The Fortress of the Faithful Against the Cruel Assaults of Poverty and Hunger

W HO soever (moste dere brethren) with a single eye beholdeth the corrupt manners of this moste corrupt world, he shall easily perceive that Satan our old enemy sleapeth not, but as .s. Peter saith walketh about like a roaring lion, seeking whō he may devour. For if a tree may be known to be fruteful by her grene leaves, flourishing blossoms and pleasant fruit, if a workemā may be proved by his labors & pains not to be idle, if the sun may be perceived to shine because of his fiery & glisteringe beams, surely Satā by the works that he bringeth forth in the childrē of this world, may justly be judged not to be idle, not to sleep, not to slack his office, but to behave him self in all pointes like very Satā. For when at any time sense y ^e beginning of his infernal empier brought he forth so large testimonies of his deuillishe travails, and shown him self so diligent & painful in procurīg things mete for the enlarging of his empier as he doth in these out days? Let our time be compared with any age that hath ben from the beginning (I speak evē of that age which was most ungodly, most wicked) and it shall more right well seem to be most godly, moste virtuous. For although y ^• pride, the covetousness the whoredō, the unmercifulness, y ^• malice, the bāketting, the building the bieng and sellinge. &c. exercised in y ^e days of Noah, or at any other time, was w ^t out doubt great & abhominable, & justly deserved y ^e vēgeaūce of god, as it came to pass, yet compared w ^t the outragiousnes of vices used in this our time, yea & that so universally & unmeasurably, thei may be judged but trifles seeing the mumber of thē compared w ^t the infinite multitude y ^t now most wickedly live, is almost nothing. The pride of these our days is lucifer like, y ^• covetousness is vnsaciable, the whoredom is monstrous, the unmercifulness is bo • herlike, the malice is immortal, the bāketting is tomuch Epicurelike the building is infinite, the bying and selling is full of falsehead, craft, & dissimulaciō, & soforth of other vices, which are alread • grow̄ unto such an exceading height, y ^• thei cā stretcheout their branches no further, so y ^t it is truly said of .s. Ihō, the world is altogether set on wyekednes. They are corrupt and become abhominable in their doings there is not one that doth good, no not one, saith David. The lord looked down frō heavē upon the children of men, to se if there were any y ^t would understand & seek after god. But thei are all gone out of y ^• way, they are altogether become abhominable, there is none y ^t doth good, no not one. And although every christē heart beholding this moste ungodly state of the world cā not but lament & bewail the abominations used in these our days, and right hertelye be sorry, y ^t the • ares have so ouergrowē y ^• good wheat, that vice doth so abound that virtue can take no place, y ^t sin hath so overflowed the whole world, y ^• true godli • es is not only neglected and contemned, but also hissed at and utterly abhorred, yet these traitorous cōspiracies and hellike cōmocions, which we of late have seen, wherewith also the comune weal of England hath both been disturbed, defaced, and greatly enpouerished, who except an enemy to all good order, sorowfully sorrow • th not? Who if not an adversary to our successiō with large tears lamenteth not? The inferior menbers to envy the principal partes of the body? O unnatural disposicion. The servant to rule the master, y ^• inferior to rise against his sovereign, y ^• subject to disobey his governor? O comberous confusion. The brainsicke, yea rather the brainles head to attempt redress of matters in a common weal, unsent, uncalled? O preposterous order.

It cannot de denied but diverse of y ^e comons have gone far beyond their limites, & takē in hand that hath not become them, for as much as thei contrary to 〈◊〉 calling have presumed to do the office of magistrates, of men lawfullye called to rule in the common weal.

Those their rash & disobedient behavior cā bi no means please god.

Please? yea it rather most highli displeaseth god which is the author of peace, & not cōfusiō, which will all things to be done semely & in comeli order, which cōmaūdeath the subject to obey his superioure in all things, not only for fear of punishment, but also for conscience sake. How greatly god is & ever hath ben offended w ^t disobedience & rebellion, with order breaking & disturbaūce of a comō weal, y ^• holy scriptures sufficiently do show. Was not Adā our grādfather thrown out of paradise for his disobedience toward his lord god, y ^e most high & most excellent magistrate, & both he & all we his offspring damned forever, if we had not ben redeemed by the precious blood of y ^• undefiled lamb Jesus Christ? Thus frō the be • inninge se we howe greatly god abhorreth disobedience, though y ^• faute in our eyes seemeth very little & not to be passed of.

