A Faithful Admonition

THE EPISTLE OF A BAnyshed man out of Leycester Shire sometime one of the Preachers of God's word there, to the Christian reader wisheth health, deliverance, and felicity.

THere hath been no time sith the first fashionynge of man which hath not had her manyfold myseries and great troubles by which God chaistened and punished all men for their evil life and vnthanckfulnes to him, continually refusyng his calling and warning, whereof the righteous and just had their partes, although it was for their commodity & profit, (but to the utter destruction of the wicked and ungodly) for judgment beginneth at the faithful, which are called the household of God in the Scripture, and the punyshment whereby God chasteneth them cometh always to them for the best, either to the bringing of patience, or the acknowlegyng of their sins, or for the auoidynge of the eternal condempnatiō: And their fashion is, when they perceive the hand of the Lord to be upon them, or upon others, by any manner of trouble, as poverty, sycknes, banishment, fallynge away of faithful friends, encreasyng of foes, or any other like trouble. Immediatly they turn to God, are hertely sorry for their sins and unthankful nes, confesseth them selves guilty, & calleth earnestly for mercy, which God for, and in Jesus Christ graūteth unto thē, of his great goodness according to his promise. So as in y ^e myddest of their troubles he hath used all ways to comfort them, yea, help and deliver them, as it appeareth by Noah, Abrahā, Loth, and the patriarchs, David and Ezechia kynhes: Helye, Hieremy, and Daniel, prophets, Susanna, a woman. Peter, Paul, and the rest of the Apostles together with all good persons, in all times and ages, who in their great troubles, changes of estates and kingdoms, and destruction of their cōmō wealths, after they had turned to God. from whence those plagues came, found relief, help, comfort and deliverance in these and the like miserable necessities. Thys was the only remedy and defense for all good men: thither hath been their chef refuge, there fastened they their hope, and rested not continually calling upon him, until they obreyned their requests: or else y ^t which made moste for God's glory and their commodity and profit, but contrary wise it is with the peruers & ungodly. For so sone as they are plagued or punished they grudge against God, they hate him, and speak dispitefully against him, they ascribe their plagues to evil luck or to misfortune, they are nothing moved by them to acknowledge their great sins, therefore they call not upon him, but either they do run in despair or in contempt of God, and therefore it cannot be thought y ^t their punyshmentes are tokens of the rest & quietness that they may have after this life, but rather to be the beginning of their torments which they shall thē suffer. The examples whereof are likewise set out to us in y ^e holy Scri ptures, as of Cain, of the Jews as well before the coming of Christ as after his ascension, of wicked Jezebel, of Judas the traitor, and of the thief which was hanged upon the left side of our Lord Jesus Christ, with diverse & many mo who in all their troubles, either grudged against God, forsook him, or spake words of despite against him, and his prophets, or else fell into despair, or in contempt of him, any of which are causes of gods further displeasure, and of sending of his greater plages to haist their destruction, yet the order of the punyshmētes of God (wherein he declareth his merciful nature) is to be observed of us, which is, he plageth not commonly all offenders with one manner plages & in one time, although they be all a like gyltie, but he stryketh some sorer thē others, & beginneth in someone coūtree, or city that y ^e residue might be moved by the example of their punishments and have time, & place to turn to him, who seeketh not the death of a sinner but his amendment and life, as it appeareth by the story of Ahab after his wife Jezebel had caused Naboth to be put to death: howbeit where he threateneth to punish the earth with someone plague, as hunger, noisome beasts, the sword, or pestilence, he threateneth all. iv. at once upon Jerusalem which bear the name of his people, but were disobedient unto him, which may worthily make us fear the more because we (the people of England) are in the like case: among whom he hath sent already the deuourynge sword, and a great sort of slow bellyed hot and cruel beasts to destroy. But let us follow the examples of all good men: in doing as the Lord our God commaundeh us yet in these our plages which is, to turn to him with all our hearts, and call upon him, it is he only that may, can and will deliver us: let y ^t vain trust of mans help be forgotten, leave of to seek sweet water in filthy puddels, what comfort can the sick mā have of one that is moche sycker then him self: and looketh for nothing else but for death, let the noble men of England leave inconstancy, lust, and covetousness and turn to God a right, and let the people do the same, like as there is no man that feleth not, or feareth not, some great plague to come vpō him because of his sin, even so let every mā repent, turn to God & cal for help betyme, for there hath been no time sense the ascencion of our Lord Jesus Christ wherein there hath ben greater plages, then there is now in our time, for beside bloody war, sudden death, great untruth, opē perjury, division, strange cōsumyng fyres, change of great estates, & common wealths, ouerflowyng of great cities & lands by water, hunger, & poverty without petty, so as it should appear y ^t God causeth the very elements to fight against the world: which sometime he caused to defend his people, he hath suffered all so y ^t truth of his word & the true manner of worshipping of him accordig to the scriptures, to be clean takē away as it was by Christ threatened to the Jews in y ^e gospel of S. Math. & in token of his further indignatiō: the hunger and thirst after him and his kingdom is takē from the most parte of y ^e whole realm, that it may be altogether void of that good blessing which Jesus Christ our Lord speaketh of in y ^e gospel of S. Math. saying: Blessed are they which hunger & thrust after righteousness &c. Ho suffereth for thy unthankfulness (O England) false teachers to be a burden unto thee, which if thou doest receive & allow their doctrine be thou well assured his great wrath cometh shortly after to thy distructiō this is the accustomed order of God when he is minded to destroy. First he sendeth lyeng spirits in the mouths of their priests or prophets which delyted in lies: then suffered he them to be disceaued by the same, to their destruction as he did with Ahab. Be warned yet, by this and other such good and true books, gentel reader so shall thou be sure to be kept in safeguard in y ^e time of the plague to come, wherein y ^u shalt also find moche comfort. It will move y ^e to styck fast to y ^e truth of gods word, & to flee frō the wicked ydolatrie of the abhominable mass which doth no more save thee frō hurt then did the painting of deuelysh Jezebel save her frō death when she was head long hurled out at a wyndow, at the commandment of Jehu.

Grace mercy and peace frō God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ / with the perpetual comfort of the holy Ghost, be with you forever and ever. So be it.

HAuynge no less desire to comfort such as now be in trouble within the realm of England, (and spe cially you for many cause •… moste dear to me) then hath the natural father to ease the grief & pain of his dearest child, I have conside red with myself, what argument or parcel of God's Scriptures, was moste conueuient and mete to be en treated for your consolation in these moste darck and dolorous days. And so, as for the same purpose I was turning my boke, I chaunsed to se a note in the Margine written thus in Latyn: Videat Anglia. Let England beware. Which note whē I had considered, I found that the matter written in my boke in Latin was this:

Seldom it is that God worketh any notable work to the comfort of his Church, but that trouble, fear, and labor cometh vpō such as God hath used for his servants & workmen. And also tribulatiō most cōmonlye followeth that Church where Christ Jesus is moste truly preached.

This note was made upon a place of Scripture written in the fourtenth Chapter of S. Matthews gos pel. Which place declareth: that after Christ Jesus had used the Apost les as ministers and servants, to feed (as it had ben by their hands) five thousand men beside women & childrē, with five Barley •… ues and two fisshes. He sent them to the sea, commanding them to pass over before him to the other side. Which thing as they attempted to obey, and for the same purpose did travail and row forth in the Sea, the night approached, the wind was contrary, the vehement and raging storm arose, & was like to overthrow their poor Bote and them. When I had considered (as doloure and my simplicity would suffer) the circumstances of the text. I began to reken and ask accompt of myself (and as god knoweth, not without sorrow & sobbes) whether at any time I had ben so plain by my tunge, as God had opened his holy will and wisdom in y ^• matter unto me, as mine own pen and note did bear witness to my conscience. And shortly it came to my mind that the same place of Scripture I had entreated in youre presences, what time God gave opportunity & space, that you should hear, & God's messenger should speak the words of eternal life. Wherefore I thought nothing more expedient, then shortly to cal to mind again such things as thē I trust were touched. Albeit peradventure neither of me so plainly uttered, neither of you so plainly perceived, as these moste dolorouse days declare the same to us.

It shall not be necessary to entreat the text word by word, but of the hole sum to gather certain notes & observations (which shall not far disagre frō the estate of these days) it shall be sufficient.

And first it is to be observed, that after this •… reat miracle that Christ had wrought, he neither would retain with him self the multitude of people whom he had fed, neither yet his disciples. But the one he sent away every man to return to his place of accustomed residence: & the other he sent to the danger of the Seas, not as he that was ignorant what should chance unto them, but knowing and forseing the tempest, yea and appointinge the same so to trouble them.

It is not to be judged that the only and true pastoure would remove and send away from him the wandering and weak sheep, nether yet that the only proui •… ē governor and guide would set out his rude warriors to so great a ieopardye without sufficient and moste just cause.

Why Christ removed and sent away frō him the people, the Evangelist S. John̄ declareth, saying: when Jesus knew that they were come and to take him up, that they might make him Kyng, he passed secretly (or alone) to the mountain Wherof it is plain▪ what chiefly moved Christ to send away the people. from him: because that by him they sought a carnal and worldly liberty, regarding nothing his heavenly doctrine of the kingdom of god his father, which before he had taught and declared unto thē plainly, showing them, that such as should follow him must suffer for his names sake persecution, must be hated of all men •… , must deny them selves •… , must be sent forth as sheep among wolves. But no parte of this doctrine pleased them, or could entre into their hearts, but their hole mind was upon their bellies, for suffising whereof they devised and imagined, that they would appoint and chose Christ Jesus to be their worldly Kinge. For he had power to multiply bread at his pleasure. Which vain opinion and imagination perceived by Christ Jesus, he withdrew him self from their company, to avoid all such suspicion. And to let them understand that no such honors did agre with his vocation, who came to serve, and not to be served. And when this same people sought him again, hy sharply rebuked them because they sought him more to have their bellies fed with corruptible meat, then to have their souls nourished with y ^e lively bread that came down from heaven. And thus in y ^e people there was just causes why Christ should withdraw him self from them for a time.

Why the disciples should suffer that great danger, fear & anguish. S. Mark in his Gospel. plainly showeth, saying: that their hearts wer blinded, and therefore •… did nether remember nor consider the miracle of the looues. That is, albeit with their hands they had touched that bread, by which so great a multitude was fed. And albeit also they had gathered up twelfe baskets full of that which remained of a few loo ues, which before the miracle a boy was able to have borne, yet did they not rightly consider the infinite power of Christ Jesus by this his wonderful miracle. And therefore of necessity it was, that in their own bo dies they should suffer trouble for their better instruccion.

When I depely consider (dearly beloved in our Savior Christ) how aboundauntly and how miraculouslye the poor & small flock of Christ Jesus was fed within the realm of England under that elect & chosen vessel of God to glory & honor Edward the sixte: and now again be hold not only the dispersion and scattering abroad, but also the apperinge destruction of the same, under these cursed, cruel and abhominable Idolatrers, me think I se the same causes to have moved God, not only to withdraw his presence frō the multitude, but also to have sent his well-beloved servants to the travels of the Seas, wherein they are sore tossed and turmoylled, and appearantly moste like to perish.

What were the affeccions of the greatest multitude that followed the Gospel in this former rest & abundance, is easy to be judged, if the life and conversation of every man should have been throughlye examined. For who lived (in that rest) as that he had refused him self? Who lived in that rest, as that he had ben crucified with Christ? Who lived in that rest, as that he had certainly looked for trouble to come vpō him? Yea who lived not rather in delicacye and joy, seeking the world and pleasures thereof, caring for the flesh & carnal appetites, as though death and sin had clean ben devoured? And what was this else, then to make of Christ an earrhlye Kynge? The word that we professed daily cried in our ears: that our kingdom, our joy, our rest and felicity, neither was, is, nor should be in the earth, neither in any transitory thing thereof, but in heaven, in to which we must entre by many tribulations. But (Alas) we sleped in such security, that the sound of this trumpet could of many never be parfytly understanded, but always es we persuaded our selves of a cer tain trāquillitie, as though the troubles whereof mention is made with in the Scriptures of God appertai ned nothing at all to this age, but unto such, as of longe time are pas sed before us. And therefore was our heavenly father compelled to withdraw from us the presence of his verite (whose voice in those days we could not believe) to y ^e ende that more earnestly we may thrist for the same, and with more obedience embrace and receive it •… , if ever it shall please his infinite goodness in such abundance to restore the same again.

I mean nothing of those y ^e followed Christ only for their bellies, for such perceiving y ^t they could not optaine their hearts desire of Christ, have grudged & left him in body & heart, which thing their blasphemous voices spokē against his eternal verity doth witness and declare. For such (brother) be ye not moved, for in the time of their profession they were not of us, but were very dissemblers and hypocrites.

