declare. Nether hath the Romyshe Prelate receyued greater power of Christ the supreme and onely vniuersall Bisshope (all thowgh he were euē the best & moste vertuous mā lyuyngThe Ro­mysh bysshop hath no more power gyuen hym of God / then the bysshop of Eugudye in the earth then the Bisshop of Eugu­bye or of any wother village in the most [...] extreme corner of Germany. Vnto who­me if a message sholde haue bene sent in olde tyme (as some people dyd) then was this comonly the tenoure therof. We se [...] thy power / thy pompe and pryde / thy su­perfluite and greate excesse with all thy other trūprye / dedes / and affayers to be [Page cxxxij] contrarye to Chryste. Wewyll not fyll / thy botomles sacke and insatiable coue­tousnes. We wyll not suffer thy cruell tyrannye / & therfor will we tarrye with owte thy synagoge in the churche of ow­er Bysshope Chryste. If Germanye had done the same thinge and vsed a lyke an­swer / gretynge / or salutation to hym but a fewe yeres paste▪ we sholde haue had or this day a far better fourme and state / bothe of the churche and the publycke weale. Moreouer the people of the churche are assured of thys one thyng (whych a sure / a trustye / and a contynuall con­corde doth euermore requier) they haueLuke. 1▪ one lawe & the same also being righteous and beste. They haue one kynge and Monarche Christe vnto whome the celesti­all father hathe gyuen the seate of hys father Dauid that he maye rule and haue dominiō frō see to see / & that he maye exequte Iudgemēt & iustyce in all the earth. And he ordineth mynysters of Iusty­ce vnder hym in euery place which mayRom. xiij defende goodnes and good men / & drawe oute the sworde agenst thē that be euyll when & as oftē as nede shall requyre it. Owte of whose lawes all other lawes be lawfully deducted. Therfor the Empyre of Germany optayneth all hyr power [Page] and Iurisdiction: Not of Carolus the greate: Not of the Bysshop of Rome: Not of Caius Cesar: Not of Romulus: But ofThe Em­pyre of Germany hath all hy [...] pow­er of God onely. Christe the kynge of kynges and the Lor­de of lordes as I will at some tyme here after manifestly declare if the Lorde gyue me lyffe. Wherfore let the Christē pryn­ces and people do the same thinge: yea let them do it in dede from their very harte that Agelaus Naupactius dyd councell & perswade vnto the Grekes / exhortynge Philippe ād Acheus vnto peace that theyAg [...]laus Naupactius. [...] wolde speake and agre bothe in one thin­ge / and one helpe an other whereby they myght conserue them selffe and theyr cyttyes from the enmious nations of bar­barous people / none other wyse then mē do take handes to gether whiche are con­strayned to wade thorowe ryuers wyth owte shippes or botes. For the worde of Christe ower Lorde God and sauioure euē the byshope of ower sowles and beste1. Pet. ij. kynge owght for to stande sure and faste in ower brestes which sayeth by this thinge men shall knowe that yow be my dis­ciples▪ Iohn. xiii yf yow shall loue one an other. And this sayinge of the Apostle. Beare yow one an others burthen and so shallGalat. vi. yow fulfyll the lawe of Christ. The most holy bande of brotherly concorde muste [Page cxxxiij] be euermore occupied before ower eyes vnto the whiche thinge to be retayned (as often as the name & glorie of Chrisie and the necessite of ower brethren doth requyer it) a stronge & valiant man will be readye and prepared agenst all fortune what so euer it be.

Chapt. xviij. FVrthermore because batayle andAs mē h [...] ue their names o [...] mālynes / so owgh [...] they in th­eir actes to be very manly i [...] godly vertu. Dir en [...] a virtut [...] dicitur. warre is holden and perfourmed moste cheifely by men / whiche as they agree in name euen so in very dede owght they to haue felowshyp and ac­quayntan̄ce with vertu. And seinge that no thinge whether it be lylle or great / maye wythowte vertu be spedely done: therfor is vertu to be requyred as a thin­ge moste necessary / namely when Chri­sten warfare is taken in hand and openly proclaymed whiche craftely is not conceyuedIn tyme of warre / yf men [...] uer study­ed for god lynes and vertu / th [...] behowue­th it them most erns [...] ly to prac­ [...]yse them and bent to inuade the dominions of other men but Iustely to defende ower owne agenste the violence and tyranny of the Turkes: which enemyes as they ar the moste sharpest olde soldyers / excercy­sed in fresshe and newe victories and the fyercer for that they remembre theyer olde victories: euē so they beying now any mated with one and whother shew and glitering pretence of some fayned cōcey­ued verten / come vnto batayl. Nether be [Page] houeth it them onely to be garnesshed with vertu whiche go forth armed agenst the enemyes of them that ar called Chri­stians: but also all those whiche are lefte at home. For as Marcus Cicero ve­ryMarcus Cicero. clerely sayth: Small and weake ar the armours without in the felde / excepte there be good consell at home. Yea and so is that also of no lesse truthe / which is comonly sayde: Feble / and weake / impo­tent / and faynte is the helpe and strēgth of weapens / one lesse bothe at home and abrode men do ernestly striue who may be most godly and vertuouse to obtayne their comon helth and saluation. For the prayse and flower of vertewe / and honest dealinge (after the comonaltye be set at peace & quietnes) bringeth forth infinite proffit / conserueth and encreaseth the priuate and comon felicite of all men ne­ther is there any other thinge that so pre­sently puttethe from vs the tempestuou­se stormes of batail. And when batayl be giuneth to chaunce: thē vertew endeuoureth and dilygently laboureth most that it might be put of / and auoyded with the leste losse of men and goods. Nether was there at any tyme Prince or peple that dyd get them greate glory by batayl whiche did not set before their eyes the great study bothe of religiō and vertewe. Which [Page cxxxiiij] thingethe lawes and the discipline of the Romans cōtinuinge in their tētes do te­stifie whiles they so well prospered in all plentuousnes. Also theyr howses and fa­milie dyd neuer so lukely prosper as whē the holy cytie was ernestly geuē to prayer and thankes gyuyng vnto god and to pacyfie his wrathe / whyles yet the harde soldyers laye watchīg vnder theyr tētes for the helthe and sauegarde of the comō weal. Wherofit cometh that in the drea­meThe dre [...] me of Nobuchodo­nosor w [...] at it signifieth. Da [...]. [...]. of Nabuchodonosor Daui. ij. cha. the Romās are signified by the yron / why­che tameth and maketh soft all thinges. But in theyr feet whē it was come to extremite / ād (as ye wolde saye in cōclusiō) the visiō showed them to be myxte with dirt and yron / that is to weyt / that they sholde partely be myxed with the olde & aūciēt vertues strēgth of mynde boldnes of nature / actuitie and honest maners of theyr fore fathers where with they shold for a tyme sustayne thē selues: and par­tely with the slymye claye of myrye vy­ces & all dirtye abhominatiōs / Idolatrye murder / sacrilege / aduoutry / inceste / periury / treason / infidelyte / vnnaturall concupiscence / and insatiable Sodomiticall mysthese and soche other lyke / where with at lenght they sholde take a fall and be thorwne downe from all theyr glory [Page] Christ was borne the sonne of god and of Dauyd taking [...] vp to hym the impery and gouernaunce of all the hole worlde whose kyngedome shall neuer haue ende But this owre anoynted Messias shall raygne the Lorde and kynge euen in the myddes of his enemyes / and shal defend his awne people. And he being caryed as it were vpō ientle horses / in his faythfull worshyppers brestes bent and geuen all vnto vertu: shall forthwyth obtayne the moste fayer and goodly victoryes euen vnto the worldes ende / when Antichrist shalbe all to gether hole destroyed: And they that haue foughten lawfully vnder the baner of their Emperour Christ shall receyue the euerlastynge crowne of glo­rie / raygninge for euer wyth the Lorde of glorye / hauynge the full fruition of the dyuyne beatitude. But as for them whyche by name onely are men / and not by vertuous actes / and the which lyuing heredyd smyte feare into all men / and af­ter their death left behinde them a fowle stynkyng fame and name for the destru­ction of so many landes and slaughter of men: dyd not wāte the affectatiō of vertu [...] no more then did Thearcon the Ethiop / Phul Assar & Senacherib Assyriās / Benhadad and Hazael Syriās / Hāniball / He­rode [Page cxxxv] / Silla / C. Cesar / Attila / Totila / Damerling Sytha and infinit wother. But and yf at any tyme the peple of god ought to excercyse godlines and practise vertues (as it is at all tymes conuenient for them so to do) in the perellis of batayl it behoueth them most cheyfely to vse them as I shall shewe it playnly by two testimonies of the scryptures: For Ioel telling before the vengaunce of god whi­che Sennacherib King of the Assyrians shuld bring in / teacheth all the states ād degrees of the peple how that by the amē dement of their lyuyng / by ernestly ben­dinge them selues vnto vertewe / and by the exercysinge of godlynes they might auoyde the paynes and plages now hā ­gynge ouer their heades. Which sermon all beit it was specially applyed vnto the tyme of Kynge Ezechias: yet is the mention of the commynge of Christ wouen therin / that hys hole churche shulde not doute / but that the same doctryne is per­tayning vnto hyr