Truly therefore is it said of Samuel, behold to obey is better thē sacrifice, & to hark̄ is better thē the fat of rāmes. For rebelliō is as y ^e sin of whordō, & stubbornness is as y ^e sin of idolatry.

But y ^• I may declare to you how god in comō weals hath ever punished disobedience, rebelliō, cōspiracies, insurrecciōs, cōmocions. &c ageinst lawful magistrates, I pra • you give ear & mark what shall be said.

We gladly hear.

Ye know right well, y ^• whē god determined to deliver his people the Israelites out of Egypt y ^• land of bondage & slavery, he made Moses their gide & ruler under him.

Ye sai trut •

Here was Moses chosen and appointed of god to be the supreme magistrate and principal governor of gods people. And as he had here by gods commandment authority to rule, evē so were the Israelites bound by gods word to obey, which thing so long as they did, they right well prospered, they lived quietly, god favored them, Moses as a loving father cherished thē. But whē thei shoke of the yocke of obedience, sought carnal liberty, murmured against their magistrate, troubled the common weal, oh how did god punish and plage thē? The lord hath heard your murmurings saith Moses, which ye murmur against him. For what are we (he speaketh of him self and Aaron) your murmurīges are not against us, but against the lord. The Israelites murmuring against Moses, murmured against god, whose officer Moses was. Therefore saith the scripture, behold the countenance of the lord was moved against the people & the lord five the people w ^t an exceading great plage. And as David saith, the heavy wrath of god came vpō thē and slue the wealthiest of thē, yea and smote down y ^• chosen men that were in Israel. For there is no power, saith S. Paul but of god, the powers y ^• be, are ordained of god. Whosoever therefore resisteth power, resisteth the ordinance of god. But thei that resist, shall receive to them selves dānation. With how grievous and horrible leprosy did god stryke Mir I am for murmuring against Moses? How plagued god y ^• Israelites for murmuringe against him & Moses his servant with fiery serpentes, which stonge them unto death? Corah, Dathan and Abirom, because they did not obeie Moses gods magistrate, but disdained that he should reign over them, although appointed of god, wer they not swallowed up of the earth both they, their wives, their children, & all their goods? Went not they, & all that they had down alive unto hell, & the earth closed upon thē, and they perished from among the cōgregaciō?

A mete plage for rebelliō.

On the morrow after when the people of Israel murmured against Moses, saying: ye have killed the people of the lord, & so unreverantly railed on him, what, escaped they unpunished? The scripture saith, there died in that plage .xiiii.M. and .vii. hundred, besides thē that died about the business of Corah. Thus se we, that in y ^• beginning of the Israelites publyke weal, god by no means could abide rebels & seditious persons, but punished them with moste horrible & notable plages.

If god so greuouslye plagued thē which did but murmur against his magistrate, how extremely will he punish thē y ^• do not only vn • cuerētly speak of the hye powers, but also gather unlawful assembles against them and enarme thē selves on such manner, as though they should rise against a comō pestilence of the publyke weal? Surely y ^e ende of such must needs be tomuche miserable.

These things were done to show how greatly god approveth the office & dignity of a lawful magistrate, & that he will be avenged of all such as despise his holy ordinance, again y ^• we by these examples may learn to fear the hye powers, to honor and obey them, and by no means to resist them, except we will prove the same or worse plages.

Well said. Absalom Kynge Dauides son made an i • surreccion against his father, and thorough the counsel of wicked Ahithophel wrought moste vilanie against his fathers honor. What followed? was not Absolō miserably slain? Did not his ungodly councellour hang himself? Wer there not also .xx.M. mē slain in battle, y ^e toke Absolom's parte? Se to what point sedition bringeth both the authors, coūcellors, and mainteiners thereof.

It is therefore wisdom for all men to follow this council of the wisemā, my son fear y ^u the lord and the king, & keep no company with seditious persons, for their distruccion shall come suddenly. And who knoweth the adversity that may come of them both? Again wish the king no evil in thy thought, and speak no hurt of the rich in thy privy chamber, for a byrde of the air shall betray thy voice, and with h •• feathers shall bewraye thy words.

Who knoweth not that Seba the sonne of Bichri, which conspired also against David and dissuaded the people of Israel from obedience to their liege sovereign lord, had his head cut of?

A mete death for a traitor.