And therefore God justly permitteth that they blaspheme the truth, which they never loved. I mean not that ever such dissemblinge hypocrites shall embrace the verity, but I mean of such as by infirmity of the flesh and by natural blindness (which in this life is never all together expelled) then could not give the very obedience, which God's word required, neither now by weakness of faith dare openly & bold lie confess that, which their hearts know to be moste true, and yet lamenteth and mourneth both for the imperfection by passed and present. From such shall not the amiable pre sense of Christ Jesus forever be withdrawn. But yet again shall the eyes of their sore troubled hearts be hold and se that light of Christ's Gospel, wherein they moste delight.

The Ministers who were the distributours of this bread (the true word of God) wherewith the multi tude within England was fed, lacked not their offenses, which also moved God to send us to the sea.

And because the offenses of no man are so manifest unto me as are mine own, only of myself I will be thac cusoure.

It is not unknown unto many, that I (the moste wretched) was one of that number, whom God appointed to receive that bread (as it was broken by Christ Jesus) to distribute and give the same to such as he had called to this banket, in that parte of his table where he appointed me to serve. It is not in my knowledge nor judgment to define nor determine what portion or quantity every mā received of this bread, neither yet howe that which they received agreed with their stomachs. But of this I am assured, that the benedicciō of Christ Jesus so multiplied the portion that I received of his hands, that during that banket (this I writ to the praise of his name, and to the accusacion of mine own unthankfulness) the bread never failed, when the hongry soul craved or cry ed for food, and at the ende of the banket, mine own conscicnce beareth witness, that my hands gathered up the crumbs that were left in such abundance, that my basket was full among the rest.

To be plain, mine own consci ence beareth record to myself, how small was my learning, and howe weak I was of judgment, when Christ Jesus called me to be his steward, and howe mightily day by day, and time by time he multiplied his graces with me, if I should conceal, I were moste wicked and unthankful.

But alas, howe blinded was my heart, and howe little I did consider the dignity of that office; and the power of God that thē multiplied and blessed the bread which the people received of my hands, this day mine own conscience beareth witness to myself. God I take to record in my conscience, that I delivered the same bread that I received of Christ's hands, & that I mixed no poison with the same, that is: I teached Christ's Gospel without any mixture of mennes dreams, devises, or phantasies. But Alas I did it nat with such fervency, with such indifferency, & with such diligence, as this day I know my duty was to have done.

Some complained in those days, that y ^e preachers were indiscreet persons (yea and some called them railers and worse) because they spake against the manifest iniquity of men, and especially of those that thē were placed in authority as well in the court, as in other offices universally throughout the realm both in cities, towns and villages. And among other peradventure my rude plainness displeased some, who did complain, that rasshly I did speak of men's faults, so that all men might know and perceive of whō I meant. But alas, this day my conscience accuseth me, that I spake not so plainly as my duty was to have done. For I ought to have said to the wicked man expressedlye by his name: Thou shalt die the death.

For I find Ieremye the prophet to have done to Pashur the high Priest, and to Zedekiah the Kinge. And not only him, but also •… elias, Eliseus, Micah, Amos, Daniel, Christ Jesus him self, & after him his Apostles expressedly to have na med the blood thristy tyrants, abhominable Idolatrers, and dissemblynge ypocrites of their days. If that we the preachers within the realm of England were appointed by God to be the salt of the earth (as his other messengers were before us.) Alas, why held we back the salt, where manifest corrupcion did appere? (I accuse none but myself) The blind love that I did bear to this my wicked carcase, was y ^e chief cause that I was not fervent & faith full enough in that behalf. For I had no will to 〈◊〉 the hatred of all men against me. And therefore so touched I the vices of mē in the pre sense of the greatest, that they might se themselves to be offenders (I dare not say that I was the greatest flatterer) but yet nevertheless I would not be seen to proclaim manifest war against the manifest wicked. Wherof unfeignedly I ask my God mercy.

As I was not so fervent in rebu king manifest iniquity as it became me to have ben, so was I not so indifferent a feeder as is required of Christ's steward. For in preaching Christ's •… ospel albeit mine Eye (as knoweth God) was not much upon worldly promocion, yet the love of friends and carnal affecciō of some men with whom I was most familiar, allured me to make more re sidence in one place then in another, having more respect to the pleasure of a few, thē to the necessity of many. 〈◊〉 day I thought I had not sinned, if I had not been idle, but this day I know it was my duty to have had consideracion how long I had remained in one place, & how many hongry souls were in other places, to whom alas •… , none toke pain to break and distribute the bread of life.

〈◊〉 , remaining in one pla ce I was not so diligent as myn office required, but sometime by coun sel of carnal friends I spared the bo die: some time I spent in worldly business of particular friends, and sometime in taking recreacion & pastyme by exercise of the body.

And albeit men may judge these to be light and small offenses, yet I knowledge and confess, that unless par don should to me be granted in Chri stes blood, that everyone of these three offenses aforenamed, that is to say: the lack of feruencye in reproving sin, the lack of indifferency in fedyng those that were hongrye, and the lack of diligence in the execucion of myn office deserved damnation.

And beside these I was assaulted, yea infected and corrupted with more gross sins. That is, my wic ked nature desired the favors, the estimation and praise of mē, against which albeit that sometime the spirit of God did move me to fight, & earnestly did stir me (God know eth I lie not) to sobbe and lament for those imperfecciōs, yet never ceased they to trouble me, when any occasion was offered. And so privily and craftily did they entre into my breast, that I could not perceive myself to be wounded, till vainglo •… ie had almost gotten the upper hand.

O Lord be merciful to my great offense, and deal not with me according to my great iniquity, but according to the multitude of thy mercies, remove from me the burden of my sin: for of purpose & mind to have avoided the vain displeasure of man: I spared little to offend thy Godly majesty.

Think not beloved of the Lord, that thus I accuse myself without just cause, as though in so doing I might appere more holy, or that yet I do it of purpose and intent by occasion thereof to accuse other of my brethren the true preachers of Christ of like or of greater offenses. •… o, God is judge to my conscience, that •… do it even from an unfeigned and sore troubled heart, as I that know myself grievously to have offended the majesty of my God, during the time that Christ's Gospel had free passage in England. And this I do to let you understand, that the ta king away of the heavenly bread, and this great rempest that now bloweth against the poor disciples of Christ within the realm of England (as touching our parte) cometh from the great mercy of our heavenly father, to provoke us to vn feigned repentance, for that, that neither preacher no •… p •… ofessoure did rightly consider the time of our mer ciful visitaciō. But altogether so we spent the time, as though God's word had been preached rather to satisfy our fantasies, thē to reform our evil manners: which thing if we earnestly repent, then shall Jesus Christ appear to our comfort be the storm never so great. Haste O Lord for thy names sake.

The seconde thing, that I synd to be noted, is the vehemencye of the fear, which the disciples endured in that great danger, being of longer continuaūce then ever they had at any time before.

In saint Matthews Gospel it appeareth: that another time there arose a great stormy tempest, and sore toffed the bote, wherein Christ's disciples were laboring: but that was upon the day light, and then they had Christ with them in the bote, whom they awated, and cried for help u •… to him (for at that time he slept in the bote) and so were shortly delivered from their sudden fear. But now were they in the midst of the raging sea, and it was night, and Christ their comfortour absent from them, and cometh not to them neither in the first, secōde, nor third watch, What fear trow you were they in then? And what thoughts arose up out of their so troubled hearts, duringe that storm? Suche as this day be in 〈◊〉 danger within the realm▪ of England, doth by this storm better understand, then my pen can express. But of one thing I am well assured, that Christ's presence would in that great perplexity have ben to them more comfortable then ever it was before, and that patiently they would have suffe red their incredulity to have ben re buked, so that they might have escaped the present death.

But profitable it shall be, and somewhat to our comfort to consider every parcel of their danger. And first ye shall understand, that when the disciples passed to the sea to obey Christ's commandment, it was fair wether and no such tempest seen. But suddenly the storm arose with a contrarious flawe of wind, when they were in y ^e midst of their iour ney. For if the tempest had been as great in the beginning of their entraūce to y ^e sea, as it was after when they were about the midst of their journey, neither would they have auentured such a great danger, neither yet had it ben in their power to have attained to the midst of the Sea. And so it may be euydently gathered, that the sea was calm when they entered into their journey

Secondly, it is to be marked, by what means and instruments was this great storm moved. Was the plunging of their oores and force of their small bote such as might •… tir re the waves of that great sea? 〈◊〉 doutlesse. But the holy ghost declareth that the Seas were moved by a vehement and contrary wind, which blue against their bote in the time of darkness. But seeing the wind is neither the commander nor mover of it self, some other cause is to be inquired, which hereafter we shall touche.

And last, it is to be noted and considered what the disciples did in all this vehement tempest. Truly they turned not back to be driven on forlande or shore by the vehemency of that contrary wind, for so it might be thought, that they could not have escaped shipwreck and death. But they continually labored in rowyng against the wind, abiding the ceasing of that horrible tempeste.

Consider and mark beloved in the Lord, what we rede here to have chaunsed to Christ's disciples, and to their poor bote. And you shall well perceive, that the same thing hath chaunsed, doth and shall chance to the true church and congregation of Christ (which is nothing else in this miserable life but a poor bote) trauelyng in the Seas of this vnsta ble and troublesome world, toward the heavenly porte and haven of eternal felicity. Which Christ Jesus to his elect hath appointed.

This might I prove by the posterite of Jacob in Egypt, by the Is raelites in their captivity, & by the church during the time that Christ him self did preach (and somryme after his Resurreccion and Ascension) against whom the vehement storm did not rage immediately after they entered into the bote of their travail and tribulacion. For the blou dy sentence of Pharaoh was not pronounced against the seed of Jacob, what time he first did entre into Egypt. Neither was the cruel counsel and devilish devise of proud Ha man invented by and by after Israel and Judah were translated from their possessions, Neither yet in the time of Christ Jesus being conversant with his Apostles in the flesh, was there used any such tyranny against the saints of God, as shortly after followed in the persecucion of S. Stephen and other disciples. But 〈◊〉 these in the beginning of their tra •… ail with a contrary wind had alway some calm, that is, albeit they had some trouble, yet had they not extreme persecution.

Even so moste dearly beloved is happened now to the afflicted chur che of God within the realm of En glande. At all times the true word of God suffered contradiccion and repugnaūcie. And so the wind blue against us even from the beginning of the late vpspryng of the Gospel in England, but yet it could not stop our course till now of late days, that the raging wind bloweth without briddel upon the unstable Seas, in the myddest whereof we are in this hour of darcknesse.

To wryt my mind plainly unto you beloved brethren. This wind that always hath blown against the Church of God, is the malice & hatred of the deuel which rightly in this case is compared to the wind.

For as the wind is invisible & yet y ^e poor disciples fele that it trou bleth and letteth their bote: so is the pestilent envy of the deuel working always in the hearts of the reprobate, so subtle and crafty that it cannot be espied by gods elect, nor by his messengers til first they fele the blasts thereof to blow their bote backward. And as the vehement wind causeth the waves of the sea to rage, and yet the dead water neither knoweth what it doth, neither yet can it cease nor refrain: so that both it is troubled by the wynd, and also it self doth trouble Christ's disciples and their poor bote: So by the envy and malice of the deuel, ar wicked and cruel as well subjects as princes (whose hearts are like the ra ginge Sea) compelled to persecute & trouble the true church of Christ, and yet so blinded are they, and so thral under the bondage of the deuel, that neither can they see their many fest iniquity, neither yet can they cease to run to their own destruc cion. And hereof England hast thou manifest experience. For in the time of Kynge Henry the eyght, howe the Wolf that wicked Wynchester and other by the vehement wind of syxe bloody articles (by the devil devised) intended to have overthrown the poor bote and Christ's disciples, is to evidently know̄ already. But then had we Christ Jesus with us sleping in the bote, who did not despise the faithful criyng of such as then were in trouble: but by his mighty power, gracious goodness, & invincible force of his holy word, he compelled those wicked winds to cease, & the raging of those Seas to be stilled and calmed. So that all the hearts of God's elect within the realm of England did wonder at that soddeyn change, while that under a lamb the fearful edge of that devouring sword was takē from the necks of the faithful. And the tyranny of those rauenynge and blood thristye wolves (I mean of wily Wynchester and of some other his brethrē the sons of the dyuel) was repressed for a time. But yet ceased not the devil to blow his wind, but by his wicked instruments found the means, how against nature the one broder should assent to the death of the other, but y ^• could not hynder the course of the trauelyng bote, but forth she goeth in despyte of the deuel, who thē more cruelly raged, perceyuyng his own ho nour and service, that is, his detesta ble Mass to be disclosed & opened before the people to be damnable Idolatry, and assured damnation to such as put their trust in it. And therefore began he more craftelye to work, and fynding the same instruments apt enough, whose labors he had used before, he blue such mortal hatred between two, which appeared to have been the chief pillars under the king. For that wretched ( •… as) and miserable Northum berlande could not be satisfied, till such time as simple Somerset most unjustly was bereft of his life.