also. Furthermore by two ceremonyes Deu. xxiij. it is taughtIn thei [...] tētes ou­ght sold [...] ours to [...] pure and holy. vs what exquysyte holynes is requyred in the tentes of soldyers. And vnto the teremonyes whych of the people of the Iewes were to be obserued vntyl the ty­me of correction and beterynge in the cō ­myng [Page] of Christ / there is added an inter­pretacyon / whych clerely techeth the sa­me thynge that must be obserued in eue­ry age and all tymes of the faythful peo­ple / for thus he sayth: whē thow shalt go forth agenst thine enemyes in to batayl / thow shalt kepe the from euery euyl thinge / and a none afther it is wrytten. For thy lorde god walketh in the middest of the tentes to delyuer the / and to delyuer thy enemies in to thy hādes / and see that thy tentes be kept holy that no filthines be sene in them / lest the lorde forsake the. What may playnlier? what more expressly cāve prescribed to any mā that dayly is cōuersant amōge in the cōpany of the right holy mē / in the tēple & ministratiō of holy thinges? Which thinge BalātheNum. xxv and .xxxi. enchaūter or sorcerer consydering / gaue councell vnto Balac kinge of the Moabytes which coueted to destroye the Israelytes / that the wemen which were Mady­anytes shold be set before them to entyse and prouoke the Israelites to synne. For there is no dowte / but that they sholde be punyshed with some notable heuy plage yf thy dyd offende the lorde theyr god: as they were in dede / for anon after becau­se of theyr fornicatiō & strange false wor­shippinge of Beelphegor in one daye there were smytē downe and plaged .xxiij. [Page cxxxvi] thousand mē. The same con̄cel dyd Achi­orThe Christians ar [...] not ouer­cōme / bu [...] by and for theyr ow­ne sinfull lyuinge Prince of the Amonytes geue vnto Holofernes / when he was studying how the Israelytes myght be ouercomen. For he callyng to mynde all their state ād course of lyfe frō theyr beginnynge sayde. Ther was neuer hoste that coulde ouercōme or runne vpō and ouer this people / but whē they had gone bake from the worshyp of their Lorde God: for as often as besydes their awne God they worshypped any whother / they were geuen into a praye / Iudith. [...] ▪ caste agaynst the sworde / and had in grea­te opprobrye. And as oftē as it repented thē to haue gone bake frō the worshyp of their Lorde God / the God of heauē gaue them power to resyste. And a lytle after: Now then / my lord / serche yf ther be any wyckednes of thē in the sight of their god & we shall ouercome them: yf not we canSultan̄s Memphy­ticus not preuayle agaynst thē: for their God wyll defende thē. Lykewyse also Sulta­nus Memphiticus / which abowte the tyme of Othomā the (Turk ruled Egypt) vpbroyded the Christiās / sayīg: he wold not attrybute the victoryes of the Sara­cenes ād the wynnynge of Siria & other Prouinces vnto their awne strength / for he knew it right well / no thinge myght hurte the Christians / yf they vsed vertu­ous liuing. But because that by furfittīg [Page] excesse and dronkenes / they differed not from brute bestes / beynge geuen all to gether to superfluite / lechery / aduoutry / deceauynge one another / fraude / lyinge / forsweringe / betrayinge / stelynge and with other greuouse abhomynable cry­mes / dyd offende god: the goods prosperite and possessiōs of the Saracens encrea­sed euery day more & more and the welth of the Christians decreased. Nether ar the christiās to be feared / as lōge as by theyr so great and greuouse crymes and abho­minable synnes they continew to make god angrye and agenst them. Oh wolde god this exprobraciō & castinge in the [...]e­the of Sultan wold ons byght the myn­des of owre Princes and grate vpon the hertis of Christen peple / as sewerly it ought and shulde perse thē euē vnto the very marye in theyr bones / and smyte oute that profounde slowthfull sleape in all myscheif / and prouoke them vnto the studie of vertewe wher by as well ower shame myght be taken away as the bla­sphemyes of Gods name ceased / why­les yet ower vngodly enymies clatter a­gēst vs saying / where is their god? wherfore vertwe is very necessary for Christē warre / and their errour is not onely ve­ry grosse / but also the most perniciouse / [Page cxxxviij] whiche wolde swepe oute of tentes all beneuolēce / humanite / moderatiō of minde / chastite / sobriete / clemencie / as thou­gh thorow these moste beste thinges manly mīdes shuld be effeminated made weaakeFayth i [...] warres necessary / and the more Cowardes and to be playne / the men to become all to gether vnapte to batail: without the which sayd vertews / they ar not in any wyse wor­they to be called (I wyll not saye Christians) but nether bolde men / no nor yet men / but bestes. For the Apostle also writinge vnto the Hebrews declareth the strength and powre of fayth whiche is expressed by vertewe and might / to hauē the dominiō in ware. By their faith / saith he) they passed thorow the redde see asHeb. x [...] thorow the drye londe / in the whych see the Egyptyons temptynge and pro­uinge to folow thē / were swalowed vp. By fayth the walles of Heirico fyl dow­ne in the circuyt of seuē dayes. By fayth Rahab the Inkeper peryshed not with the onbeleuers / whē she receiued the spi­es with peace. And what yet can I saye more? The tyme wyl not serue me to tell of Gedeon / Barach / Sampson / Iephthe Dauyd / Samuel / and of the Prophetes whiche thorowe fayth ouercame Kyngedoms / wrought rightwisnes / obtayned [Page] the promises / stopped the mouthes of lyons / quenched the fyercenes of fyer / cha­ced awaye the edge of the swerde / were made hole of theyer syknes / made strōge in batail and subuerted the tentes of the aleauntes. That I might therfore moste breyfely ād plainely diffine what thingeThe cause and effect of vertew vertew is / there apere two thīges moste Cheifly to be considered in it. The cau­se whiche stereth a man to do vertuously / and the effecte / accion ād worke that is done & browght forthe. And as for the cause and forme: who can think hym self to she we it beter thē doth gods worde. Deu. vi. and Math. xxij. where it is taught / the lawe and Prophetes to depende of two comandamētes / that is / to loue thy lorde god wyth all thy wholl harte and in thy wholl soule / and in thy wholl mynde and thy neighbour as moche as thy now­ne selffe. But God can there no man loue / nor yet any man for gods sake except he knoweth by faythe that there is a god / & what maner a god he is to them that seke hym / so that fayth cā not be separated frō Fayth c [...] [...]ot he se­parated frō loue. loue. Wherfor Paul .i. Cor. xiij. After he had declared most highe thinges addeth ther vnto. If I haue not loue: it profiteth me no thīge. And in an other place / what so euer is not of fayth, it is synne. NowRo. xiiij. [Page cxxxviij] as charite is of god (for God is charite) & he that abydeth in charyte dwelleth ini. Ioh. iiij god / & god in him (Ihō to witnes) euen so is faith also the gifte of god. Wherfore there ought no nother parēt of verteweVertu wh [...]t it is. to be spoken of in man: then god the au­thor of all goodnes / whiche by his feare & relygyon gryffed in to menes hertes by his plyaunt worde and spirit sanctifiyng: exciteth and stereth vs vp vnto exceding cleare thynges. Whiche thinge euen the moste cheif amōge the heathē acknowle­ged sayinge / noman to be made a noble man withoute heuenly inspiration and priuey mociō. And Plato the best lernedPlat [...] amōge the Grekes / sheweth by the wordes of Socrates / all the vertewe and gra­uite of mā to be estemed of the knowlege of god: and cōtrary wyse his wyckednes ād viciousnes to be measured of the ignoraunce of god. Also the accions of verte­we and offices or dedes (as they be com­monly called) ar good works: as whē the thinge is done whiche god commandeth / or that omitted whiche he forbiddeth / as when there be no Images made nor liue led to nor worshipped / when parentes be honoured and whē whother thinges be obserued which ar nombred certaynly and couprehended breyfly in the .x. Pre­ceptes [Page] prescribed of god. In whiche parte all the brightnes of vertewe and hir wy­de fame and frute is beholden / that the glory of god mought be extended / and the mē (as well they whose actes ar pas­sing excellēt as al whother) might be hol pen with diuerse commodites. Vertewe therfor is the first and cheif act of religiō The diff [...] nition of Sertu. and the stronge power and erneste acty­uitie of the beter nature whiche the wor­de of god gryffeth in to mens myndes / refrayninge man lest he obaye the affecty­ons of his deprauid naturall dispositiō / holdinge hym from the flatteringe vay­ne perswasyons of the worlde and euyll suggestions of the deuyll / and thrustinge him forth to applie hym self vnto the will of god / & with a certayne holy obstinacye and perseuerance to ensewe those things wich god commandeth / to thruste frome hym and to repell with greate dyligence the thinges that god forbiddeth. And this godly contencion of relygion / faith & loue / and as (ye wolde saye) the trauelinge and forth bringinge of any noble and ex­cellēt worke / is alone by her selffe or as I myght so say. A perse A: Neuer the lesse she extendeth her self in to all the partes of owre lyffe / & hath diuerse names accordinge to the diuersyte of the mater & busines [Page cxxxix] / in the which religion expresseth hirVertu for t [...]e dyuersite of dyuerse bu­synes ha­ue diuer­se names strenght and