Baasa the son of Ah • a conspired against Nadab king of Israel, s • ue him, & reigned in his stead. But what followed? though Baasa in the sight of the world died no shameful death, yet died he in the displeasure of god, & afterward all his succession with all his friends & kinsfolk were all destroyed, so that there was not one left alive. Again zimri conspired against Ela king of Israel, slue him, & reigned in his stead. But shortly after he was driven to such misery and strayte, that he f • ed into y ^• kings palace at Thirza, & setting it on a fire, brent him self, & so wretchedlye ended his life.

An ende worthy of such a beginning.

What shall I rehearse unto you the histories of the .ii. seditious men, Theudas and Judas of Galilee, of whom blessed Luke writeth in his book of the Apostles acts? The one boasted to do great things, and so allured much people to follow him, the other counseled the Jews by no means to pay tribute to Caesar, but to maintain their old liberties, and by this means moved great sedition among the people. What became of thē? were they not put to death, and so many as followed them either s • ayne, or else scatered abroad, and so brought to naughte? We read not in all the scriptures, that any traitor or notable seditious parson hath at any time escaped without notable punyshmente. God cā not suffer his magistrates to be disobeied, his common weals to be disturbed, his polltique or civil laws to be contemned • , his godly and honest orders to be broken. &c. Who soever attempteth any such wickedness, god will be avenged of him, as it is evident not only in the holy scriptures, but also in the profane histories. For god, even among the Heathen cannot abide his ordinance to be despised.

Wold god that all they which either were authors of sedition, or consented thereunto at any time in this our realm, had known these things, then would not they so greatly have forgottē thē selves and their duty.

If they had ben as well trained up in learning such godly histories, as thei were • ouseled in hearing popish masses, & such other trifling truēpery, thei had raised up no such tragedies. If there had been but the tenth part of true and learned preachers, y ^• there were of popish priests among them, they had never fallen to such disorder. But it is truly said of the wiseman, whē the preaching of gods word faileth, the people run out of order, perish and come to naught.

Yet have I heard it reported that these new preachers, as they call them, thorough their indiscreet sermons, opened a large window unto dissolucion of life, and by this means caused the common people to aspire and breath unto carnal liberty, which while they hunted they forgot both them selves and their duty.

I will not excuse all preachers. For some, as I have heard, have taken upon them the office of preaching uncalled, vnsente, and such disordered preachers for the most parte, bring all things to a disorder, yea to an utter confusion, mask they with never so pleasant a visare, and bable with never so painted eloquence in the sight and ears of the simple and ignorant people. Howe shall they preach except they be sent, saith Saint Paul? I have not sent the preachers, saith the Lord, and yet they run. I have not spoken to them, and yet they preached. But as I may speak in the faithful and discrete preachers behalf, which are lawfully sent of the hye powers, and called thereunto by the secrete mocion of gods spirit in their hearts, howe soever they be reported, certain I am they never taught such doctrine, as should minister occasion to godly people to shake of the zeal of obedience, or to break any good order or pollityke law.

Yet have I heard some preachers, whom I know to be both prudent and faithful, sclaundred, that they by their preaching have caused these vproures.

Ye said well, sclaundred. Were they preachers or rather massemūgers, that caused y ^• insurreccions in Deuonshyre?

Massemungers & papi • tes, as it is reported.

Then are the godly preachers free from giving any occasion of that sedition.

But what of Norfolk?