What the deuel and his members. the pestilent Papists meant by his a way taking, God compelled my tongue to speak in mo places then one. And specially before you, and in the new Castle, as syr Robert Brad linge did not forget of long time af ter. God grant that he may under stand all other maters spoken before him thē and at other times, as right lie as he did that myn interpretaciō of the vyneyarde, whose bedges, dit ches, toures & wynepresse God destroyed, because it would bring forth no good fruit. And that he may remember, that what ever was spoken by my mouth that day, is now complete and come to pass, except that the final destruction and vengeance of God is not yet fallen upon the greatest offendoures, as assuredly shortly it shall, unless that he & such other of his sort that then were ene mies to God's truth will spedelye repent and that earnestly their stubborn disobedience. God compelled my tongue (I say) openly to declare, that the deuel and his ministers intended only the subuercion of God's true religion, by that mortal hatred among those which ought to have been moste assuredly knyt toge there by Christian charity, and by benefits received. And especially that the wicked and envious Papists by that ungodly breach of charity diligently minded the overthrow of him, that to his own destruction procured the death of his innocent friend. Thus I say I was compel led of conscience oftener thē once to affirm: that such as saw & i •… cted the mean how the one should be taken away, saw and should find the means also to take away the other, and that all that trouble was devised by the devil and his instruments to stop and let Christ's di sciples & their poor bote. But that was not able, because she was not yet come to the myddest of the Sea.

Transubstanciation (the byrde that the deuel hatched by Pope Nicolas, and scythe that time fostered & nurryshed by all his childrē, Prestes, Freres, Monks, and other his con iured and sworn soldiers, and in this last days chiefly by Stephen Gardener and his black brood in England.) Transubstanciacion (I say) was not then clearly confuted and myghtely overthrow̄. And there fore God put wisdom in the town ges of his ministers & messengers to utter that vain vanity. And specially gave such strength to the pēne of that reverend father in God, Tho mas Cranmer Archbishop of Cā terbury to cut the knottes of deuelyshe Sophistry lyncked and knyt by the deuels Gardener and his blind bussardes, to hold the verity of god under bondage, that rather I think they shall condēpne his works (whi che notwithstanding shall continue & remain to their confusion) then they shall enterprise to answer the same.

And also God gave boldness & knowledge to the court of Parliament to take away the round clipped God, wherein standeth all the holiness of Papists, and to cōmaūde common bread to be used at the lords table, & also to take away the moste parte of superstitious (kneeling at the Lord's supper excepted) which before profaned Christ's true religion.

Then dere brethren was the bote in the mids of the sea, and suddenly ariseth the horrible tempeste moste fearful and dolorouse: Our Kyng is taken away from us, and the deuel bloweth in such organs as alway he had found obedient to his precepts, and by them he inflameth the heart of that wretched and unhappy man, (whom I judge more to be la mented, then hated) to covet the imperial Crown of England to be establyshed to his posterity, and what therupō hath succeeded, it is not now necessary to be written,

Of this short discourse beloved in the Lord, you may consider & perceive two special notes.

The first, that the hole malice of the deuel hath always this ende: to vere and overthrow Christ's afflicted church. For what else intended the deuel and his servants the pestilent Papists by all these their craf tie policies, durynge the time that Christ's gospel was preached in En glande, thē the subuerciou of the same Gospel, and that they might recover power to persecute the saints of God, as this day in the hour of darkness they have obtained for a ty me to their own utter destruction.

Let no man wonder though I say that the crafty policies of pestilent Papists wrought all mischief, for who could better work mischief, then such as bore authority & rule. And who I pray you ruled the roste in the court all this time by stout corage and proudnes of stomach but Northumberland? But who I pray you under king Edward ruled all by counsel and wit? Shall I name the man? I will write no more plain lie now, thē my town •… e spake the last Sermon, that it pleased God that I should make before that Innocent and moste Godly Kynge Edward the syxte and before his Counsel at Westminster, & even to the faces of such as of whom I meant. Entreatynge this place of Scripture: Qui edit mecum panem sustulit aduersus me calcaneum suum. That is, Be that eateth bread with me hath lyfteth up his heel against me. I made this affirmacion: that cōmonlye it was seen, that the most godly princes had officers & chief counseilours moste ungodly, conjured enemies to gods true religion, and traitors to their princes not that their wickedness and ungodliness was speedily perceived & espied out of the said princes and godly men, but that for a time those crafty colourers could so cloke their malice against God & his truth, and their holowe hearts toward their loving masters, that by worldly wisdom and policy at length they attained to high promocions. And for the proof of this mine affirmaciō, I recited the histories of A chitophel, Sobna, and Judas: Of whom the two former had high offices & promocions with great authority under the moste godly princes, David and Hezekiah. And Judas was purse master with Christ Jesus. And whē I had made some discourse in that matter. I moved this question:

Why permitted so godly princes so wicked men to be upon their coun sell, and to bear office and authority under them?

To the which I answered: that either they so abounded in worldly wisdom, forsight and experience touching the government of a Cōmon wealth, that their counsel appeared to be so necessary, that the cō mon wealth could not lack them, & so by the color to preserve the tran quilitie & quietness in realms, they were maintained in authority: Or else they kept their malice which they bare toward their masters & God des true religion so secrete in their breasts, that no man could espy it, til by God's permission they waited for such occasion & opportunite, that they uttered all their myschiefe so plainlye, that all the world might perceive it. And that was moste evident by Achitophel and Sobna.. For of Achitophel it is written: that he was David's moste secrete counsailour, & that, because his counsel in those days was like the Oracle of God.

And Sobna was unto good king 〈◊〉 sometime Cōptroller, sometime Secretary, and last of all Treasurer. To the which offices he had never been promoted under so godly a prince, if the treason and malice which he bare against the king and against gods true religion had ben manyfestly known. No quod I. Sobna was a crafty 〈◊〉 , and could show such a fair countenance to the king, that neither he nor his coū sail could espy his malicious treason. But y ^e prophet Isaiah was commanded by God to go to his presence and to declare his traitorouse her •… e and miserable ende.

Was Sauid (said I) and Hezekiah princes of great and godly gif tes and experience, abused by crafty counsailers and dissembling hypocrites? what wonder is it then: that a young and innocent king be decei ued by crafty, covetous, wicked & ungodly counselours? I am greatly afraid, that Achitophel, be coūsailer y ^t Judas bear the purse, & y ^t Sobna be Scribe, Cōptroller & Treasurer.

This & somewhat more I spake that day, not in a corner (as many yet can witness) but even before those whom my conscience judged worthy of accusacion. And this day no more do I write (albeit I may justly because they have declared thē selves more manifestly) but yet do I affirm; that under that innocent Kinge, pestilent Papists had greatest authority. Oh, who was judged to be the soul and life to the counsel in every matter of weaghty importance? who but Sobna? who could best dispatche busynesses that y ^e rest of the counsel might hauke and hunt and take their pleasure? None like unto Sobna. Who was moste frāke and ready to destroy Somerset, and set up Northumberlande? was it not Sobna? Who was moste bold to cry Bastarde, Bastarde? Incestuus bastard Mary shall never reign over us. And who I pray you was moste busy to say: fear not to subscribe with my lords of the Kings Majesty's moste honorable p •… euy counseil. Agre to his graces last will & parfit testament. And let never that obstinate woman come to authority. She is an erraunt papist. She will subvert the true religion. And will bring in strangers to the destruction of this common wealth. Which of the counsel (I say) had these and greater persuasions against Mary to whom now he crouches & kneleth? Sobna the Treasurer. And what in tended such traiterous & dissebling ypocrites by all these and such like crafty sleights and conterfait conueaūce? Soutles the overthrow of Christ's true religion, which thē begā to florishe in England. The liberty whereof fretted the guts of such pestilent papists, who now hath got ten the days, which they long looked for, but yet to their own destruction & shame. For in y ^e spyt of their heads the plages of God shall stryke them. They shall be comprehended in the s •… are which they prepare for other. For their own counsels shall make them selves slaves to a proud, mischievous, unfaithful and vile nation. But now to the seconde note of our discourse, which is this:

Albeit the tyraūtes of this earth have learned by longe experience, y ^t they are never able to prevail against gods truth, yet because they are bound slaves to their master y ^• deuel, they cā not cease to persecute the members of Christ, when y ^e deuel blows his wind in the darkness of the night, that is: when the light of Christ's Gospel is taken away, & the deuel reigneth by Idolatry, superstition and tyranny. This moste evidently may be seen, frō the beginning of this world to the time of Christ, & from thence til this day. Ishmael might have perceived, that he could not prevail against Isaac, because God had made his promise unto him, as no doubt Abrahā their father teached to his hole household. Esau likewise understood the same of Jacob. Pharaoh might plainly have seen by many miracles, that Israel was God's people whom he could not utterly destroy. And also the Scribes and Pharisees & chief priests were utterly convict in their conscience, that Christ's hole doctrine was of God, and that to the profit & cōmodite of man his miracles & works were wrought by the power of God, and therefore that they could never prevail against him. And yet as y ^e deuel sty •… red thē, none of those could refrain to persecute him, whom they knew moste certainly to be an innocent.

This I wryt that you shall not wonder, albeit now ye se the poisoned papists wic •… ed Wynchester, & dreaming Duresme with the rest of their faction (who sometimes were so confounded, that neither they durst nor could spea •… e nor write in the defense of their heresies) now so to ra ge and triumph against the eternal truth of God, as though they had ne uer assayed the power of God spea •… ing by his true messengers.

Wonder not here at (I say) belo ued brethren, that y ^• tyrants of this world are so obedieut & redye to follow the cruel counsels of such disguysed monsters. For neither cā the one nor the other refrain, because both sortes are as subject to obey y ^e deuel their prince & father, as the vn stable sea is to lyft up y ^e waves when the vehement wind blowethvpon it.

It is fearful to be herd, that the deuel hath such power over any mā, but yet the word of God hath so instructed us. And therefore albeit it be contrary to our phātasie, yet we must believe it. For the deuel is called the prince & god of this world, because he reigneth and is honored by tyranny and ydolatry in it.

•… e is called the prince of darkness, that hath power in the air. It is said: that he worketh in the childrē of unbelief, because he styrreth them to trouble gods elect. As he invaded Saul and compelled him to per secute David. And likewise he entered into the heart of Judas, & moved him to betray his master. •… e is called prince over y ^• sonnes of pride, & father of all those that are liars & ene myes to God's truth. Ouer whō he hath no less power this day, thē sometimes he had over Annas & Cai phas, whom no mā denieth to have ben led & moved by the deuel to persecute Christ Jesus & his moste true doctrine. And therefore wonder not (I say) that now the deuel rageth in his obedient servants, wily Wynchester dreaming Duresme, & bloody Bonner with y ^• rest of their bloody, butcherly brood, for this is their hour & power granted to them. They cannot cease nor aswage their furious fumes, for the deuel their sire stirreth, moveth and carrieth them even at his will. But in this y ^• I declare the power of the devil working in cruel 〈◊〉 , think you that I at tribute or give to him, or to them po wer at their pleasure? No, not so bro there, not so. For as the deuel hath no power to trouble the Elemētes, but as God shall suffer, so hath worldly tyrants (albeit the deuel hath fully possessed their hearts) no power at all to trouble the saints of God, but as their bridle shall be lowsed by gods hands.

And herein dere brethren standeth my singular comfort this day, when. I hear that those bloody tyrants within the realm of England doth kyl, murder, destroy and devour man and woman as rauynous. •… yons now loused from bonds. I lyft up therefore the eyes of mine heart (as my iniquity and pre sent doloure will suffer) & to my heavenly father will I say:

O Lord, those cruel tyrants are loused by thy hand, to punysh our former ingratitude, whom we trust thou wilt not suffer to prevail forever, but when thou haste corrected us a little, and hast declared unto the world the tyranny that lurked in their 〈◊〉 breasts, then wilt thou break their I awe bones, & wilt shut them up in their caves again, that the generation & posterity following may praise thine holy name before thy cogregacion. Amen.

When I fele any taste or mocion of these promises, then think I myself moste happy, and that I have received a just compensacion, albe •… t I & all that to me in earth belongeth, should suffer the present death, know ynge that God shall yet show mercy to his afflicted church within Eng lande, and that he shall repress the pride of these present tyrants, like as he hath done of those that were before our days.

And therefore beloved brother in our savior Jesus Christ, hold up to God your hands that are fainted thorough fear •… , & let your hearts that have in these dolourouse days •… cped in sorrow, awake, and hear the voice of your God, who swereth by him self, that he will not suffer his church to be oppressed forever. Nei there that he will despise our sobbes to the ende, if we will row & strive against this vehement wind, I mean, if that we will not run back headlinges to Idolatry, then shall this storm be aswaged in despite of the deuel. Christ Jesus shall come with speed to your deliverance, he shall pierce thorough the wind, and the raging seas shall obey, and bear his feet and body as the massy, stable and dry land. Be not moved frō the sure foundation of your faith.