vertu. For in the serchinge and consideration of those thinges that be true and good for to be done and in eschuynge of those thinges the which vnto them are aduerse and contrarye. She isPrudence called wisdome and Prudēce. In the des­pysinge of good and euyll thinges tem­porall and transitorie what so euer they be the whiche in this worlde may chance vnto man / and in the sufferance of gre­uous labours for god and honestie: She is called Fortitude & Strēgth. In defendin­ge the societye and felowship of men andFortitud [...] in makinge of bargaynes and in gyuinge accomptes and in retayninge the ioynin­ge to gether of god and man: she is called Iusticie gyuinge to euery man that whiche is his owne. In the moderation of the mynde and in refranyng of discordes lestIustyce any thinge myght be owte of his ryght course or not agreing with the dignytye of the person / with the place and tyme / and lest any thinge sholde be to moche or to lyttle ather in ower lyuynge / eatinge / drinkinge / apparell / wordes / speche and communicatiō and in any other thynges:Tempe­rance. She is called Tēperance and Mede­stye. The whiche prīcipall firste or cheyfe kyndes of true and honeste dealynge are [Page] deuided yet agayne in to certen speciall or inferior partes subiect to the same / like as there is a greate plentye and diuersi­tye of thinges whiche are vsed and ocupy­ed in the lyffe of men. And here is to be noted that all thinges laudable haue euer­more somewhat hurtefull and agenste them. In all which thinges the greate plē tye of the testimonyes both of God and man may suffyce to make declaration / euē as do the examples also of the Saracens and Turkes warres yea and of euerye hi­storye. By the whiche it is manifeste to se and beholde how greate wayght or effec­te vertu hath in batayle. But because the moste parte of the holy scriptures is occu­pyed in the commaundynge of good offi­ces and workes / and seynge that euerye mā (which by wrytynge or (as they saye) with a lyuely voyce showeth the waye to liue honestly godly and blissedly) doth for his power expresse the diffinition of vertuDertu is most ne­cessary in the Chri­sten war far. and vyce: I seme vnto my selffe to haue done my office and dutye very largely in that I haue admonisshed and gyuen war­nynge that vertu is aboue all thinges ne­cessarye in the Christen warfare. Vnto the whiche vertu nature hathe instructed vs meruelously by the lawes gryffed in to vs by the fynger of god / so that we be not [Page cxl] greued or that it doth not yrke vs to loo­ke vpon the rules how we sholde lyue ād gouerne owerselues well by all the part­es of ower liffe. Furthermore as the trwe relygion not fayned / false / and deade (asIames .ij. Iames calleth it) occasion beynge offred / declareth hir power and effectuously worketh some good worke / so that in vaine those men may glorye and bragge of theAs the tr­ue religiō can not be withowte good workes: so are not all th­ose wor­kes good that appere fayer in an owtwarde shewe. Christen fayth whiche by theyer vertu & dedes do not expresse the same: euen so do many with owte any religiō at all bringe forth workes apperynge good in an owteward glitteringe showe and counterfaytynge vertu / / whiche neuer the lesse do yet obtayne theyer owne painted bry­ghtnes for a tyme / makynge men to wō ­der ād meruell at them and yet are they of lyttle or none effecte as certen herbes & flowers (of whiche there is one called la­uender spyke) in figure / sauoure and taste counterfaytyng other herbes that are farLauender spyke. better. Yea and in some parte they repre­sent and gyue forth the vertu and stren­gth of the trwe herbes / god dowtles pro­uokynge his worshippers vnto the stu­dye of the trwe and perfecte vertue by the emulation or enuye conceyued of the false worshippers / for euen the shadowes of vertu are of soche valure and greate [Page] strength that in dede Sibilla sayde to Eneas:Sybylla Eneas. vnto vertu there is no waye shyt vp but that she wyll luckely ouercome all thinges be they neuer so harde & hygh. Now after concorde whyche lyke a sure stronge cyttye defendeth publyke wea­les / whyles one brother & frende is hol­pen of an other and after vertu whyche tameth all thynges: in the thyrde place it is conueuient and semely to put the arte and science of Chiualrie and warre fare / all be it thys scyence may be con­teyned vnder prudence or polycye. For as the preceptes of Physyk / Rethoryke / and tillage must be tēperated to the present thynges by the counsell and iuge­ment of a good artificer: euen so the in­stitutiō of batayle and warfar requyreth the moderation of polytyke and prudēt Captaynes. For many engyns and weapens whych some tyme paste were profy­table and vsed / shulde now be to none ef­fect. And the subtyle counsels and crafty engyns in bataile wherwith aunciēt cap­tayns dyd dysapoynt and put their ene­myes to flyght / not vsed in place and ty­me may soner destroy then now saue the hoste. Notwythstandynge yet is the doc­tryne belongyng to warre very profyta­ble / as the thinge it self playnly declareth [Page cxli] For seurely in euery thinge thowgh na­ture be right good ād excercise very proffitable / yet desyre they arte and scyēce to helpe thē that mā might be perfit in euerycōdi [...]ion to do effectuously any excellēt dede. Nether shall the soldier be made excellēt with owte some connynge informatiō / al beit a naturall aptnes & disposytion be requyred / as some lande will more plē tuously bringe forth men apte to betaile / some soyle more abundantly corne / some grounde metall. &c. Wherefore in the tentes of the Romans / and also at home the­re were the moste cunnynge masters of fence or men of armes the whiche myght teache them the arte of fyghtinge or (as they be called) the feates of warre When batayle was firste to be holden or kepte with a multitude of shyppes called a Na­uie agenste the Carthagiuēses which had bene longe excercysed vpon the watersNeptu­nus the God of the see. and possessed the sees as the lordes ther­of: the Romans (whiche had neuersayled in the salte fome amonge the raginge waues of Neptunus dominiō) wolde neuer haue set one fote owte of Italye agenste theyr sayde aduersaries oneles they had firste lerned the seates & knowlege how to dryue on theyer Gallyes with ores / how to gouerne the sterne / when to staie [Page] theyer course / to attende to the voyce of theyr captaine and gouernoure / when to inuade theyr enemyes shippes and to do other thinges whiche batayle requyreth that is waged and fowghten vpon the waters. Also Pyrrhus kynge of the EpirotesPyrrhus. requyred for hym selffe those souldioures whiche had lerned to obeye their wise captayne / for soche men (he sayde) that with in a fewe dayes he wolde make them warriours muicte or vnable to be ouercome. The people of Lydia had some tyme the greateste fame of moste noble chiuallrie and of moste goodly victoryes▪ but when they dyd ons fall awaye from armour to marchaundise and other vay­ne craftes: anon after theyr hole strēgth waxed faynte and vanisshed awaye. And except ther were a certen suer maner to exercyse batayle and the same also retay­uinge greate power and strength: surely god had neuer giuen to his people the la­wes of the styntes in the layinge forth &N [...]me. if. measuringe of theyer tentes / of the choyse and admittynge of souldiours / of the seigelayinge to cittyes / of the diuidīge of the spoyles / of the ordre and settynge for the of the batayle / of the forth ecallynge and forespeakinge of the hos [...]e / of the signes / bāners / cognisances / and soche other [Page cxlij] thinges / that I may passe ouer with silence how that manye wyse men haue put the arte and sciēce of warrefare in letters and bookes / that I maye omitte the law­es and maners of diuerse victoriouse natious in the orderinge of theyr Tentes and other soche like affayres pertayninge vnto warre / of whome the histories make of ten mentiō. At the laste that I may brin­ge forth one exāple for an infinite nom­bre: Dyd not Abrahā the most highe / and (as ye wold saye) the confederated frēde of God & the forestanderd bearer of owre fayth: dyd he not in that battayle (whereGen. xiii [...] in but wyth a lytle hoste at one tyme he scatered and put to flyght .iiij. the moste myghtye Kynges of all Asya after they had slayne that moste stronge people of Sodome and Gomor) dyd he not (I saye) wysely and expertely declare the myght and power of the dyscyplyne of warre / and manyfestly expresse the hole obserua­tion therof? Wherfore as holy relygyon perswadeth the facultyes of warfare / pollycye and strength bothe of mynde and bodye to be geuen of God / so that for the same we owght for to saye wyth the mo­ste victoryose Prophete Dauid? Praysed be the Lorde God my kyng / which instructethPs. exliii. my handes vnto warre / and teacheth [Page] my fyngers how to kepe batayle: euen so lyke wyse the lawes of god and examples of the moste excellent men teache vs not to contemne the doctrine of warre / why­che by the consent of men and the instruction of nature is also confirmed. Surely these longe and many yeres ago the ma­ner of orderinge the fore fronte of the batayle hathe euer bene obserued proffitableThe ordre and arape of batayl [...] takē of [...]ranes ly whiche in the firste begynninge men affirme and saye to haue bene expressed and lerned of Cranes obseruinge and ke­pinge with craftie pollycie theyr diligēt watche theyer ordre and araye.