Even in Norfolk also or else where, I am sure the veri rebels them selves will confess, as I have partly heard and known that the preachers wer not the authors nor provokers of their commocion. Can the sermons of them which teache all obedience, humility, and pacien • e, move men unto disobedience, hautines of mind, and desire of reuenginge? Canne light be the occasion of darkness, or truth of salsehead? But what is so prudently, godly, and circūspect lie spoken, that envy cannot wrest and corrupt? Neither is it strange for the christē preachers to be misreported of the voluptuous world lynges and covetous carles. How earnest a setter forth of gods glory was the Prophet Elias, & yet howe was he reported, not only of the baser sort, but even of the king and of the Queen? Art thou he, saith Kynge Ahab, that troubleth Israel? As though he should say: art thou he which thorough thine indiscreet and rash sermons mouest the people to sedition, makest thē disobedient to me their king and to all my officers, causest them unlawfully to assemble together, and to make havoc of all things? But y ^• Prophe • boldly answered. It is not I that have troubled Israel, but thou and thy fathers house, in that ye have forsaken the commandments of the lord, and followed the way of Baal, as though he should have answered: Doest thou O king, lay to my charge, y ^t I troubled thy realm, which teache thy subjects to obey the in all those thy commandments that fight not with gods word? Then untruly thou accusest me. There is, I grant, in thy realm sedition and much hurlye burly: what then? Impute not the faute to me, but corie thyself on the head, & say: I myself and my wicked progenitors, which have not tēdered the glory of god, nor loved to hear his blessed word, nor to maintain y ^e preachers thereof, but rather have slain them and followed the way of that foul Idole Baal, and nouryshed his priests at our own table, and have not ruled the Realm with such justice and equity, with such clemency and gentleness, as becometh righteous and godly rulers, but have polled and pylled our subjects, oppressed the widows and fatherless, received bribes, condemned the gyltelesse for gifts, and shed innocente blood like vnmercyful & Bochercyke tirauntes, we, we are only the occasion of all these tumults, sedicions, conspiracies. &c. wherewith this my Realm at this present is so greatly dis quieted. As I may let pas the other Prophets, which for their godly sermons sustained the like displesure at y ^• worldly tirauntes hands, how was the self master of truth, the wisdom of the father, I mean Jesus Christ our Lord, in whose mouthe was found no guyle, no disceate, haudeled for his Sermons?

When they brought him before Pilate, did not his adversaries & accusers lay to his charge, that he sowed sedition among the people? that he corrupted and perverted the commons with his doctrine, that he forbad men to pay tribute to Caesar, and that he said, he him self was Christ a king? How unjustly Christ was here accused, the holy scriptures abundantly testify. How could he be the author of sedition, which came in to this world to make peace? How could he corrupt and pervert the people with his doctrine, when he taught nothing, but that which he had heard of his father? Can heavenly things corrupt y ^• minds of mortal men? Forbad he to pay tribute to Caesar, which himself paid tribute to Caesar & commanded other so to do? Boasted he him self a king which •• ed away from the people, when they would have made him their king? Sayd he not unto Pilate, my kingdom is not of this world? Was he disobedient to the temporal rulers, which disdained not to be brought before them, to be judged of thē, yea and to suffer death under them? Moreover was not the blessed martyr. S. Steuē accused y ^• he spake blasphemous words against Moses & against god? when of God no man ever spake more godly, nor of Moses more reverently. Yet must Steuē to the pot, and be condemned for an heritike, whē Stephen deserved rather praise and promocion. But Stephen had offended enough, seeing it was the chief priests pleasure, & the other ravening rabines, that Stephen should live no longer. Again when .s. Paul & Silas came to Tessalonica, and .S. Paul preached in the sinagoge the passion & r • surreccion of Christ, howe did certain of the Jews complain of them unto the heads of the City, and rushed into the house of Jason thapostels host, and violently plucked him out, saying: These that trouble the world are come hither also, whom Jason hath received priuelie. And these all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar, affirming another king one Jesus. Here are thapostels accused both of sedition and treason, and yet wer they neither seditious persons nor traitors. They troubled not y ^• world, except the world here be taken for the deuelishe people of y ^• world, to whō it is a trouble to hear anything of Christ, or to hear their abhominable living rebuked. The good people of the world, they quieted & made thē merry in their conscience, for as much as they persuaded by y ^e word of god, which thapostels preached, y ^• they had got̄ free remis • iō of all their sins thorough faith in Christ's blood. Thapostels did not contrary to the decrees of Caesar, if they were not against gods word, but rather taught mē to obei thē. And though thei preached Jesus to be a king, yet did this nothing derogate Caesars honor, for they taught Christ not to be a temporal, but a spiritual king, not to rule with sword or polare, but with his spirit & word, not to reign in Princes palaces, but in the hearts of the faithful. Is not here great sedition, great treasō? Whē .s. Paul was but seen at Hierusalē in the temple how cried the iewes out, saying: O ye men of Israel, help: this is the mā that teacheth all mē every where against the people, & • he law & this place, & violently drue him out of y ^• temple, 〈◊〉 him, & would have slain him if the hye captain had not come. What had Paul offended? He spake nothing, he did nothing, bu • as other Jews did. It was enough to kill Paul, because he was that Paul which had preached Christ to be the son of god. At another time when he told the Jews, that god appointed him to be a teacher of the Gentils, how lifted they up their voices, saying. Away with such a fellow from the earth, for it is no reason that he should live. Paul must die, because at the commandment of god he turneth the Gentiles from Idolatry to the true worshipping of god. And as the wicked world linges cruelly entreated the Apostles of Christ, so do the worldly tirauntes handle the good bishops and faithful ministers in the primitive church. If any myschiefe, plage, or evil chaunsed in the con •• ey where thei wer, it was straight • ay laid to their charge. Even so •• kewyse doth y ^• world at this time • eal w ^t the true preachers of y ^• lor • es word. Dearth, famine, hunger, • lage, pestilence, battle, insurrecci • ns, cōmocions, treasons, heresies, Epicureanism, licentious living. &c. all is imputed to the preachers of Christ's gospel. They, they, and • one but they, are the occasion of all that naught is, whē no kind of people is farther from doing harm to a common weal thē they, neither doth a cōmō weal receive mo benefits of any man, then of the godly preacher. If the old world had heard and obeyed the sermons of Nohe, they had not perished with waters. If the Sodomites and gomorianes had harkened to the sermons of Loth, they had not ben consumed with rain, fire and brimstone from heaven. If the Israelites had given ear to the warninges of the Prophets they had not so often be plagued and led away into captivity. If the iewes had received the doctrine of Christ and his Apostles, they and their city with all their posterity had not come to such a destrucciō. But when the lord raiseth up his Prophets & preachers, to admonish y ^• people of their wickedness, and to exhort them to reap̄taunce, and yet they will not amende, but cruelly entreat them, s • launder thē persecute thē, kyl thē, then cometh destruction. The lord god of their fathers, saith the scripture, sent to them by his messengers, rising up betimes & sending, for he had compassiō on his people & on his dwellinge place. But they mocked the messengers of god, and despised his words and misused his Prophets until the wrath of the lord arose against his people, & till there was no remedy. And so brought he on them the king of Chaldes, which sieve their young mē with the sword in their holy temple, and spared neither yongman, maiden, old man, nor him y ^• stouped for age.