For albeit that Christ Jesus be absent from you (as he was from his disciples in that great storm) by his bodily presence, yet is he present by his myghtie power and grace. Be standeth upon y ^e moūtaine in security & rest, that is, his flesh & hole humanity is now in heavē, & cā suffer no such trouble as sometimes he did. And yet he is full of petty & cōpassiō, & doth consider all our travail, anguish & labors, wherefor, it is not to be douted, but that he will suddenly appear to our great comfort. The tyrātes of this world cannot keep back his coming, more thē might the blu stering wind & raging seas let Christ to come to his disciples, whē they lo ked for nothing but for present death. And therefore yet again I say beloved in the Lord. Let youre herts attend to the promises that God hath made unto true repentaunte sinners, and be fully persuaded with a constant faith, that God is always true and just in his perfourmās of his promeses. Yow have heard these days spoken of very plainly, whan youre hearts could fear no danger, because yow were nigh the lande, and the storm was not yet risen, that is, ye were young scolers of Christ whē no persecucion was seen or felt. But now ye are come into the middes of the sea (for what parte of England heard not of youre profession?) And the vehement storm, whereof we than almost in every exhortation spake of, is now suddenly risen up. But what? •… ath God brought yowe so far forth, that you shall both in souls and bodies everyone perish? Nay. My hole trust in God's mercy and truth is to the contrary. For God brought not his people into Egypt and from thense thorough the red Sea to thentent they should therein perish, but that he of thē should show a most glorious deliverance Neither, sent Christ his Apostles into the midst of the sea, and suffered the blusteringe storm to assault them and their bote, to thentēt thei should there perish, but becanse he would the more have his great good nes towards thē felt and perceived in so mightily delivering them o •… t of the fear of peryshinge, giving us thereby an example that he would do the like to us, if we abide constant in our profession and faith, withdrawinge our selves from supersti cion and Idolatry. We gave yow warning of these days long a goo, for the reverence of Christ's blood let these words be marked: The same truth that spake before of these most dolorouse days, forspake also the everlasting joy prepared for such as should continue to the ende. The trouble is comme. O dear brethren, loke for the comfort, and (after the example of the Apostles) Abyd in resistinge this vehement storm a litte space.

The third watch is not yet ended, Remembre that Christ Jesus came not to his disciples till it was the fourth watch, and they were then in no less danger than yow be now, for their faith faynted, and their bodies were in danger. But Christ Jesus came, whan they looked not for him. And so shall he do to yow, if you will continue in the profession that yow have made.

This dare I be bold to promese in the name of him, whose eternal verity and glorious gospel ye have hard and received. Who also putteth in to myn hert an earnest thrist (God knoweth. I lie not) of your sal uacion, and some care also for you re bodies, which now I will not express.

Thus shortly have I passed thorough the outrages tempest, wherein the disciples of Christ were tempted, after that the great multitude were by Christ fed in the desert. Omit tinge many profitable notes, which might well have been marcked in the terte, because my purpose is at this present not to be tediouse nor yet curiouse, but only to note such things, as be aggreable to these most dolorouse days.

And so let us now speak of the ende of this storm and trouble, in which I find four things cheflye to be noted.

• 1. Firste, that the disciples at the pre sense of Christ were more affrayed then they were before.
• 2. Secondly, that Christ useth no other instrument but his word to pacify their hearts.
• 3. Thyrdlye, that Peter in a fervency first left his bote, and yet after feared.
• 4. Last, that Christ permitted neither Peter nor the rest of his disciples to perish in that fear, but gloriously delivered all, and pacified the tempeste.

Theyr great fear and the cause thereof are expressed in the text in these words: When the disciples saw him walking upon the sea, they were afraid saying▪ that he was a spirit. And they cried thorough fear.

It is not my purpose in this treaties to speak of spirits, nor yet to dispute, whether spirits good or bad may appear and trouble men: neither yet to inquire, why mannes nature is affrayed for spirits, and so vehementlie abhorreth their presen ce and company. But my purpose is only to speak of things necessary for this time.

And first let us consider, that there was three causes, why the disciples knew not Christ, but judged him to be a spirit.

The first cause was the darkness [ 1] of the night.

The second was the unaccustomed [ 2] vision that appeared. And the third was the danger and tempest, [ 3] in which they so earnestly labored for the sauegard of their selves.

The darkness (I say) of the night letted their eyes to see him: And it was above nature, that a massye, heuy and weyghtie body of a man (such as they understood their master Christ to have) should walk, go upon, or be borne up of the water of the raging sea, and not sink. And finally the horroure of the tempest and great danger that they were in persuaded them to loke for none other but certainly to be drouned.

And so all these three things concur rynge together confirmed in them this imaginaciō, that Christ Jesus, who came to their great comfort and deliueraūce, was a fearful and wicked spirit appearing to their destruccyon.

What here chaunsed to Christ Jesus himself, that I might prove to have chaunsed and daily to chance to the verity of his blessed word in all ages from the beginning.

For as Christ him self in this their trouble, was judged and esteemed by his disciples at the first sight a spirit or phantastical body: so is the truth and sincere preaching of his glorious gospel sent by God for mannes most comfort, deliverance frō synn, and quietness of conscience, whā it is first offered and truly preached, it is (I say) no less but judged to be heresy and disceauable doctrine, sent by the deuel to man's destruction.

The cause hereof is the dark ignorance of God, which in every ag •… sith the beginning so over whelmed the world, that sometimes God's veray elect were in like blindness and error with the reprobate: As Abraham was an idolatrare Moses was instructed 〈◊〉 all the arts of the Egypcianes, Paul a proud Pharisey conjured against Christ and his doctrine. And many in this same our age, whan the truth of God was offered unto them, were sore affrayed and cried against it, only because the dark clouds of ignorance had troubled them befo re. But this matter I omit and let pass, til more opportunity.

The chief note that I would have yowe well obscrue▪ and marcke in this preposterous fear of the disciples, is this:

The more nigh deliverance and salvation approacheth, the more strong and vehement is the temptation of the Church of God. And the more nigh that God's vengeance approacheth to the reprobate, the more proud, cruel and arrogāt are they. Whereby it commonly cometh to pass, that the veray mes syngers of life are judged and demed to be the authors of all mischefe▪ And this in many histories is eui dent. Whan God had appointed to deliver the afflicted Israelites by the hand of Moses from the Tyranny of the Egypcians, and Moses was sent to the presence of Pharaoh for the same purpose, such was their affliccion and anguyshe by the cruelty which newly was exercysed over them, that with open mouths they cursed Moses (and no doubt in their hearts they hated god who sent him) alleging that Moses and Aaron was the hole cause of their last extreme trouble.

The life is to be seen in the bofe of Kynges, both under Eliseus and Isaiah the Prophets. For in the days of Iorā son of Ahab was Samaria beseged by the king of Sy ria. In which Samaria no doubt (albeit the Kinge and the most mul titude were wicked) there was yet some members of God's elect church which wer brought to such extreme famine, that not only things of small price were sold beyond all measure: but also womē against nature were compelled to eat their own children. In this same city Eliseus the Prophet most commonly was conversant and dwelt, by whose counsel and commandment no doubt the city was kept, for it appeareth the •… ynge to lay y ^• to his charge, when he hearing the piteous complaint of the woman (who for hunger had ea ten her own sonne) rent his clothes with a solemn oath and vow, that the head of Elisha should not stand upon his body that day. If Elisha had not ben of counsel that the cy tie should have ben kept, why should the king more have fumed against him, then against other? But whether he was the author of the defendinge the city, or not, all is one to my purpose, for before the deliverance, was the church in such extremity, that the chief pastore of that time was sought to be killed by such as should have defended him.

The like is red of Hezekiah, who defending his city Jerusalem, and resisting proud Sennacheryb. No doubt obeying the counsel of Isaiah, at length was so oppressed with sorrow and shame, by the blasphemous words of 〈◊〉 , that he had no other refuge, but in the Temple of the •… orde (as a man desperate and without comfort) to open the disdaynfull letters sent unto him by that hautye and proud ty: aunte.

By these and many histories mo, it is moste evident, that y ^e more nigh salvation and deliverance approacheth, the more vehement is the tem tacion and trouble.

This I writ to admonish you, that albeit yet you shall se tribulacion so abound, that nothing shall appere but extreme misery without all hope of comfort: that yet ye declyne not frō God. And that albeit sometimes ye be moved to hate the messengers of life, that therefore you shall not judge that God will never show mercy after. No dere brethren, as he hath entreated other before you, so will he do you.

God will suffer tribulacion and dolour abound, that no manner of cō forte shall be seen in man to thentent, that when deliverance cometh, the glory may be his, whose only word may pacify the tempests moste vehement.

•… e drowned Pharaoh and his ar mye. •… e scatered the great multitude of •… enedab: And by his Aungel killed the hoost of Sennacherib. And so delivered his afflicted when nothing appeared to them but utter destruction. So shall he do to you beloved brethren, if patiently ye will abide his consolation and counsel. God open your eyes that ryghtly ye may understand the meaning of my wrytinge. Amen.

But yet peradventure you wonder not a little why God permitteth such blood thristye tyrants to mo lest and grieve his chosen Church: I have recited some causes before, and yet mo I could recite, but at this time I will hold me content with one.

The justice of God is such, that he will not pow •… e forth his extreme vengeance upon the reprobate, unto such time as their iniquity be so manifest, that their very flatterer •… cā not excuse it. Pharaoh was not destroyed till his own household servants and subjects abho •… red and condemned his stubborn disobedience.

Jezebel and Athaliah were not thrust from this Iyfe into hell, till all •… ael and Judah were witnesses of their cruelty and abominations. Judas was not hanged til the princes of the priests bare witness of his traitorouse act and iniquity. And to pass over the tyrants of old time whom God hath plagued, let us come to the tyrants, which now are within the realm of Eng lande, whom God will not longe spare.

If Stephen Gardener, Cuthbert Tunstal and butcherly Bonnar false bishops of Wynchester, •… uresme and of London had for their false doctrine and traito •… ous acts suffered death when they justly deserved the same, then would errant Papists have alleged (as I and other have heard them do) that they were men reformable, that they wer mete instruments for a cōmō wealth y ^t they were not so obstinate & malicious as they were judged, neither that they thristed for the blood of any man. And of Lady Mary who hath not heard? that she was sober, merciful and one that loved the common wealth of England. Bad she (I say) and such as now be of her pestilent counsel ben sent to hell before these days, thē should not their iniquity and cruelty so manifestly have appeared to y ^e world. For who could have thought, that such cru eltie could have entered into the hert of a womā? and into the hert of her that is called a virgins? y ^t she would thirst the blood of innocētes and of such as by just laws and faithful witnesses can never be proved to have offended by them selves.

I find that Athaliah through appetite to reign murdered the seed of the kings of Judah. And that Berodias daughter at the desire of an hooryshe mother obtained the head of John the Baptiser. But that ever a woman that suffered her self to be called the moste blessed virgins, caused so much blood to be spilled for establishyng of an usurped authority, I thynte is rare to be found in Scripture or history.

I find that Jezebel that cursed Idolatres caused the blood of the prophets of God to be shed. And Naboth to be murdered unjustly for his own vineyard, but yet I think she never erected half so many gallows in all Israel, as myscheuous Mary hath done within London alone.

But you Papists will excuse your Mary the virgins, well, let her be your virgins, and a gods mere to maintain such Idolatrers, yet shall I ryghtlye lay to her charge that, which I think no Papist within England will justify nor defend. And therefore (O ye Papists) here I will a little turn my pen unto you. Answer unto this question. O seed of the Serpent. Would any of you have confessed two years ago, that Mary your mirror had been false, dissembling, vncōstant, proud, and a breaker of promises (Excepte such promises as she made to your god the Pope, to the great shame & dishonoure of her noble father.) I am sure you would full little have thought it in her. And now doth she not manifestly show her self to be an open traitoresse to the Imperial crown of England, contrary to the just laws of the realm, to bring in a stranger, and make a proud Spaniarde king, to the shame dishonoure and destruction of the nobility, to the spoil from them and theirs of their honors, lands possessions, chief offices and promocions, to the utter decay of the treasures, commodities, •… auie and fortifi catiōs of the realm, to the abasyng of the yomanry, to the slavery of the communaltie, to the overthrow of Christianity and God's true religion, and finally to the utter subuercion of the hole public estate and common wealth of England? Let 〈◊〉 & •… uffolke, let her own promise and proclamacion, let her fathers testament, let the city of Lō don, let the ancient laws & Acts of parliamentes before establyshed in England be judges betwixt mine accusacion and her moste tray tourus iniquity.

Fyrst her 〈◊〉 and proclama cion did signify & declare, that neither she would 〈◊〉 in, neither yet mar •… any stranger, 〈◊〉 and •… uffolke and the city of London doth testify and witness the same. The ancient laws and acts of par liament pronounceth it treason to transfer the crown of England into the hands of a foreign nation. And the oath made to observe the said statutes crieth out, that all they are perjured that consent to that her traitorous fact, •… peake now (O ye Papists) & defend your monstrous maistres, and deny if ye can for shame, that she hath not uttered herself to be borne (Alas therefore) to the ru yne and destruction of noble England. Oh who would ever have be leued (I wryt now in bytternesse of heart) that such unnatural cruelty should have had dominion over any reasonable creature? But the saying is to true: that the usurped government of an affeccionate woman is a rage without reason.