But the cheifeste knowlege of that doctrine is busely occupied aboute the ende of warre and batayle / wherefor Aure­lius Augustine the moste noble Doctor of the churche in his tenth question to the booke of Iosue sayth. A iuste man owght [...]slyn theyfely to remembre that he take in hande Iuste batayle. Iuste batayles were wonte to be diffined whiche dyd reuenge iniuryes / as when any natyon or cyttye (whiche was to be requyred by the force of armes) wolde ether neglecte to correcte the offence committed of theyr people or ells wolde not rendre soche thinges a­gaine as they had by iniuries takē away. But that kynde of warre withoute any [Page cxliij] dowte is iusle and lawfull whiche god do the commaunde. In the which the captayne or the people is not so moche to be iudged the Author of the batayle as for a minister vnder god ordined of hym to defende his people. But when a Prynce hath taken iuste warre in hande: whether he get the victorie with open felde or by sub­tyle traynes and polycies it is no hurte vnto iustyce. Thus moche sayeth he. Wherfore as it is not cōueniēt for Chri­sten men moued wyth auaryce or amby­tion or of a fiercenes and furye to fyght agēst the Turkes / when they wold be at reste: euē so good & right reason and godlynes doth commande / exhorte / and con­strayne vs to repell enmyous warres e­ther by some cyuyll communication and honest leage of peace or truce takē: or els wyth strong courage and weapōs bente euen at their faces: so that we being delyuered from the feare of owre enemyes (god fyghthyng with ws / or ells ratherLuke. [...] for vs) mought serue him in holynes and ryghteousnes all the dayes of owre lyfe. As forme / yf ther were any hope of some honest and sure peace wythout bloude and without the infinite parels of bat­tayls / I wolde iudge it beste fyrst by coū sell rather then by warre to tēpte to ha­ue [Page] peace wyth the Turkes / as dyd the Romans wyth the Carthaginenses / euen whyles Sagunthus their next cytie contrary to the trwse taken in the former battayll was destroyed. And Ezechias laboured in all that he coulde to bye pea­ceiiij. Reg. rviii. wyth money of that vngodly Senna­cheryb. Theodosyus also toke trwse by an othe wyth Athalarik Kynge of the Gothians not yet christened / which was vnto the publike weale not onely honest but also luckly and prosperouse. But & yf all hope of honestye and sure peace be gone / so that there flyeth abrode nothin­ge but the fyerce fame of crueltye and preparatiō of warre (and hyther to I can not tel whether euer at any tyme leages or couenauntes of peace taken with the Turkes / brought more good then euyll to the Christianes / of the whych thynge now there is no tyme to dispute) I thin­ke it beste fyrst that men conuerte these myndes vnto the helpe of Christe owre Kynge and Sauyoure / and then afterwarde to compose / redresse and ordre so­che thynges as be owte of frame after the prescriptions of Gods worde so far forth as the tyme of truce and peace takē wyll permyt and suffer them. And as cō ­cernynge the resydue of thinges lefte vn [Page cxliiij] redressed for the lacke of space and tyme conuenient: to make a faythfull promyse and a vowe vnto God to se them refour­med at better layser & oportunitye: why­che vowe and promise made (after all daū ger remoued and takē awaye by the hel­pe of god) muste be perfourmed with a good fayth. And thē in cōclusion they muste endeuoure them selues with all their harte stomake and strength to repelle and dryue barke the power and tyrannye of the Turkes by the example of moste holy men. For good reason and nature con­strayneth / the worde of god commandeth the lawes crye / relygion dryueth and cō ­pelleth / that greate iniuryes and contu­melious rebukes / be auoyded and thrust farre awaye frome ower goodie / from all owre substance and riches / from ower te­nementes and howses / frome aged and impotent peeple sone oppressed with in­iurie and frō the womā sere subiect to the rauysshement of vnchaste Ruffians / fro­me compled man and wife / from childer­ne & parents / from ower cōntrye / so that stronge [...]n owght with all their diligēt power ād study to holde faste libertye / lawes / iusticie / honesty / relygion & the worship of the most high god / with owr other goods whiche god of his singulare goodnes [Page] hath geuen vs / and wylleth them to be defended by the mutuall help of the Christen societe. And as after that al thinges beynge reasoned and rekened before with good consideration / batayl is to be taken in hande: euen so must it be also faughten constantly. Nether shall it be good or proffitable for men once broken with labours and contrary chaunces (as full diuerse and many ar the fortunes of batayl / the lorde in the mene ceason teinting the confidence and fayth of his childrē by slaughter and soche blody plages) to preferre any peace be fore armour ād batyle which thinge hath brought the greateste con­tempt and infinite miserys in to diuerse landes cyttyes and kyngdoms. What su­ffered? yea what dyd not the Romās suf­fer by xxiiij. yeres / whiles the first batayl was faughten wyth the Phenisions o­therwise named the Cartaginēses? What and how greate dāmage and losse of men and goods sustayned the Romans? But yet at lēgth perseuerāce had the victorie. Who may tell the difficultes & distresses which the same Romans sustayned in the xvii. yeres of the .ij. batayl with the same Phenisiās for throwing downe of one of theyr cōfederated cyttes? And as Mālius [...]lius. sayth in the storye of Liuius / euer did the [Page cxlv] Romans fyght more strongely then luc­kely. A certen cyttye in Phrygya of the Christē name dyd chuse rather to be throne downe to the grownde standinge con­stantly and honestly in the confession of Christe / thē by any fowle & theuisshe couenant of peace and truce to come in to the handes of the tyrāte of Parthia. The .xi. trybes of Israel / to auenge / the iniurie of one womā (which tribes were twyse andIud [...]. [...] yet agayne the thirde tyme scatered and put to flyght / with the losse of .xl. thow­sande men) did not yet shrynk from theyr batayl vntyl they had destroyed the Au­thours ād defenders of that mischeuouse abhominable cryme. It were to longe to tell the longe ād moste harde beseyges of Hierusalem / Tyre / Gaze / Troie / Constā tinople and diuerse other: but onely let vs set before ower eyes the Machabeys men moste stronge valeāt aad holy: why che fightinge agenste kinge Antiochus by diuerse and many chaunces do geue vs example what is conuenient for men to do whiche muste fyght a genste the Anti­christiās. Therfor vnto this warfare it is necessary to seke owte the beste tried & chosen captaines. For whye (as the moste comō verse giueth waringe) the strength of the souldioures consisteth in the pollicye [Page] and councell of the captayne. Also Leonidas was wonte for to saye: The herde o [...] Leoni­das. Hartes is more to be feared hauynge al [...] on vnto theyer captayne: then an hoste o [...] Lyons hauyng an harte vnto theyer captaine. And how moche it lyeth in the Emperoure ather to wynne or to lose the vi [...] torye (whome the vulgare people call th [...] supreme or general captaine / whether h [...] be a kynge or any other constytute in th [...] name of a prynce) very many historyes do sufficiently teache and declare. For wher [...] [...]. Re. xli [...]. Saul was reiected and forsaken of Go [...] fyghtynge vnhappelye agenste the palestines: he browght the people of god int [...] extreme miseryes. Whome Dauid succ [...] dinge a man after gods awne minde / di [...] ii. Re. xi. all hys feates of warre so prudently and happely that he encreased the domion o [...] Israell by subduwynge and bryngyng [...] therūto many other nacyōs of the gentyles. But for hys aduoutry and slaughte [...] Intestyne battayl is when a kyngdo­me is de­uyded w­ith in it selfe. of that ryght good man [...]rias / he wrapped the kingdome with intestyne battay [...] and warre. Beccause that Naaman ha [...] the relygyon and feare of God before hi [...] eyes: God thorow him dyd geue health [...] salfegarde to Syria. Achab Kynge of Israel / when he had taken Benhadad kyng [...] iiij. Re. v. of Syria / and had not slayne hym / he herde [Page cxlvi] thys heuy threatenyng: Because thou hast let go owt of thy handes this man [...]