The scholar is not above his master, nor the seruaūte better thē his Lord. If y ^e world hate you saith Christ, ye know it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, y ^e world would love the is his. But for as much as ye are not of the world, but I have chosē you frō y ^e world, therefore y ^e world hateth you.

Preachers are commanded of god under pain of dānaciō to tell the people their faults & yet if they rebuke covetousness, thē the covetous worldlings are mad. If thei inuey against pride, the proud are displesed. If they condemn whoredom, whores, baudes, and rufianes are wood.

Look whatsoever sin they reprove, the gilty cannot abide, but malign the preacher, and seek to do him displeasure. The Gergesens had rather Christ should never come among them, yea they had rather go to the devil, thē thei would have their filthy swine drouned.

They owe him evil will saith the Prophet, that reproveth them openly, and whoso telleth the plain truth, him they abhor.

Well, thus se ye it is no new thing for godly preachers to be sclaundred & burdened with those faults, wherein they be nothing gylty.

I have heard it reported, y ^• diverse Gentlemē have ben y ^• occasiō of all these tumults and sedicions thorough the great oppressions and wrongs that they have done to the 〈…〉 , as by making common pastutes several to them selves, by enclosinge more ground to their own use, thē heretofore hath been accustomed, and by this means take away the necessary food from the pore men's cattle, without the which they can not live: again, by gettynge so many farms in to their hands, and letting out their own lands unto their tenauntes and farmers for so great price, or else take such large fines and great incommes, that they cā never live of it. These & such like things have I heard.

Ye have heard my mind of preachers, which were sclaundred (I speak of the godly) in this behalf. I will now speak somewhat of gentlemen. As I do not alowe all that be called preachers, so do I not approve the doings of all thē that be called gentlemen. And as I do not condemn all preachers, so do I not dispraise all gentlemē. For as they are, which are true preachers in deed, so likewise are there which are true gentlemen indeed. But some abuse the name of preachers, by teaching papistry, a nabaptistry, Epicureanism, &c. & are no prechers in deed, but rather praters & deceivers of the people: so likewise are there many which are called gentlemē, & are no gentlemē in deed, but pollers and pillars, rakers and catchers, bribers and extorcioners, yea and very caterpillars of the commō weal. For they abuse the name of a gentleman, which is vnfeynedlye a name of much worship and great honor, and worthy to be had in reverence and hye estimation. Wythout the true gentlemā the common weal can no more safely be, then the body without eyes. For as the eyes are the principal co •• forte of an whole body, so likewise are the true gentlemē of the common weal. And look what the nose is without smellynge, the tongue without speaking, the hands without feling, the feet without going, the very same is a common weal without them that are true gentlemen: as the wiseman saith. Where no good council is, there the people decay, but where as many are that can give good counsel, there is wealth. For such as are true gentlemen, are fathers of the country, mainteiners of the pore, defēders of the widows & fatherless, socurers of y ^e needy, conforters of the cōfortles, & upholders of the common weal, in fine, gentlemen both in name & deed. These be pearls & iuels to a realm, & as necessari for the cōseruaciō of a public weal, as fire, water, and heat is for the health of man's body. For their pricipal respect is not unto their own private lucre, & singular commodity, but their whole study is how they may profit the common weal and do good to many, as Salomō saith: the righteous laboreth to do good, but the ungodly useth his increase unto sin. Not onli their goods, but their very life also will they bestow to do good to other, so far is it of, that for their own advantage they will enpoueryshe or hinder any man.