Who would ever have thought, that the love of that realm, which hath brought forth, which hath nurryshed & so noblye maintained that wicked woman, should not 〈◊〉 have moved her heart with 〈◊〉 .

Who seeth not now, that she in all her doings declareth moste manyfestlye, that under an English name she beareth a Spaniards heart. If God (I say) had not for our scour ge suffered her and her cruel counsel to have come to authority, than could never these their abominations, cruelty and treason against God, against his saints, and against the Realm, whose liberties they are sworn to defend, so manifestly have been declared.

And whoever could have believed that glorious Gardener and trecherouse Tunstal (whom all papists praised: for the love they bare to their country) could have become so manifest traytoures, that not only against their solemn oaths, that they should never consent nor agre unto: that a foren stranger should reign over England, but also that they would adjudge y ^e Imperial croune of the same to appertayn to a Spaniarde by Enheritaunce and lyneal dissent? O traitors traitors, how can yow for very 〈◊〉 show youre faces?

It cometh to my mind upon Christemas day in the yere of our lord. 1552. preaching in new Castle upon tyne, and speaking against the obstinacy of the papists, I made this affirmaciō. That who so over in his heart was enemy to Christ's gospel and doctrine, which then was preached within the realm of England, was enemy also to God, and secrete traitors to the croune and common wealth of England. For as they thristed nothing more than the Kings death, which their iniquity would procure, so they regarded not who should reign over them, so that their idolatry might be erec ted again. Howe these my words at that time pleased mē, the crimes and accion intended against me did declare: But let my veray enemies now say their conscience, if those my words are not proved true. And what is the cause that wynchester, and the rest of his pestilent sect so gredely would have a spaniarde to raygn over England? The cause is manifest. For as that hell nacyon surmounteth all other in pride and whoredom, so for idolatry and vain papistical & deuellysh Ceremonies, thei may rightly be called the veray sons of superstition.

And therefore as they found and judged by the progeny of Antichrist, most apt instruments to maintain establysh and defend, the Kingdom of that cruel beast, whose head and wound is lately cured within England, Which (alas for pity) must now be brought into bondage and thralldom, that pestilent papists may reign without punishment.

But O thou beast, I speak to y ^• Wynchester more cruel than any tygre: Shall neither shame, neither fear, neither benefits received, brydel thy tyrannouse cruelty. Asshamest thou not bloudi beast to betray thy natyue cuntray? and the liberties of y ^e same? Fearest thou not to open such a door to all iniquity, that hole England shall be made a common Steues to Spaniards? Wilt thou recompense the benefittes, which thou hast received of that noble Realm with that ingratitude? Remembrest thou not that England hath brought the forth? that England hath nurrisshed the? that England hath promoted the to Riches, honor & high promociōs? And wilt thou now O wretched caytyue for all these manifold benefittes received, be the cause that England, shall not be England? Yea verily. For so wilt thou gratify thy father the deuel, and his lyeftenaunt the pope. Whō with all his bagage thou laborest now with tothe and nail to florysh again in England. Albeyt like a dissembling hypochryte and dubble faced wretch, thou being thereto compelled by the invincible verity of gods holy word, wrotest long a goo thy boke intitled True obedience. Agaynst that monstrouse whore of Babylon, and her falsely usurped power and autho ritie. But now (to thy perpetual sha me) thou returnest to thy vomitte, and art become an open archpapist again. Furthermore, why sekest thou the blood of Thomas Archbisshoppe off caunterbury? Of good fa there Hugh Latimere? and of that most learned and discrete man Doc tor Ridlaye true bisshoppe of London? Doest thou not consider? that the lenity, the sincere doctrine, pure life, godly conversation, and discrete counsel of these three is notably known in mo realms than England? Shamest thou not to seek the destruction of those, who labored for the sauegard of thy life, and obtained the same, whan thou justly de seruest death? But O thou son of Satā well declarest thou y ^t nothing can mollify the cruel malice, nor pur ge the deadly venō of him in whose heart te deuel bearyth the dominion.

Thou art brother to Cayn, and fellow to Judas the traitor, and therefore canst thou do nothing, but thrist the blood of Abel, and betray Christ Jesus & his eternal verity.

But thus dear brether must the sons of the deuel declare their own impiety and ungodliness, that whan God's vengeance (which shall not sleape) shall be poured forth upon them, all tunges shall confess, acknowledge and say: that God is righteous in all his Iudgementes. And to this ende are cruel tyrants permitted and suffered for a spa ce and time not only to live in wealth and prosperity, but also to prevail and obtain victory as touchin ge the flesh over the veray saints of God, and over such as enterpriseth to resist their fury at God's commandment. But now to the subsequente, and that that followeth.

The instrumēte and mean wherewith Christ Jesus used to remove and put away y ^e horrible fear and Anguysshe of his disciples, is his only word. For so is it written: But by and by Jesus spake unto them saying: Be of good comfort. It is I. Benot affrayed.

The natural man (that cannot understand the pouer of God) would have desired some other present comfort in so great a daungere: As either to have had the heavens to have opened, and to have shown vn to them such light in that darkness, that Christ might have been fully known by his own facc: or else y ^t the winds and raging waves of the scas soddenly should have ceased: or some other miracle, that had been subject to all their senses, whereby they might have perfectly known, that, they were delivered from all danger. And truly, equal it had been to Christ. Jesus to have done any of these (or any work greatter) as to have said: It is I. Be not affrayed. But willing to teach us the dignity and effectual power of his most holy word he useth no other in strumēt to pacify y ^• great & horrible fear of his disciples but y ^• same his comfortable word & lively voice. And this is not dōe only at one time, but whan so ever his church is in such strait perplexite y ^• nothing appeareth but extreme calamytie desolation & ruyne: then the first comfort that ever it receiveth is by the means of his word and promise. As in the troubles and temptacions of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, David and Paul may appear.

To Abrahā was given no other defense, after that he had discōfited four Kings, (whose posterity and lynage no doubt he being a straūger greatly feared) but onlythis promise of god, made to him by his holy wor de: Fear not Abrahā I am thy buc kler. That is: thy protecciō & defense.

The same we find of Isaac, who fliynge from the place of his accusto med habitacion, compelled thereto by hungre, gat none other comfort nor conducte but this promise only: I shall be with the.

In all the iorneyes and temptacions of Jacob, the same is to be espied: As when he fledd from his fathers house for fear of his brother Esau, when he returned from Laban: And whan he feared the inhabitauntes of the Region of the Canaanites and Pheresites. For the slaughter of the Shechemites committed by his sons. He receaneth no other defense, but only God's word & promise. And this in Moses and in the afflic ted church under him is most euidente. For when Moses him self was in such desperacyō, that he was bold to chyde with God, saying. Why hast thou sent me? for sith that time that I have comme to Pharaoh to speak in thy name, he hath oppressed this people. Neither yet hast thow delivered thy people.

This same expostulacion of Moses declareth how sore he was tempted, yea and what opinion he had conceived of God, that is: that God was either impotente and could not deliver his people from such a tyrants hands, or else, that he was mutable and unjust of his promises. And this same and sorer temptacions assaulted the people. For in Anguisshe of heart they both refused God and Moses (as we before have partly touched) And what mea nes used God, to comfort them in that great extremity? Dyd he straight way soddenly kill Pharaoh, the great tyraunte? No. Dyd he send them a legion of Angels te defend and deliver them? No such thing. But he only recyteth and beateth in to their ears his former promises to them, which oftentimes they had before. And yet the rehersal of the same wrought so mightily in the hert of Moses, that not only was bitterness and desperaciō removed away, but also he was inflamed with such boldness, that without fear he went again to the presence of the king, after he had been threatened and repulsed by him.

This I writ, beloved in the lor de, that ye knowing the word of God not only to be that, whereby were created heaven and earth, but also to be the power of God to salua cion to all that believe: the bright lātarne to the fete of these that by nature walk in darkness •… e: the life to those, that by sin are dead: A come forte of such as be in tribulation: the tower of defense to such as be moste feeble: the wisdom and great felicity of such as delyteth in the same: and to be short, you know God's word to be of such efficacy and strength, that thereby is sin purged, death vanquyshed, tyrants suppressed, and finally, the devil the 〈◊〉 : of all myserie overthrown and consounded. This (I say) I write, that ye knowing this of the holy word and moste blessed gospel and voice of God (which once you have heard, I trust to your comfort) may now in this hour of darkness and moste raging tēpeste, thriste and pray, that ye may hear yet once again this amiable voice of your savior Christ: be of good comfort, it is I, fear not. And also that ye may receive some consolacion by that blessed Gospel, which before you have professed, assuredly knowing, that God shall be no less merciful unto you, then he hath been to other afflicted for his names sake before you. And albeit that god by and by remove not this horrible darkness, neither yet that he soddenly pacifieth this tempeste, yet shall he not suffer his tossed bote to be drowned.

Remembre brethren, that God's vengeance plagued not Pharaoh the first year of his tyranny. Neither did the dogs de •… our and cō sum both the flesh and bones of wicked Jezebel when she first erected and set up her Idolatry. And yet, as none of them escaped due pu nishment. So did God preserve his afflicted church, in despite of Satan and of his blind and moste wretched servants. As he shall not fail to do in this great tempest and darkness within the realm of En glande. And therefore, yet again be loved in the Lord, let the comfort of God's promises somewhat quyc ken your dulled spirits. Erercise yourselves now secretly i reuoluing that, which sometimes you have heard openly proclaimed in your ears. And be every man now a faithful preacher unto his brother. If youre cammunicacion be of Christ, assured lie he will come before you be ware. His word is like unto sweet smellynge oyntmēt or fragrant flowers, which •… eve▪ can be moved nor hand •… , but forth goeth the odoure to the comfort of those that standeth by, which is nothing so delectable if the ointment remain within the box, and the flowers stand or lie without touching or mocion.

Mark well dere brethrē, before that Christ spake, his disciples judged him to have been some wicked spirit, which was to them no delectable sauoure: But whē he speaketh, the sweet odoure of his voice pearseth their hearts. For what comfort was in the hearts of the disciples, when they heard these words: Be of good comfort, it is I. That is: Judge not that I am a spirit come to your destruction, •… o. I am come for your delyueraūce. It is I. Youre master, yea your master most familiar. It is I, whose voice and doctrine you know, for ye are my sheep. It is I, whose works you have seen, although perfytly ye considered not the same. It is I, who commanded you to entre into this journey, and therefore am I come to you now in the hour of your trouble, & therefore: be not affrayed. This storm shall •… casse, and you shall be delivered

What comfort (I say) dear bre thren, was in the hearts of the disciples, hearing Christ's voice, & •… ynge him by the same, can neither the tongue nor pen of mā express, but only such as aster longe conflicte and strife (which is betwixt the flesh and the spirit, in the time of extreme troubles, when Christ appeareth to be absent) feleth at last the consolation of the holy ghost, can witness and declare.

And Peter giveth some external sign, what Christ's words wrought inwardly in his heart. For immediately after he heard his masters voice, he saith: Lord, if it be thou, Commaunde me to come unto the upon the waters. Here may be seen, what Christ's voice had wrought in Peters heart, truly not only a forgettynge and contempt of the great tempeste, but also such bold nesse and love, that he could fear no danger following, but assuredly did believe, that his master Christ's puissaunce, power and might was such, that nothing might resist his word and cōman̄dement, and therefore he saith: Commaūde me to come. As though he would say: I desire no more but the assurance of thy commandment. If thou wilt command, I am determined to obey. For assuredly I know that the waters cannot prevail against me. If thou speak the word. So that what so ever is possible unto thee, by thy will and word may be possible unto me.

Thus Christ to instruct Peter further, and us by his example condescended unto his petition. And cō maunded him to come. And Peter quickly leaving y ^e bote, came down from it and walked vpō the waters, to come to Christ. Thus far of Pe ters fact, in which lieth great abundance of doctrine, but I will pass over all that especially appertai neth not to the quality of this time within the realm of England.

Before it is said well-beloved bre threē, that sometimes the messengers of life are judged to be very messengers of death, & that not only with the reprobate, but also with gods elect. As was Moses with the Israelites. Jeremiah with the city of Ierusalē, and Christ him self with his apostles. But that is not a sin permanēt and that abideth forever with gods elect, but it vanysheth away in such sort, that not only they know y ^e voice of their pastour, but also they earnestly study to obey and follow it with the danger of their own lives. For this is the spe cial difference betwixt the children of God and the reprobate:

The one obeyeth God speaking by his messengers, whom they embrace with unfeigned love. And that they do: sometimes not only against all worldly appearance, but also against civil statutes and ordina •… ces of men. And therefore in their great extremity receive they comfort beyond expectacion.