. Re. [...] worthy death: thy lyfe shalbe takē awaye for his lyfe / and thy peple shal dye for his. And after the third yere / he inuadinge the Syrians agayne / both Achab his self was slaine & a greate parte of hys peple. Iosa­phat also kyng of Iuda & a godly prīce / because he cōtrary to the āswere of god giuē vnto hym was confederated with the [...]j. Par [...] xviij. vngodly kinge Achab a tyrant condem­ned of god: dyd with greate dificulty escape the parell and daunger of his lyfe. Iulianus the apostata / whiles he persewedIulianus Apostata. the Perthiās rasshely and folisshely with owte any polycye: destroyed in a maner all his wholl hoste at Ctesiphont after whose deatth Iouinianus the noble war­rioure and confessor of Christe takingeIouinianus. the Empyre / euē in a lytle space dyd both bringe the soldiers vnto Christes religion and delyuered the hoste frō deathes mowthe. But wise men described perfitly a right god Emperowre or captayne to beA good capitayne must be endued with iiij. thynges▪ endewed with .iiij. thinges / that is to meit: with Cōninge and knowledge of the feates of warre / with strenght & vertewe / with Authorite and power / with fe­licite and good fortune. For seynge that in the inferior captaynes called Centuryons [Page] / and in the homely or rude soldyers / Centuri­ous becalled captaines ouer honderds wysdom / experience vertewe and stren­gth ought for to be of greateste power: it is conuenient that in the same thinges that man far excede and excell other / v­pon whose shulders the comonaltye hath layd the cheife wayght and all the charge of the batayland warrfare. Furthermore excepte the soldiers haue a cleare good opinion of the witte / wisdome / experien­ce / vertewe and faythe of the Emperoure and cheyf ruler ouer them▪ howe can he with his reasons / exhortacions and per­suasions inflame them to fyght / staye them and refrayne them whā he list. And to be shorte / howe maye he haue them preste and redye vnto all chaunces? But yet here wyl [...] not omitte the fame and name of a good Emperowre to be of moche ef­fecteAlexāder. as of Alexander the greate whose fame feared and ouercame many natiōs before thei had sene his bānere ād armours. The felycite and good luke in puttinge by the hurtes and damages from the ho­ste and comō weale / and by batayll to procure glad victory with whother commo­dites / cometh of no thynge ells then of the fauour of god almightye / whiche doutlesse fauoreth the godly and the louers of right dealīge / but the vniuste & wyked he [Page cxlvij] turneth away and thrusteth them from hym. For euen the holy scriptues threatē to thes wyked men greuouse and sharpe calamites / but to the good they promyse all that is fortunate & prosperouse. Wherefore Claudianus writtinge of the moste lukkye warre wherbye Theodosius ouer came Arbogastes and Eugenius in the mountans called the Alpes: singeth this songe:Claudia­nus.

O nimium dilecte deo tibi militat aether. Et coniurati veniunt ad classica venti.

That is to saye. Oh derely beloued with god / whom the wether / the aier and wynde helpeth to fyght. And the windes beinge coniured do pleasantly blowe ād come vnto thye Nauyes. Examples there be many & playne here and there in the stories of excellent emperours of whiche GermanieArminius had euer greate plentie / as Armi­nius / Oedakker / Chunrades / Othones / with infynyte other. The whych Ger­manye yf ons at the laste she wolde er­nestly consyder / and call to hir remem­brāce hir auncitours vertew: she shuld geue vs agayne mē / which shuld be praysed and celebrated wyth the wyttes of good wryters. But yet the moste absolute and perfitte example of the hyghest emperoure is sette before ower eyes in Iosue / and [Page] so forthe in Dauid / and in Ioab. Also the writer of the bookes of the Iudges dela­reth the lessons whyche euery good cap­tayne owght for to folowe.

Nowe euen reason compelleth that we ought not to admitte euery mā withow­te respecte into the nombre of the Chri­sten Cheualrie / lest the hoste be letted & hindred by vnprofitable and synfull wy­kedEuery mā is not to be retay­ned a souldioure in the Chri­sten war­fare. men: no notherwyse then shippes of­ten tymes be ouercharged and sonken with to heuey burdens. The same thinge do the maners and the peoples custome in tētes teache and declare / whiche excel­led in vertewe and wisedom hauinge the moste tryed choyse of soldiers. The lawes of god also in Deuteronomye commaun­de not onely the ferefull herttelesse to be remoued out of the hoste: but also suche asDeut. xx. are tāgled with any false religion or euill affection / so that they can not geue them selues wholly vnto death for the publyke weale. Wherfore these comon rybaldes whorehonters / dronkerds / and swerers / owght to be caste owte far from the ten­tes of god / & also soche that for mony and spoyles wyll ether fight agenste / or defende euery cause how false & vniuste so euer it be: of whom the Poete sayth.

Nulla fides pietas (que) viris (que) castra s [...]qūtur [Page cxlviij] There is no fayth / There is no godlynes with these men that folowe the tentes. Nether ar soche men the apte and laweful auengers of superstition / whom the thre­headed and triple croned Bisshop / is wōt to make / with whight / blake / and red bus­kins and bootes / as false traytours were wont to smyte & coyne false moneye / but men fearing god muste be chosen which wyll not forget theier othe made to their captayne & emperoure Christe in their baptisme and that [...]ight vesture or badge of warfare and erneste penye geuē them of their godfathers takīg them vp to teache them Christes fayth / wich vesture is geuē them to this entēt that they shuld ād wyl vnto their last breathe defende the causes and fayth of Christes chirche / and not the Romishe bishops false causes & Antichristē religiō. For he that neglecteth the first prī cipall othe & Sacramēt: how shall he in so greate parell kepe his fayth and promyse with men? For this was ons the forme of the holy othe vnder the Christen Empe­rowrs (yf any man wolde seke it) thatThe holie othe whi­che the souldioures were wonte for to make vn­to the emperoure. they shulde swere by god / Christ / and by the holy Goost and by the Emperowrs Maiestye (whych next vnto God owght to be loued and reuerencyed of mankyn­de) them selues manyfully to do all thinges [Page] whych the Emperowr shall commaū de / neuer to turne their faces in battayll / nor to refuse death for the Romane (or to speake more circumspectely) for the Christen common weale. And how great a treasure it is to haue a godly ād holy sol­dyer / it shalbe sufficiēt to showe it by two examples / of whyche one is in the storye of the kynges. When Amasias kinge of Iuda had hyred a thowsand of the Israelites [...]. Paral, xxv. suche as worshipped the goldē calues to fyght agenst the people of Idumia: he was by the worde out of gods mouth cō maūded to take of their souldiers badges and sende home the legions of the vngodly / vnto whom not with standing yet he had payd their wages before: for thus he sayde: let not the host of Israel go forth with the / for god is not with Israel nor with all the sonnes of Ephraim. And yf thou thinkest the batayl to cōsist in the strēgth of the hoste god shall cause the to be ouer comen of thyne enemyes / for it is goddis powre both to helpe and to put to flight. The other example is declared in the ec­clesiastical history of Eusebius after this maner: When the hoste of Marcus Aurelius was allmoste loste for the lacke of drynke beynge diseased with a greuousMarcus [...]urelivs. thyrste and theyer enemyes were euen [Page cxlix] now allmoste vpon them so that they looked for none other but death ād thought thē selues to be vtterly vndone: the Chri­sten souldioures kneled downe prayinge to god and they optayned bothe a plen­teouse shower of swete rayne / & that lyghteninge and fyer fallynge downe from heuen destroyed their enemyes / where vpō it was called of the emperour the ly­ghtenynge legion. Beside this / the bol­de mynde and disposicion and apte come­lynes of the bodye must in the chosinge of soldyers be wel loked vpon: of the whiche thinge the captayns parte is to consi­der. Moreouer what maner a companye whether fote men or horsemen or nauyes by sea / and howe greate a quantitie and nombre of them muste be brought forthe: it behoweth to esteme iudge and coniecture of ād by the state & substance of theier Enemyes / ād of their owne powr / and riches. For as it shuld be but a fondnes to lede forth an hoste of fote mē agenst a na­uye: euē so to ouercharge the cyttye or comonaltye with a greate hoste when noXerxes. nede is: were but madnes. Euer is a good host better then a greate. Xerxes kinge of the persians led forth an infinite multitude into Grekelande: but the ende the­rof declared a great host to be a great con­fusion. [Page] King Asa faug [...] with Zora the [...]. [...] .xiiij Ethiope with a grea [...] multitude. The howge great hostes of Pazite & Damer­ling the Tartariane destroyd one anothe [...] at the mount Stella and in the feldes o [...] Cathalaunia Aetius ād Attila. AbrahamGen. xiiij with .ccc. xviij. men / at one time ouercam [...] the .iiij. moste mighty kynges. Gedeon with the .ccc. mē slewe mothen an .c. andI [...]di [...]. vij twenty thousande of the Madianites. It was geuen to .iiij. hōdereth of the Laced [...] monyes manfully to dye with Leonida their captayne at the montayne called Thermopyle / but yet not to haue let or prohibited the Persians from theyer in­cursion. The Prynce of the Danes with a lytle hoste trobled the tētes of Mahumet when he had taken Constantinople. And the same Mahumet was scatered and put to flyght with a lytle power of ower Germanes. Experte and wyse men do iudge and suppose the lytle nombre or the sma­lenes of the armye greately to haue hur­te [...]ewes and hyndered that batayle wherein [...]ewes the late kynge of Hungarye was loste and stayne. Werfore nether smale multitudes are to be contemned nor yet greate hostes to be trusted vnto as the ende [...] of dyuerse warres and battayles ha [...] tawght vs.