The other always resysteth god des messengers, & hateth his word. And therefore in their great adversity God either taketh from them the presence of his word, or else they fall into so deadly desperacion, that although gods messengers be sent unto them, yet neither can they receive comfort by God's promises, neither follow the counsel of god des true messengers, be it never so perfect and frutful. Hereof have we many evident testimonies within the scriptures of God.

Of Saul it is plain that God so left him, that neither would he give him answer by prophet, by dream, nor by vision.

To Ahas king of Judah in his great anguyshe and fear, which he had concey •… ed by the multitude of those that were con •… ured against him, was sent Isaiah the Prophet to assure him by God's promise, that his enemies should not prevail against him, and to confirm him in the same, the prophet required him to desire a sign of God, either from the heaven, or beneth in the depe, but such was the deadly desperacion of him that always had despised God's prophets, and had moste abominably defiled him self with Idolatry, that no consolation could entre into his heart, but desperatlye and with a dissembling and feigned excuse, he refused all the offers of God.

And albeit God kept touch with that hypocrite for that time (which was not done for his cause, but for the safety of his afflicted Church) yet after escaped he nat the vengeance of God.

The like we rede of Zedekiah the wretched and last king of Judah, before the destruction of the city of Jerusalem, who in his great fear and extreme anguyshe sent for Jer mie the prophet, and secretly demaū ded of him howe he might escape the great danger that appearedwhā the Chaldees beseged the city. And the prophet boldly spake and commanded the king, if he would save his life and the city, to render and give up him self into the hands of the king of Babylon. But the miserable king had no grace to follow the prophets counsel, because he ne uer delyted in y ^e said prophets doctrine, neither yet had shown unto him any friendly favor. But even as the enemies of God the chief pre stes and false prophets required of the king, so was the good prophet •… uel entreated, sometimes caste into prison, and sometimes judged & condemned to die. The moste evident testimony of the willful blyndynge of wicked Idolatrers is writ̄ and recited in the same prophet Ieremye, as followeth.

After that the city of Jerusalem was brente and destroyed, the king led away prisoner, his sons & chief nobles slain, and the hole vengeance of God poured out vpō the disobedient: Yet there was left a remnaunt in the lande to occupy & possess the same, who called upon the prophet Ieremye to know con cernyng them the will and pleasure of God: whether they should remain still in the land •… f Judea as was ap pointed and permitted by the Chaldees, or if they should depart and fly into Egypt. To certify them of this their doubt, they desire the pro phete to pray for them unto God. Who condescendynge and grauntyng their petition, promised to keep back nothing from them, which the Lord God should open unto him. And they in like manner taking God to record and witness, made a solempne vow, to obey what so ever the Lord should answer by him. But when the prophet by the inspi ration of the spirit of God and assured reuelacion and knowledge of his will, commanded them to remain still in the land that they were in, pro mysyng them if they so would do, that God would there plant them, and that he would repent of all the plages that he had brought upon them. And that he would be with them, to deliver them from the hands of the king of Babylon. But contrarywyse if they would not obey the voice of the Lord, but would against his commandment go to Egypt, thynkinge that there they should live in rest and abundance, without any fear of war and penurye of vic •… ualles, then the veray plagues which they feared should come upon them and take them. For (saith the prophet) it shall come to pass: that all men that obstinatlye will go to Egypt there to remain, shall die either by sword, by hunger, or pestilence. But when the Prophet of God had declared unto them this plain sentence and will of God, I pray you what was their answer? the text decla reth it, saying:

Thou speakest a lie, neither hath the Lord our God sent thee unto us, commanding that we should not go into Egypt, but Baruch the son of Neriah provoketh thee against us, that he may give us into the power of •… aldeys, that they might kill kill us, and lead us prisoners unto Babylon. And thus they refused the counsel of God & followed their own fantasies.

•… ere may be espied in this peo ple great obstinacy and blindness. For nothing which the Lord had be fore spoken by this godly Prophet Jeremiah, had fallen in vain. Their own eyes had seen the plages and myseries which he had threatened, take effect in every point, as he had spoken before, yea they were yet grene and fresh both in mind and pre sense (for the flāme and fire wherewith Jerusalem was consumed and brent was then scantly quenched) & yet could they not b •… leave his threate ninges then spokē, neither yet could they follow his fruteful counsel ge uen for their great wealth and safeguard. And why so▪ Bycause they ne uer delyted in God's truth, neither had they repented their former Ido latrie, but still continued and rejoiced in the same, as manifestly appeareth in the. xliii •… . chapter of the same prophet. And therefore would they and their wives have been in Egypt where all kind of Idolatry and su perstition •… bounded, that they with out reproach or rebuke, they might have their bellies full thereof in despite of God's holy laws and prophets.

In wrytinge hereof it came to mind, that after the death of that in nocent and moste godly king Edward the sixte, while that great tu multe was in England for the esta blysshyng of that moste vnhappye & wicked woman's authority (I mean of her that now reigneth in God's wrath) entreatinge the same argument in a town in Buckingham shyre named •… ammershame before a great congregation with sorrowful heart and wepynge eyes, I fell into this exelamaciō: D Onglande. •… ow is Boddes wrath kyndled against thee. •… owe hath he begun to punish as he hath threatened •… a longe while by his true Prophets and messengers. •… e hath taken frō thee the crown of thy glory, ánd hath left thee without honor as a body without a head. And this appeareth to be only the beginning of sorrows which appeareth to increase. For I perceive that the heart the tongue and hand of one English man is bente against another, and division to be in the hole realm, which is an assured sign of de solacion to come. O England •… uglande, doest thou not consider that thy common wealth is like a ship sailyng on the Sea, if thy mariners and governor •… s shall one consume another, shalt thou not suffer shipwreck in short process of time? O England England ( •… lasse) these plages are poured upon thee, for that thou wouldest not know the moste happy time of thy gentle visitacion. But wilt thou yet obey the voice of thy God, and submit thyself to his holy words? truly if thou wilt, thou shalt find mercy in his sight, and the estate of thy common wealth shall be preserved. But O England England, If thou obstina •… lie wilt return into Egypt: that is, if thou contracte marriage, cōfederacy, or league with such princes, as do maintain and ad •… uaunce ydolatrye (such as the Emperor, which is no less enemy vn to Christ, then ever was •… ero) If for the pleasure and frendshippe (I say) of such princes thou return to thyue old abominations before used under the papist •… , then assuredly (O England) thou shalt be plagued and brought to desolation by the means of those, whose fauou res thou sekest, and by whom thou art procured to fall from Christ and to serve christ.

This and much more in the doloure of mine heart that day in audience of such as yet may bear re cord, God would that I should pro nounce. The thing that I thē most feared, and which also my tongue spake (that is: the subuercion of the true religion, and bringing in of strangers to reign over that realm) this day I se come to pass in men's counsels and determinacions. Whyche if they proceed & take effect as by men is concluded, then so assuredly as my God liveth, and as those Israelites that obstinatlye returned into Egypt again were plagued to the death: so shall England taiste what the Lord hath threatened by his pro phetes before. God grant us true and unfeigned repentance of our former offenses.

God for his great mercies sake stir up some Phinehas, Helias, or Jehu, that the blood of abhominable Idolaters may pacify gods wrath, that it consume not the hole multitude. Amen.

But to return to our matter: Of the premisses it is plain, that such as contemneth God's eternal verity and grace, can neither in their troubles receive comfort by gods messengers, neither yet can they follow the counsel of God be it never so profitable, but God giveth them over and suffereth them to wā der in their own vanities to their own perdition. Whereas contrary wise: such as beareth a reverence to God's moste holy word, are drawn by the power and virtue of the same (as before is said) tobeleue, follow and obey that which God commandeth be it never so hard, so vnapparent or contrary to their affeccions. And therefore, as God all way keepeth appointment with thē, so are they wonderouslye preserved when gods vengeaunces are poured forth upon the disobedient. And this is moste evident in Abraham at God's commandment leaving his countreye and going forth he knew not whither. Which was a thing not so easy to be done, as it is to be spokē or red. It appeareth also in Abraham believing God's promises against all appearance: and in Abraham offering his child Isaac against all fatherly love and affeccion natural. The same is to be said: In Moses, Samuel, Helias , Micah, and other of the prophets, which at the commandment of God's word boldly passed to the presence of tyrants, and there to them did their message as charge was given unto them.

But lest that some should allege that these examples appertaineth nothing to a multitude, because they were done in singular men.

To answer to this obieccion: we will consider what the power of God's word hath wrought in manny at one instaunte.

After that the Israelites had made the golden caulfe and so fallen to Idolatry, Moses coming down from the mountain, and beholding their abominations, (the honor that they gave to an Idol) & the peo ple spoiled of their earerynges and jewels to their great rebuke and shame was inflamed with such zeal, indignation and wrath: that first, he brafe the tables of the command mentes. Then he bette their caulf to powder, and gave it them to drink to cause them understand, that their filthy guts should receive y ^t which they worshipped for God. And final lie, he commanded that every mā that was of God should approach & come nygh unto him. And all the sons of Levi (saith the text) came to him, To whom he said. •… yus saith the Lord God of Israel. Let every mā put his sword upon his thygh, and go in and out from porte to porte in the tents. And let every mā kyl his brother, his neighbor, and every man his nigh kynsman. And the son nes of Levi did according to the word of Moses. And there fell the same day of the people nigh three thousand. It is evident by this history, that the power of God's word, pronounced by the mouthe of a man, prevailed at one time in a great number against nature, and compelled them to be executores of God's vengeance, regardynge nothing the affinity nor nyghnes of blood. And also that their doing so well pleased Moses the ambassadoure of God, that he said unto them: Lonsecrate youre hands this day every man in his own son, and in his own brother, that a fortunate benedicciō may be given to you this day. As though Moses should say: Your father Le •… i profaned and defiled his hands kyllyng the Shechemites in his blind rage, which moved his father Jacob in his last testament, to dan •… pne, execrate and curse that his most vehement and ungodly zeal. But Because in this work you have preferred God's commandment before blood, nature and also asfeccion, in place of that rebuke and curse, you have obtained blessing & praise.

The like puissaunce and virtue of God's word working in a multitude is to be red in the prophet Ieremye. Who perceauynge the time of God's vengeance to draw nygh, and the city of Ierusa lem to be beseged, boldly cried out in his open sermon, saying: He that remaineth in this city shall die, 〈◊〉 there by sword, by hunger, or by pe stilence. But he that shall go for the to the Laldeys, shall live, and shall find his soul for a pray. Thys might have appeared a disceyuable seditious and ungodly sermon, to cō maunde subjects to depart frō the obedience and defense of their native prince, rich cytizens and valiaunte souldeours from their possessions & strong holds, and to will them to render them selves without all manner of resistance into the hands of strangers being their enemies. What carnal man would not have judged these persuasions of the prophet moste foolys •… e and false▪ And yet in y ^e hearts of such as God had elected and appointed to life, so effe •… ually wrought this sermon, that a great number of Jerusalem left their •… ynge, their city, riches & fren des, and obeyed the prophets coun sail. For so may be espied by y ^e •… swear of Zedekiah the •… inge, when Jeremiah counseled, that he should also render him self into the hands of •… abuchodonozer he saith: I fea re these Jews, that are fled to the Laldi •… s, lest perchance they give me into their hands.

•… ereoff it is plain that many wer departed from him, whom he feared more than he did his enemies.

Many mo testimonies might be brought, to declare howe myghtelye God's word spo •… en by man, hath wrought in the hearts of great multitudes. •… s in the hearts of the •… iniuites, who at Jonah preaching damned their former religion, conversation and life. And in the hearts of those. 3000. who at Peters first sermon openly made after Christ's •… scension ac •… nowledged their offen ces, repented, and were by and by baptized. But these premisses are sufficient to prove, as well that God's word draweth his elect after it, against worldly appearance, against natural affeccions, & against cyuil statutes and constitucions: as also, that such as obey gods spea •… yng by his messengers, never lacfeth just reward and recompensacion. For only such as obeyed the voice of the prophet found favor and grace, to the praise and glory of God's name, whē his just iud gementes to •… venge •… ce upon the disobedient. But now shortly by no tes we will touche the rest of Peters act, and Christ's merciful deliverance of them, which is the ende of all troubles sustained by God's elect.

And first, that Peter seeing a mighty wind was afraid, and so, when he began to sync •… , he cried: Lord save me: are three things principally to be noted. The first, [ 1] from whence cometh the fear of God's elect. The seconde, what [ 2] is the cause that they faint and fall in adversity. The third, what rest •… [ 3] with them in the time of this fear and down sync •… ynge.