Furthermore of how greate wayght & power the disciplyne of warre is: it lyketh me to declare and show it owte of Valeri­us Maximus. The disciplyne of warre (sayeth he) beynge sharpely kepte and retayned dyd brynge forth and procure vn­to the Romanes empyre the dominion ofValerius Maxim. Italye. It made them lordes ād gaue thē the gouernaunce of many cyttyes / of greate kynges and of moste stronge and va­liante nations. It opened the Iawes or the mowthe of the croked sea banke of the Ile of Pontus. It delyuered vnto them the myghtye stronge howldes of the Al­pes and of the montayne Taurus beynge rent vp and ouerthrowne. And it made the sayde Empyre of Rome sprongne ow­te of the pore cotage of Romulus / the cheife heade and rular of all the hole worlde owt of whose bosome dyd flowe and run­ne (as owte of a sprynge) all noble chiual­rye and victorious triūphes. Truly exā ­ples are fownde euery where what good the disciplyne of warre bryngeth when it is obserued and what hurte when it is neglected. Nether do I dowt but that ād if the abhominable blasphemyes of soldiers vnworthye to be spoken / were repressed and refrayned / and their beastely surfet­tyng and dronkenes / and their most illi­berall gamening / dysing / and carding [Page] (which with lifle busines and sone might be brought to passe: if the cheif rulers wolde put it in vse and excercyse) we shulde shortly fele the excellent beneuolence of god. What great mater wer if / yf these blasphemyes were punished with a sōme of money / agreuouser threatenīg beinge addedther vnto / wich money might be putHow the magistrates ought for to pu­nishe the vyce of the Could▪ ours. into the comō purse? Or ells If any be vncurable to banishe hī owte of the hoste as a pestelēt wondring stoke. Intēperancye in eating and dronkenes shuld the magi­strats punishe by takynge awaye their meat and drinke for a daye or two. Illiberall games the springe of many euylles shuld be changed into liberall fre & honest excercyses of the bodye / as into running leaping / or castinge the stony or the leadē bowle / or into wrastling / runninge with spears or copinge with swerdes and into soche lyke excercitations whiche the olde waryers vsed as very honest & profitable games to gether with greate pleasure.

Of the sowldiours wages euē Paul was mynde full when that he sayde who goethOf the Co­wd [...]oures Wages. a warfare at his owne coste / and therfor is it conuenient that theyr stypende be na­ther vyle and vniustly paied them nether yet to greate or immoderate. But indifferently honeste and laudable euen as in tymes [Page cli] paste a golde Eilderne a weake was taken and estemed for reasonable wages: from whense the vocable or the name of Germanie was deriued. Whiche stipend not with stondynge maye some tyme be encreased bothe to euery one of the sould iours for theyr excellent vertu and also to the hole Armie / as of owlde tyme they were wonte to be rewarded sometyme with Armours and weapons / sometyme with vitteles and yerely rentes and fees and other giftes. But a boue all thinges vertu requireth laude and prayse for vertuVertu encreaceth when she is prayses encreaseth whē she is cōmēded & prayse hath a greate spure to prike mē forward. Wherefore amōge the Grekes also those mē were lauded for the whettīge or sharpnynge of vertu whiche ether had suffered death for the publyke weale or ells fygh­tynge valiantly dyd bringe home the vic­torie.Iudie [...]. [...] ij. Ro. xxij Also the holy songes of Debora and Dauyd showe that with honoure prayse and commendation vertu moste be sharpened as it were with a whetstone.

Oforders and arayes to be kepte in the felde / of banners, badges & of the instruc­tynge or orderinge of the fore frontes / of weapons / engynnes / Trenchers and Myners / of the custodie and kepinge of theyr watche and warde / of the auoydin­ge [Page] of sedicions and treasoue / of the prou [...] ­sion of the vittle / of the bultynge oute of theyr enemyes councells by pollyce an [...] spyes priuely sent abrode / ād of theyr vi [...] ­tele to be spared or refrayned and soche o­ther thinges: it is the part ād dutye of the captaynes for to be circūspecte: which beī ­ge men wyse and prudent wyll constitute & ordre them very well.