And first, it is plain: that so long as Peter had his eyes fixed upon [ 4] Christ, and attended upon no other thing but the voice of Christ, he was bold and without fear. But when he saw a mighty wind (not that the wind was visible, but the vehe meant storm and waves of the sea that were stirred up and carried by the wind were seen) then began he to fear, and to reason (no doubt) in his heart, that better it had been for him to have remained in his bote, for so might Christ have come to him, but now the storm and rage of wind was so vehement, that he could never come to Christ, and so he greatly feared. Wherof it is plain that the only cause of our fear that have left our bote, and through the storms of the sea would go to Christ with Peter, is: that we more consider the dangers and lets that are in our journey, thē we do the almygh tie power of him that hath cō •… aun ded us to come to himself. And this is a sin comō to all the elect & cho sen childrē of God, that whē so ever they se a veh •… meant trouble appearing to let them & dry •… e them 〈◊〉 from the obedience of God, then begin they to fear and to doubt of God's power and good will.

With this fear was Abraham stryc •… n when he denied his wife. This storm saw Moses when he refused to be God's messenger. And Hezekiah sore complaint declareth, that more he believed, considered and looked upon the proud voices and great power of Sennacherib, then he did the promises of the prophet.

This I note for this purpose, that albeit this late & mos •… e raging storm within the realm of England have taken from you the presence of Christ for a time, so that you have douted whether it was Christ which you saw before, or not. And albeit that the vehemencye of this contrary wind, that would drive you from Christ have so occupied youre ears, that almost you have forgotten what he was that commanded you to come to himself, when that he cried: Come unto me all ye that labor and are burdened, and I shall refresh you. Passe from Babylon O my people. &c. Albeit (I say) that this raging tempest have strycken such fear in youre heart, that almost all is forgottē, yet dear brethren despair not, such offenses have chaunsed to God's elect before you. If obstinately ye shall not continue, yet shall you find mercy and grace. It h •… d ben your duty in deed and agreeable to your profession to have looked to Christ alone, & to have contemned all impedimentes, but such perfeccion is not alway with man, but happy is he that feleth him self to syncke.

The cause that God's elect be [ 2] gynne to faynte and to synck down in the time of great adversity, is fear and vnbeleue, as in Peter doth appear, for so longe as he neither feared danger, neither mystrusted Christ's word, so longe the waters (above, & contrary to their nature) did obey and serve his feet as they had ben the dry, solid & sure ground But so soon as he began to despair and fear, so sonc began he to syncke. To instruct us, that lyuelye faith maketh man bold, and is able to carry us thorough such parelles as be vnscapable to nature. Butwhē faith beginneth to faint, then begin neth man to syncke down in every danger, as in the histories before re hersed it may appear. And in the prophets it is plain. For •… elias at God's commandment passing to the presence of king Ahab, in the fervency of his faith, obtained the fire to come from heaven, and to cōsum his sacrifice, by which also he was made so bold, that in the presence of the king he feared nothing to kyl his false prophets. But the same •… elias hearing of the mana •… yng & threateninges of cursed Jezebel, and considering y ^t the wrat he of a wicked woman could by no rea sonable means be appeased, he saw a storm, and feared the same, and so he prepareth to fly, which he doth not without some syncking down, for he began to reason and to dispute with God, which never can be done by the creature without foolyshnes and offense. The same we find in Jeremiah and diverse mo.

But the question may be asked: Seyng Christ knew before what should happen to Peter, why, did he not eithenlet him from coming from his bote? Or else, why did he not so confirm him in faith, that he should not have douted? To the which may be thus answered:

Albeit that we could render no reason of this work of Christ, yet were the work it self a sufficient rea son. And it were enough to answer: that so it pleased him, who is not bound to render a reason of all his works. But yet if we shall mark with diligence to what office Peter was to be called, and what offenses longe rested with him, we shall find moste just and necessary causes of this work of Christ, & down synckyng of Peter. It is plain that Peter had many notable virtues. As: a zeal and feruencye towards Christ's glory: and a redynesse and forwardness to obey his commandments. But it is like plain that of longe continuaūce there rested with Peter a desire of honor & worldly rest (and that moved him to persuade Christ that he should not die.) There rested with him pride, presumpcion and a trust in him self, which presumpciō and vain trust in his own strength unless it had ben corrected, and partly removed, he had never been apt nor me •… e to have fed Christ's flock. And such sins can never be fully corrected and refourmed till they be felt, known, and confessed.

And doutles so arrogant is our nature, that neither will it know, neither confess the infirmity of y ^e self, unto such time as it have a trial by experience of y ^e self. And y ^t is moste plain by Peter longe after this tēpeste. For when Christ said to his disciples: This night shall ye all be staādered in me. Peter boldly brag ged and said: Albeit that all should be slandered and should fly from thee, yet shall I not be slandered, but I am redye to go to prison and to die with thee.

This was a bold presumpcion and an arrogant promise spoken in contempt of all his brethren, from which he could not be reduced by Christ's admonition, But the more that Christ shown him, y ^t he should deny him, the more bold was he to affirm the contrary, as though his master Christ the author of all truth, yea rather the truth it self, should make a loud lie. And therefore of necessity it was, that he should prove in experience, what was the frailty of mannes nature. And what was the imbecility and weakness of faith even of those, that were his chief Apostles, which had continually heard his heavenly doctrine, seen daily his wonderful miracles, which had heard thē selves so many ad monicions and exhortaciōs of him, which also had followed and obeyed him in many things. That imbecil litie and weakness of faith if Peter had not proved and felt it in him self, neither could he ryghtlye have praised gods infinite goodness & •… brased his free mercy: Neither had he been apt and mete to have been a pastoure to the weak sheep & •… ender lambs of Christ, but he should have been as presumptuouse a boaster of his own strength, as the Pa pistes are of their free will. And he should have ben as proud a contēpner & dispiser of his weak brethren, as the errogant Papists, that contempne and despise all godly & great learned men though they be a thousand partes more excellent thē the •… .

But to correct and reform both presumptuouse arrogancy and frail imbecility and weakness of faith, Peter was permitted once to sink, and thryse most shamefully to refuse and deny his master, to the intent, that by the knowledge of his own weakness, he might be the more able to instruct other of the same, and all so that he might more largely magnify gods free grace and mighty delyueraūce. And that Christ taught him before his fall saying: When thou art converted, strength thy brethron. As though Christ should have said: Peter, yet art thou to proud to be a pastoure, thou ca •… te not s •… oupe nor bow thy back down to take up thewcake sh •… pe, thou doest nor yet know thinc own infirmity and weakness, & therefore canst thou do nothing but despise the weak ones, but when thou shalt be instruc ted by experience of thine own self what hid iniquity lurketh within the nature of man, then shalt thou learn to be humble and to stoop among other sinners. And also thou shalt be an example to other, which after shall offend as thou dyddest, so that if they repent as thou dyddest, they need not despair of mercy but may trust moste assuredly of Christ to obtain grace, mercy & forgeuens of their sins, as y ^• dyddest

This fruit have we to g •… there 〈◊◊〉 of Peters downsynckynge in y ^• sea, (which was a secrete know lege and privy admonition that he after should deny Christ) That we are assured by the voice of Christ, y ^t if in the time of our trouble and extreme danger, we cry with Peter, we shall be delivered as he was. And if we mourn for our denial of christ as he did, we shall find y ^e same gra ce & favor at Christ's hand, that he found. But now let us touche the third note, which is this.

That with gods elect in their greatest fear & danger there resteth [ 3] some small sparcke of faith, which by one means or other declareth itself albeit the afflicted person in fear or danger doth not presently perceive the same. As herein Peter is moste clear & manifest. For, percey •… g him self to synck down, he cried, saying Lord save me, which words were a declaraciō of a lively & quick faith, which lay hyd within his afflicted & sore affrayed heart, whose nature is (I mean of faith) to hope against hope, y ^t is: against all appearaūce or lycklyhode to loke for help & delyueraūce, as y ^e words of Peter witnesseth y ^t he did. •… e saw nothing but the raging sea ready to swallow hi up He felt nothing but himself sync •… yng down in body, and sore troubled in heart, and yet he cried: Lord save me. Which words first declare, that he knew the power of Christ able to deliver him. For folyshnesse it had been, to have called for y ^e help of him, whom he had known to be impotent and unable to help.

The calling for Christ's help by prayer in this extreme danger declared also that Peter had some hope through his gracious goodness to obtain delyuerannce. For in extrea me perils impossible it is, that the heart of man can cry for God's help without some hope of his mercy.

It is also to be noted, that in his great ieopardye Peter murmureth not against Christ. Neither doth he impute or lay any crime or blame upon Christ, albeit, at his commandment he had left his bote. He saith not: why lettest thou me synke, seeing that I have obeyed thy commandment. Moreover Peter as ked help at Christ alone, of whom he was persuaded both could and would help at a pynche. He cried not upon Abraham, Jacob, Moses, Samuel, David, neither upon any other of the Patriarchs, Prophets, or saints departed: neither yet upon his own fellows in the bote, but upon Christ, at whose commandment he had left the bote. All these things together considered, decla re, that Peter in this his extreme fear & danger had yet some spark of faith (albeit in that present ieopar die he neither felt consolacion nor cō forte.) For these premisses are undoubted tokens that he had faith. But now to the ende, which is this:

And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him: O thou of little faith, wherefor dyddest thou dout. And whē they were come into the shyppe, the wynd ceased. And they that were in the shyppe came and worshipped him, saying: Of a truth thou art the son of God. And immediately the ship was at the lande whither they went.

Hereof first is to be noted, that God is alway nigh to those that calleth upon him faithfully: and so willing is he to deliver them, that neither can fear nor extreme danger hynder his Godly hand. Peter was synckyng down, & looked for no other thing but present death, & yet the hand of Christ prevented him. That y ^• was visibly & openlie done to Peter in y ^• his great peril is invisibly & secretly done to Christ's holy church, & to y ^• chosen menbres of Chri stes mystical body in all ages. How nygh & ready was the hand of God to deliver his people Israel, when they were almost overwhelmed with desperation in the days of Moses & Hester, the history doth witness: Howe nygh was God to Daniel amongst the Lions, To Jonas in the whales belly, to Peter in prison, is likewise moste evidently declared in the holy Scriptures.

Howe soddenly and beyond all expectation was Sauid many times delivered from Saul's tyranny, his own heart confessed, and compelled his pen to write, & tongue to sing, saying: He hath sent frō above, and hath delivered me, he hath drawn me forth of many waters. Erecte your ears dere 〈◊〉 thren, & let your hearts understand That as our God is unchangeable, so is not his gracious hand shor tened this day. Our fear and trou ble is great, the storm that bloweth against us is sore and vehement, & we appear to be drowned in the depe. But if we unfeignedly know the danger, and will call for deliverance the Lord's hand is nygher, then is the sword of our enemies.

The sharp rebuke that Christ Ie sus gave to Peter, teacheth us that God doth not flatter nor conseale the faults of his elect, but maketh them manifest to the end that the of fendours may reap̄t, and that others may avoid the like offenses.

That Christ called Peter of little faith, argueth and declareth (as we before have noted) that Peter was not altogether faytheles, but that he faynted, or was uncertain in his faith, for so soundeth the Breke term 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 whereof we ought to be admonished: that in passynge to Christ through the storms of this world, is not only required a fervent faith in the beginning, but also a constancy to the ende. As Christ saith: he that continueth to the end shall be saved. And Paul: unless a mā shall strive lawfullye he shall not be crowned. The remembrance of this ought to put us in mind that the moste fervent man, & such as have longe continued in profession of Christ, is not yet sure to stand at all hours, but that he is subject to many dangers, and that he ought to fear his own frailty, as the Apostle teacheth us, saying: he that standeth let him beware that he fall not. For if Peter that began so fervently yet faynted or he cam to Christ, what ought we to fear, in whom such feruencye was never found? No doubt we ought to tremble and fear the worst, and by the knowledge of our own weakness with the Apostles inceassauntly to pray: O Lord increase our faith. Christ's demaūde and questiō asking of Peter why doutest thou? containeth in it self a vehemencye. As Chiste would say, whether doutedst thou of my power? or of my presence? or of my promises? or of my good will? If my power had not ben sufficient to have saved thee, then could I neither have come to the through the stormy sea, neither have made the waters obey thee, whē thou begannest to come to me. And if my good will had not ben to have delivered thee, and thy brethren, then had I not appeared unto you, neither had I called vpō the, bu •… had permitted the tempest to de uoure and swalowe you up. But cōsyderyng that your eyes saw me pre sent, your ears heard my voice, and thou Peter especially knewest the sa me, and obeyedst my commandment, why thē doutedst thou? Beloved bre thren, if this same demand & que stion ware laid to our charge, we should have less pretence of excuse, then had Peter. For he might have alleged that he was not advertised that any great storm should have risen betwixt him and Christ, which justly we cannot allege. For sith that time that Christ Jesus hath ap peared unto us by the bryghines of his word, and called vpō us by his lively voice, he hath continually blo wen in our ears that persecution & trouble should follow the word that we professed, which days are now present, Alas then, why doubt we through this storm to go to Christ? Support O Lord and let us syncke no further.

Albeit that Peter fainted in faith & therefore was worthy moste sharplye to be rebuked, yet doth not Christ leave him in the sea, neither longe permitted he that fear and tempest to continue, but first they entered both into the bote, & thereafter the wind ceased, and last their bote arrived without longer delay at the place for which they longe had labored.

O blessed and happy are those that patiently abydes this deliverance of the Lord. The raging sea shall not devour them. Albeit they have fainted, yet shall not Christ Jesus leave them, behind in the stormye sea, but soddenly he shall stretch forth his mighty hand, and shall place them in the bote among their brethren, that is: he shall conducte them to the number of his elect and afflic ted church, with whom he will continue to the ende of the world.

The majesty of his presence shall put to silence this boisteous wind, the malice, and envy of the devil, which so bloweth in the hearts of Princes, Prelates, Kynges and of earthly tyrants y ^t altogether they are conjured against the Lord and against his anointed Christ, in dis pite of whom he sauely shall conduct, convey, and carry his sore troubled flock to the life and rest for which they travel.

Albeit (I say) that sometimes they have faynted in their journey, albeit that weakness in faith permit ted them to sink, yet from the hand of Christ cā they not be rent, he may not suffer them to drown, nor the deape to devour them. But for the glory of his own name he must de lyuer, for they are committed to his charge, proteccion, and keeping, and therefore must he keep and defend such as he hath received from his father, from sin, from death, from devil and hell.

The remembrance of these promises is to mine own heart such occasion of comfort, as neither can any tongue nor pen express, but yet peradventure some there is of God's elect that cannot be conforted in this tempest by any meditacions of God's eleccion or defense, but rather beholding such as sometimes boldly have professed Christ's verity, now to be returned to their accustomed abominations: And also themselves to be ouercommed with fear, that against their knowledge and conscience they stoop to an Idole, and with their presence maintaineth the same. And being at this point, they begin to reason whether it be possible that the mem bres of Christ's body may be permitted so horribly to fall to the denial of their head? and in the same to remain of longe continuance. And from this reasoning they enter in dolour, and from dolour, they begin to syncke to the gates of hell, and ports of desperation.

The doloure and fear of such I grant to be moste just. For oh how fearful is it, for the love of this tran sitorie life in presence of man to deny Christ Jesus and his known and undoubted verity?

But yet to such as be not obstinate contempners of God, and of all godliness: I would give this my weak counsa •… e, y ^t rather they should appeal to mercy, then by the seueire judgments of God, to pronounce against themselves the fearful sentence of condempnacion. And to con sider that God concludeth all under unbelief that he may have mercy upon all. That the Lord kylleth and giveth life, he leadeth down to hell & yet lyfteth up again. But I will not that any mā think. That by this my counsel I either iusti •… ie such as horriblye are returned back to their vomete. Either yet that I flatter such as maintaineth that abhominable Idole with their daily presence. God forbid, for then were I but a blind guide leading y ^t blind headlinges to perdition. Only God knoweth the doloure and sobbes of my her •… e for such as I hear daily to turn back. But the cause of my counsel is. That I know the consei ence of some to be so tender, that whē soever they fele themselves troubled with fear, wounded with anguyshe, or to have slyddē back in any point: that then they judge their faith to be quenched, and them selves to be unworthy of God's mercies forever. To such direct I my counsel. To those I mean, that rather offendes by weakness & infirmity then of malice and set purpose. And I would that such should understand and c •… sider that all Christ's Apostles fled from him: and denied him in their hearts. And also I would they should consider, that no man ever from the beginning stood in greater fear, greater danger, nor greater doubt: then Peter did when Christ's presence was taken from him. Yea no man felt less comfort, nor saw less appearance of deliverance & yet neither were the disciples rejected forever, neither was Peter permitted to drown in that depe.

But some shall object: faith was not utterly quenched in them, & there fore they got deliverance, & were restored to comfort.

Answer. That is it which I would that the afflicted and troubled consci ences in this age should consider, that neither fear, neither danger, neither yet doutyng, nor backslyding may utterly destroy and quench the faith of God's elect, but that always there remaiueth with them some root, and spark of faith. Howbeit in their anguyshe they neither fele nor can discern the same. Yet some shall demand: how shall it be known in whom the spark and root of faith remaineth, & in whom not? seeing that all fleeth from Christ, and boweth down to 〈◊〉 . Harde it is, and in a manner impossible, that one man shall wittyngly judge of another (for that could not Helias do of the Israelites of his days) but every man may easily judge of himself. For the root of faith is of that nature, that longe it will not be ydel, but of necessity by process of 〈◊〉 it will send forth some branches that may be seen & felt by the outward man: if it remain lively in the heart. As you have herd it did in Peter, compellynge him to cry upon Christ, whē that he was in greatest necessity. Wilt thou have a trial whether the root of faith remaineth with the or not? I speak to such as are weak, and not to proud contempners of God.

Fealest thou thy soul fayntynge [ 1] in faith? as Peter felt his body sink down into the waters?

Art thou as sore affrayed that thy soul should drown in hell, if y ^u [ 2] consentest or obeyest Idolatry, as Peter was that his body should drown in the waters?

Desyrest thou as earnestly the de [ 3] lyueraūce of thy soul, as Peter did the deliverance of his body?

Beleuest thou that Christ is able [ 4] to deliver thy soul, and that he will do the same according to his promise?

Doest thou call upon him without [ 5] hypocrisy now in the day of thy trouble?

Doest thou thrist for his presence, [ 6] and for the lybertie of his word again?

Mournest thou for the great abominations [ 7] that now ouerflowes the realm of England?

If these premisses (I say) remain yet in thy heart, thē art thou not altogether destitute of faith, neither shalt thou descend to perdition forever. But mercifullye shall the Lord stretch forth his myghtie hand, & shall deliver the from the very throat and bottom of hell. But by what means that he shall perform that his merciful work it neither appertaineth to thee to demand, nor to me to defyne. But this is requisite and our bounden deutie, that such means as the hand of our Bod shall offer (to avoid Idolatry) we refuse not but that willingly we embrace the same albeit partly disagree to our affeccions. Neither yet think I that soddenly: and by one means shall all the faithful in England be delivered frō Idolatry. No, it may be that God so strength̄ the hearts of some of those that have fainted be fore: that they will resist Idolatry to the death, and that were a glorious and triumphant deliverance. Of others God may so touche the hearts, that they will rather chose to walcke: and go as pilgremes from realm to realm, suffering hunger, cold, heat, thrist, weariness, and po uertie, then that they will abide (having all haboundaunce) in subiecciō of Idolatry. To some may God offer such occasion that in despite of idolaters (be they princesse or prelalates) they may remain within their own dominions, and yet neither bow their knees to Baal, neither yet lack the lively food of god des moste holy word. If God offer unto us any such means, let us as suredlye know that Christ Jesus stretched forth his had̄e unto us willing to deliver us from that danger wherein many are like to perish, and therefore let us not refuse it, but with gladness let us take hold of it, knowing that God hath a thousand means (very vnapperyng to man's judgment) whereby he will deliver, supporte, and comfort, his afflicted church. And therefore moste dearly beloved in our savior Jesus Christ, considerynge that the remem braunce of Christ's banket (whereof I doubt not some of you taisted with comfort and joy) is not yet utterly taken from your mind. And that we have entered in this journey at Christ's commandments. Consi dering that we feale the sea winds blow contrary and against us, as before was prophesied unto us. And that we se the same tempest rage against us that ever hath raged against Christ's elect Church. And considering also that we feale our selves ready to faint, and like to be oppressed by these stormye seas, let us prostrate our selves before the throne of grace: in the presence of our heavenly father, and in the bytternes of our hearts let us confess our offenses and for Christ Jesus sake let us ask deliverance and mercy, saying with sobbes and gro nes from our troubled hearts.

O God the heathen are entered into thine enheritaunce. They have defiled thy holy Tempel and have profaned thy blessed ordinance, in place of thy joyful signs, they have erected their abhominable ydo les. The deadly cup of all blasphe my is restored again to their harlottes hand. Thy prophets are per secuted, and none are permitted to speak thy word freely. The poor sheep of thy poor pasture are commanded to drink the venemouse waters of men's traditions.

But O Lord thou knowest howe sore they grieve us. But such is the tyranny of these moste cruel beasts that playnlye they say: They shall root us out at ones, so that no remembrance shall remain of us in earth.

O Lord thou knowest that we are but flesh, and that we have no power of our selves to withstand their tyranny, and therefore O father open the eyes of thy mercy upon us, and confirm thou in us the work which thine own mercy hath begun. We acknowledge and confess o Lord that we are punished moste justly, because we lyghtly regarded the time of our merciful visitarion. Thy blessed Gospel was in our ears like a lovers song, it pleased us for the ryme, but Alas, our lines did nothing agree with thy statutes & holy commandments. And thus we acknowledge that our own iniquity hath compelled thy justice to take the light of thy word from the hole realm of England. But be thou myndful O Lord that it is thy truth which we have professed, and that thy enemies blasphemeth thy holy name, and our possession without cause. Thy holy Gospel is called heresy, and we are accused as traitors for professyng the same. Be merciful therefore O Lord, and be saluaciō unto us in this time of our anguyshe. Albeit our sins accuse and condemn us, yet do thou according to thine own name. We have offended against thee. Oure sins and iniquities are without number, and yet art thou in the mid des of us O Lord, albeit that tyraūtes bear rule over our bodies, yet thrusteth our souls for the comfort of thy word. Correct us therefore but not in thy hot displeasure, spare thy people and permit not thyn enheritaunce to be in rebuke forever.

Let such O Lord as now are most afflicted yet ones again praise thy holy name before thy congregation. Represse the pride of these blood thristye tyrants, consume them in thine anger according to y ^e reproach which they have laid against thy ho lie name. Pour forth thy vengeance upon them, and let our eyes behold the blood of thy saints required of their hands. Delaye not thy venge aunce O Lord, but let death devour them in haist, let the earth swallow them up, & let them go down quick to the helles. For there is no hope of their amendment, the fear and reverence of thy holy name is quite banished from their hearts, & therefore yet again O Lord cōsum them, cōsum them in thine anger, and let them never bring their wic ked counsels to effect. But according to the godly powers, let them be taken in the snare which they he ue prepared for thine elect: Loke upon us O Lord with the eyes of thy mercy, and show petty upon us thy weak and sore oppressed flock gather us yet ones again to the wholesome treasures of thy moste holy word, that openly we may confess thy blessed gospel within y ^• realm of England. Grant this O heavenly father for Christ Jesus thy sons sake. Amen.

If on this manner or otherwyfe (as god shall put in our hearts) without hypocrisy in the presence of our God (respecting more his glory thē our private wealth) continually we pour forth our complaint, confession, and prayers. Then so assuredly as our God liveth, and as we feall these present troubles, shall our God himself rise to our defense, he shall confound the counseilles of our ene myes & trouble the wyttes of such as moste wrongfully troubleth us. Be shall send Jehu to execute his just judge •… nentes against ydolatours and against such as obstinately defendeth them. Jezebel her self shall not escape the vengeance and plages that are prepared for her por cion. The flatterers and the mainteners of her abhominaciōs shall drink the cup of gods wrath with her And in despite of the devil shall yet the glory of Christ Jesus, and the bryghtnesse of his countenance so shine in our hearts by the presence of his grace, and before our eyes by the true preaching of his gospel that altogether we shall fall before him & say:

O Lord thou art our God, we shall extol thee, and shall confess thy name, for thou haste brought wonde rous things to pass according to thy counseilles which albeit appear to be far of, yet are they true and moste assured. Thou haste brought to ruyne the palaces of tyrants, & therefore shall the afflicted magnify thee, and the city of tyranfull nations shall fear thee. Thou haste been O Lord a strong defense to the poor, a sure place of refuge to the afflicted in the time of his anguis •… he.

This no dout dear brethrē shall one day be the song of gods elect with in the realm of England, after that God have poured forth his vengeance upon these inobediēt, & blood thrusty tyrants: which now trium pheth in all abominations, & therefore yet again beloved in the Lord, abide patientlye the Lord's deliueraūce, avoiding and flyeng such offenses as may separate and deuyde you from the blessed fellowship of the Lord Jesus at his seconde coming. Watche and pray, resist the deuel, and row against this vehement tē pest and shortly. shall the Lord come, to the comfort of your hearts which now are oppressed with anguyshe and care, but then shall ye so rejoice, that through gladness you shall say. Behold this our God, we have way ted upon him, and he hath saved us. This is our Lord, we have longe thristed for his coming, now shall we rejoice and be glad in his salvation. So be it. The great Bishop of our souls Jesus our Lord so strength̄ and assist your troubled hearts with the myghtie comfort of his holy Ghoste, that earthly tyrants nor worldly torments have no power to drive you from the hope and expe •… tracion of that kingdom which for the elect was prepared from the beginning by our heavenly father to whom be all praise and honor now and ever. Amen.

Remember me dear brethren in your daily prayers. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

Imprynted at Kalykow the 20. day of Iulij. 1554.

Cum gratia & priuilegio ad Imprimendum solum.