Chapt. xx.NOwe there remayneth behinde to speake of prayers and that moste breyfely whiche holde the fyrste / the midest / and the laste plase / as the no­ble Gratour in his facultye well to speakeOf holy prayers [...] o [...] theyer vertu and strength in [...]atayl [...] his oration: geueth the firste / seconde / and thyrde partes to the accion / dede or cause. For it be houeth as wel al other thī ­ges as the laborouse busines in batail moste full of parells and dificultes to be takē inhāde / enterprised / and happely to be begunne in the name of the god almighty in the name of god to be faughtē and do­ne / ād for the good successe of thinges: to geue god thankes the Authour of the wholl good luk ād felycite / nether to murmure ageuste hym if any thinge happen contraye to ower mynde. For god of hys beneuolent and most wyse councell sen­deth vnto vs thys same euil luk to monyshe / warne / ād to correct vs / and to make vs more ernest to seke and praye for hys [Page clij] helpe. The godly worshippers of the one onely true and lyuinge god had euer this continuall custome / in sharpe and perrel­lous thinges to fly to the name of god / & to praye for heuenly helpe with oute the whiche all the strengthe and powre of of men mortall is no thinge worthe. But god beinge owre sworne brother in batail and helper / the moste weakeste persones do ouercome the mightiest powers of the worlde. Holy prayers / & the name of the lorde (which vnto faithfull mens prayers ar affistent / and as Dauyd sayth: the lorde is euer present wyth them that call vpon him in trwe fayth) do obtayne the vycto­rye lyke a tower inexpugnable. For theIne [...]pug­nable that cā not be wōne by any assaute name of the lorde is the castell of strēght to defende vs from the face of ower enimyes. And he who so dwelleth in the hel­pe of the moste hyghest shall abyde in thePsal. [...]xi. proteccion of the god of heuen. Holy prayers ar the helmet / shylde / and the wholl armour of the faythfull bodies. Holy prayers presse downe the enemies more gre­uously / they smyte thorow and throwe them downe more presently ād sharplyer then swerde / spere / dartes or gunnes. Holy prayers obtayne helpe of the lorde whiche both maye & wyll defende his people in theyr tribulation. They make good cō cell [Page] / stronge hartes / bodies impenetrableImpene­trable that can not be perced or striken tho­row with any wea­pon. and soche as wyll shrynke at no labour. They gyue happie victorie and firme / st [...] ble / and sure peace. Wherfor the Psalmo­graphe in the .c. vi. Psalme wyllynge to declare the might / the power and strēgh [...] of holy prayers sayth: they called▪ vpō the lorde in the tyme of theyer trobles and he deliuered them from all theyr myseryes: and agayne in an other place. I called vpō the lorde when I was in troble ād he he [...] me &c. Nether hath the lordes people alonePs [...]. c. xix. by them selffe perceyued this thīge to be very true: but the heathen also hath felte and knowleged the power of god to haue the victorye in batayle. Neuer the lesse with theier superstition they corrupted the seades of the Christen relygion which the lorde had sowne amonge them / in so moche that they ordined Iupiter otherwise called Stator ād Feretriu [...] that is to saye the bystander and the pea­rebringer and Bellona / Mars / Castor [...] Pollux / Minerua / Victoria / and other false and fayned gods and goddesses to be the presidentes of theyer warres: vnto whom they made theyer prayers and vo­wes / to whom they instituted theier supplicacions / vnto whom they gaue hartly theyer oblacions and sacrifices and thankes [Page cliij] for their safegarde / as now doth the superstitiuos ignorance of some Christiās attribute the same thīges to George / M [...] uryce / Sebastiane ād Barbara / which ow­ght to he geuen to the one onely god the gouernour of all thinges. But howe it owght to be conuenient as well in tents as priuately at home and in congregatiōs to aske and call for the helpe of the one o­nely god moste beste and greateste: certē Psalm. tecahe vs clerely / as the .xix. xxii [...] lix [...]. lxxxviij. and the example of the peopleii. Paral [...] xx. of god when Iosaphat shuld fight wyth ten hundred thousande of the Ethiope or Mores. Tertulliāe also techeth the maner of the chirches prayinge bothe in the xxxix. Chap of the booke called Apologe­ticusTertulli [...] ne. and also in the .xxx. ca. by these wor­des. The Christiās looke vp thither whē ­ce the spirit cometh / wih their hādes spred abrode because they be harmeles / their heades bare / because they be not ashamed / & in fewe wordes with oute any monisher because we praye euen from ower hartes allway & continually for all rulers ād kinges to haue longe lyffe / sewer impery / well defended realmes / a stronge hoste / a faythfull senatorie or coūcell / obediēt subiectes / a quiete worlde / and what so euer the Emperoure ād men desier. These thī ges [Page] may I not praye for / to / or of any o­ther to be optayned / but of hym of whom I knowe my selffe that I shall obtayn [...] them. For it is he that alone geueth them / and it is I vnto whom he ought to geuē them / euen his seruant which do reuerently beholde & wayte vpon hym onely / vnto whome also I do offere the beste and greateste hoste which he comman̄deth me / eu [...] prayer out of a chaste flesshe / oute of an innocent mynde / and oute of the holy gost [...] procedinge. What can be ryghtlyer pre­scribed? What playnlyer and more agreable to the Christē religion may be spokē ▪ Wherfore the Litanies in the whiche theLitanies. helpes and suffrages of saynts be coutay­ned / as they shall neuer obtayne vs salua­cion and helthe: euen so make they god the more angrie with vs beynge offended for ower Idolatrie / nether is it nede pon [...] pouslyThe origina [...] [...]oundation of processy­ons and from whē se they were broug­ht into owre churches. to go aboute the tēples ād stretes with ora pro nobis / which thinge of a custome take oute of tentes was brought in to the chirche that the bāner and signes of the crosse borne before: the souldyers pro­cessions shuld be represented. It were beste yf at home and in theyer tents godly mē shuld ernestly be exhorted in spirit vnto godlynes and confidence in the good­nes of almyghty god / ād that prechers admonishe [Page cxlvi] and warne them continually in graue and erneste sermons tellinge vs in what perells we are / & howe vayne ower owne helpe and strength is: and agayne how litle we nede to fere ower enemyes yf we gyue ouer owre selues wholy vnto the mercy of god as it is taught moste clerely Deu. xx. It ought to be put in to mēs myndes / that God hym selffe wylleth yea & cōmandeth that we shuld call vpō hym onely / and that he can not deceyue vs but must enedes performe that whiche he hath promised. The nature of god muste be declared / & the examples of the fathers mustThe nature of God is decla­red in fulfylling [...] hys pro­mises. be repeted / whiche haue trusted in the lorde and were not confounded / which cryed vnto the lorde and were deliuered frō the handis of theyr enemies. And then mēs hertis wholly bente to gether vpon the religion and studye of rightwise doinge / and of all vertewes: they muste be tolde all thinges that they ought to do. And then shall stronge men synge vnto thē selues this sayinge of the Prophet / cursed isIeremy. xlviij. he that dothe the worke of the lorde wyckedly. And they shall do all thinges / not as though they serued mē but Christerin whose eyes / and at whose beck / it shall be a fayer thinge / iocunde / happye / and the moste blessed / ether to fall / or to stande in [Page] the lorde. Also the same thinge that Io­ab the moste stronge captayne saide to his brother when he shuld fight agenste the Syrians muste be printed and set faste in the brestes of the Chrysten soldyers: that is to saye. Let vs fight for ower peo­ple / & for the cite of ower lorde god forth [...] lorde shall do that thynge which semeth him good is in his owne syght.

But that euery man maye haue knowlege of what power & vertu prayers be in warres / & how moche they be necessarye mete and comely for stronge emperoures good captyynes and noble warrioures: I shall breifly touche some exāples. Whyl [...] Moses prayed with his hādes spred abrode and lifte vp: the people of god ouerca­meExo. xvij. their enemyes the Amalekites / and whyls his armes slacked and fylldowne: the Israelits had the worse / ād their ene­mies the ouerhand of them / to the entē [...] that it shuld be betē into all godly hertes the cheifest power & strengthe of warre to cōsist in the prayers of men praying in faith and truth. Samuell after he had done his office and ministracion to god / sent [...]eg. vij the people of god agenst theyer enemyes the Palestines: & then thei whiche a lytle before had ouercomē the Israelits / were nowe compelled to leaue vnto them mo­ste goodly triumphe of victorye. Con­stantine [Page clv] newly conuerted vnto the Christen faith (although not yet baptised) go­ethConstan­tyne. constātly vnto the cyte of Rome occupyed and holden of the tyraunt Maxencius / for the with turning his face vp into heuen and from thence asking helpe: vn­to whom from the east / the signe of the crosse was shewed / and this voice out of heuē was brought vnto him saing. [...]h Constantyne in this take thou the victo­rye. Not that the signe of the crosse shuld haue that strength ād vertewe / but to certifye him / that he being sustayned with the helpe of chr [...]st / shuld haue the victo­rye. Which thing afterward he confessed by his owne opon proclamacion / euen that the god of the chrystyans owght onely to be honoured and worshypped which is the authour of all victory and felycite. Mestezel at the commandementMestezel. of Honorius the emperour / with .v. hundereth armed men goyng forth agen­ste Gildo the tyrant / toke vnto him out of the Iland of Capreis godly men / which shuld praye and animat the peo­ple vnto the christen faith / religion / and bertewe. Which Mestezel with .lxxv. thousande mē did most happely ouercome the tyrant. Clodanus / the first kinge ofClodans. France that euer receyued the name of [Page] christ / being afraid at the great and cruellHilderich hoste of Hilderich kyng of the Allmās / be­came a christen mā / promising himself to enbrace Christes religiō ād to defēde hi [...] chirche / which when he had called vpon Christ nowe at his prayer being preste ād presēt to helpe him: at one tyme he ouer­came the sayd myghty hoste of Hilderich / ād made him to be the faithfull worshipper of the moste high kinge. Iuliauus the persecutour / by the prayers of the christē Iulianus. chirch was extinct & slaine. Roab kinge of the Scythians was slayne with terribleRoab. thunder and lyghtenings after he was ouercomen by the prayers of the christen cōgregacion. When the Saracens hauynge one Zulimus vnto theyer captayneSulimus. did inuade or beseyge Constantinopole with a passynge greate nauye: (Leo Isau­rusLeo Isaurus. then beynge emperoure ouer the sa­mefor the space of .iij. yeares / the cyttye also beynge infected with a noysome pe­stilence and all mans helpe in a maner paste and vttely desperate) they turned thē selues full and whole vnto the helpe of god / and theier superstitious worshippynges clene forsaken and cast awaie / and all theyer ymages brent vp in one fyer wit [...] a solemne vowe made vnto god that all the reste sholde be serued lykewyse throwgh [Page cxlviij] all the Empyre: they felte the helpe of god more frely gyuen them then euer they durste desyer it. For the hoste of the Saracens had these plages caste d [...]e vpon them euē as it had bene shaarpe dartes fallynge downe from heauen / that is to weit / colde / hunger / pestelence / and sedicions among themselues / in so miche that Zulimus their capitayne was no­we deade. Also in Bulgarye parte of the hoste was slayne / ād lyghtenings lycked vp and consumed their shippes / some by stormes brokē and drowned / so that very fewe of so infinite a multitude came ho­me agayn. Oh prayers moste effectuouse. Oh voices so terrible to our enemies / w­hich strike more vehemētly thē thōdre boltes and gunstones. Oh the helthfull swe­te sinoke of Images set on fier / which shuld in this tyme more effectuously chase a­waye owr enemies / and euen the very Turks / then the lowde blowinge vp of hornes chaseth awaye serpēts. When Ezechias and Esaye with wother godly men dyd put their cheife yea all their hole ho­pe in the helpe of the lorde / callinge thereEsay. 37 vpon incessantly: An aungell of the lorde in one night (.clxxxv. of the Assyrians soldyours beynge slayne) delyuered the cyte of Hierusalem / and then that vngodly tyraunt [Page] theyer capitayne returned hom [...] telling what a fowle slaughter there wa [...] in th [...] tentes that night / and was mo [...] mi [...]bly and fowly slayne of his ow [...] so [...]s in the presence of his Idole Ne [...] [...]ch It shuld be an infinite worke to brī [...] together in to remēbrāce / what and ho [...] great victories godly praiers haue obta [...] ned. Wherfor (oh ye christē mē) yf the people this daye wolde be conuerted ād tur­ne them selues vnto these wayes (whichBy what m [...]anes cā corde and victorye maye [...]a [...]aly be ob­tayned. euer haue bene knowne to be effectuous) both a christen concorde were some made and the studye of vertue sholde easaly be [...]oyned to the true religion. Batayle and war [...]are sholde iustly be ceassed & brought to an ende. Also prayers sholde then hol­de the fyrste / the middest and the laste place in all ower affayres: so that all felicitie and good lucke sholde iustly and duly be asked of god onely: Yea and the same feli­citye graunted vnto vs sholde be ascry­bed I say not to George to Barbara or Christofer: but vnto ower celestiall father the onely gyuer of all good gyftes with large and moste ample gyuynge of than­kes. Beleue me if this were done: we ha­ue the victorye (oh ye christen mē) we ha­ue the victorye of these horrible fowle ād cruell Turkes / whiche thorow owr syn­nes [Page clvij] and cowardely slowghtfulnes are hi­ [...]her to encreaced / yea and that by the iu­ [...]te iugement at the lorde. Neuer [...]lesse [...]hat this my concell or consultation whi­ [...]he peraduenture is set for the with to ma­ [...]ye worden & to longe a processe) myght [...]pere to ve no newe but an oulde thīge / [...]t so moche to be my concell but also the mynde of the moste holy men: I wyll ad­ [...]e and brynge in the wordes of S. Hiero­ [...]e in the whiche at the begynnynge ofHierome. [...]he Turkes incursion he tawght that the [...]aine ower aduersaryes were styrred vp [...]horowe ower vnfaythfulnes / but yet by the wrathe of god for owersynnes to ha­ue bene sent of hym to plage the worlde (that is to saye the vice and mischeffe) of the christen people / and that these ower [...]alamityes can not be put awaye norsure and perfecte helthe be optayned / oneles we beynge humbled vnder the myghtye [...]hande of god do correcte ād amend ower [...]vicious lyuīge / embrace vertue / ād with ower prayer call downe from heauen in­uincible power to ayde and assiste vs. TheEpitaph­pe is the superseriptiō that is wryttē vpō a gr [...] ue or tu [...]e se be Hieroms wordes in the epitaphye of Nepotianus / and he swageth the heaui­nes of Heliodorus taken for the losse of his Neeuye a ryght good man both with diuerse other reasons and with this also: [Page] that he owght to reioyse ād be gladde for soche good men / for that they now slepynge in the lorde haue escaped the stormye calamityes ād so manye myseries of this present worlde.

Now will I come vnto priuate digni­ties and yet shall I not speake but of tho­se thinges whiche haue bene done within these .ij. yeares. And to set the fortune of other men a syde: it shall be anowgh and sufficient for vs to wryght of the diuerse and contrarye endes and successe of the▪ iij. late consulls or magistrates of the christen publike weale / well worthy (I war­rantAbundantius. yow) for to be promoted vnto soche authorite. Abundantius beynge nedye / beggerly or fallen in pouertye was banisshed at Bithynye. Ruffinus heade wasRuffinus borne vpon the poynte of a spere or a dar­te vnto Constantinople / and his ryght hande beynge cut of: it was carryed from dore to dore and holdē forth to begge his meate vnto the opprobrye and shame of his insaciable couetousnes. Timasius so­denlyTimasi­us beynge throwne downe as it were headelynge from the moste hygh toppe [...] degre of his dignite: thowght hym selffe to haue escaped because he lyueth in sha­mefull myserye with [...]wte all glorye and worshyppe at Asca. I tell not the calami­tyes [Page cl] of men miserable: but the frayle sta­te of mannes condicion. My mynde is of a fraide and I quake by euerye Ioynts of me for to remēbre ād to show forth the falles of ower tyme. It is but a lyttle mo­re then twētie yeares a go that betwene Constantinople and the mountanes of Italye called Iulius Alpes: the bloode of the Romans was dayly shed forthe. The fiers and Barbarouse nations named Gothi / Sarmate / Quadi / Alani / Hunni / [...]ā dali / and Marcomanni dyd waste / spoyle and plucke awaye violently / Scythia / Thratia / Macedonia / Dardania / Dacia / Thessalonia / Achaia / Epyrus otherwyse called Albanye / Dalmacia / & all the kingdome of Hungarye with certen partes of Germanye annexed ther vnto. And tru­ly I can not nombre how manye natiōs / how manye virgyns of god and gentle fre and noble bodyes haue bene made laughynge stockes vnto these beastely cruell destroyers. Byshops haue bene taken / Preistes haue bene slayne and the offices and duties of diuerse clerkes destroyde / churches caste downe flatt to the grounde and horses hath bene stabled at the alta­res of Christ / the reliques of martyrs were digged vp / shrines robbed / euery where wayling & weping with wringing of [...] [Page] ces the Turkes haue the victorie and th [...] Christen army is ouercomne in the play­ne felde ād put to shamefull flyghte. And yet (as thowgh all these miserable mur­thers and greuous slaughters were not sufficient) the ciuile betayles amonge owre selues haue almoste consumed mo men at home then the swerde of owre forren enemyes hath done abrode. Wretched I­sraelytes were they in the comparyson of whom Nabuchodosor is called a seruant. Vnhappie are we which so greately & greuouslye displease god that his wrathe muste with so greate indignation be poured forth vpon vs by the furious woodnes of these cruell bloodthursty and barbarous heathen Turkes. Ezechias did repent ādEsap 37. an hondereth .lxxx. and fyue thowsand of his enemies the Assirians are in one ny­ght destroyed of one Angell. Iosephat dyd call vpon the name of god syngyngeij. Pa. xx. laude and prayse to his diuine maiestye / and the lorde for hym so praysynge dyd ouercome his aduersaryes immediatlye Moses fawght agenst Amelech not withExo. xvii. swerde but with prayer and dyd optayne the victorie. Therfor yf we wyll be lyfted vp to stande faste and sure: let us repent with the Niniuites. Let vs with them be throwne downe flatte vpon the erthe ād crye [Page] for mercye. Ah lasse and fye for sha­me how folysshe is ower mynde how prone and redye vnto vnbelelefe? The Ro­mans hoste some tyme the ouercomer ād lorde of all the worlde is ouercomen of them / feareth them / yea and trembleth at the syght of thē: which yet were neuer a­ble before this tyme for co inuade thē. Ne­uer the lesse now yf they shall ons but to wche theyer lande they rekē them selues as deade men. And yet vnderstondenot we these wordes of the Prophet Esay.Esai. [...] A thowsand shall flye one mā persuynge them. Nether yet do we cutt of the causes of ower disease that the syknes it selffe also might there withall be taken a waye. So that we might see theyer Arowes by ād by for to giue place vnto ower dartes / theyr veluet bonets vnto ower salletes / and theyr cartehorses vnto ower Iustyn­ge stedes.