Wolde god we had many such gētlemen.

We have without all doubt many, although not so many as I would wish, for of good things we cā never have enough. Then is there another sort, which glory in the title of gentlemen also. And they are such, as this cōmō proverb noteth: As riseth my good, so riseth my blood. They think all nobility to consist in the abundaūce of worldly goods, in wearinge of golden cheines, and costly aparel, in having fair houses and pleasant gardens. And to set forth this their gentlemanry, they poll they pyl, they wake they • ache, they sweat they freate, they gripe thei nipe, thei face thei brase, they semble they dissēble, yea they move every stonne, as they say, to maintain and set forth their unnoble nobility, not caringe howe they come by it, so they have it. All is fyshe that cometh to the net: it is good to be taking. Bonus est odor lucri ex re qualiber. These study not as the true gentlemen do, to profit many, to do good to the country, to maintain the poor, to relieve y ^• socurles, to nourish the weak, to cherish their needy tenaūtes, neither seek they the commodity of the common weal, but their own private advantage. They labor to posses much, but thei distribute nothing. Their hand is stretched out to receive, but shut when they should give. If they once exe • pe in to a town or vyllage, they for the most parte never cease, till they have devoured and eaten up the whole toune. What soever is pleasant or profitable, must be theirs by hoke or by croak. It lieth handsomlye for them & so nere their nose, though it be a mile of. If there be either farm or shepeground, upon the which some honest pore man liveth, both he and his family, out he must. Had it must be whatsoever it cost, though the pore man & all his should go a begging, it lieth so cōmodiouslye for our newecome gentleman. If they bye any tenement, & let it out again to the pore man, O how do they rack it, and stretch out the rentes thereof, almost from a penny to a pound? yea and some of them biynge house and land in a toune, suffer the houses to fall down, and turn the ground unto pasture, the poor man not having where to hyde his head. Who will be troubled, say they, with such a sort of shake ragged slaves in a town, which do nothing but burn up our hedges, eat up the common, fill the town full of beggars braules? Who? No man I trow, namely where such fine and longnosed gentlemē dwell. Some biynge the lordeshyp of a town, handle the inhabitauntes thereof on such sort, that they lose diverse of their liberties, being in much worse case then they were afore. Thus y ^e pore people be so wroūge of these ungentle gentlemen, y ^t the selye souls are like unto dry haddockes. Some Irishe men beholdynge them, might well think, that they came latelye out of Saynte Patrickes pargatorye. They are so wythered away even to the hard bones for cold and hunger. Agaynst such churlyshe gentlemē speaketh god by y ^e Prophet, saying: O ye heads of the house of Jacob, & ye leaders of the house of Israel: Should not ye know what were lawful and right? But ye hate the good, and love the evil, ye pluck of men's skins and the flesh from their bones, ye eat the flesh of my people, and flaye of their skin, ye break their bones ye chop them in pieces as it were in to a cauldron, and as flesh into a potte.

These greedy gripes, and hongry horseleches, by vsurpinge the name of gentlemen, do much obscure the renown, worship and honor of true gentlemē, and cause the name of a gentlemā to be much disdained among the common people, as we have both heard and seen now of late days. And though they challenge to thenselves never so much the name of a gentlemā, by their goods, by their auncestoures, by antiquity, by the worthiness of their stock, and many god morowes, yet if they do degenerate and grow out of kind from the natural manners of a true gentleman, they are no gentlemen in deed, but carles & churles, yea and in hurtinge their neighbors they are tirantes and murderers, as the holy scripture calleth them, and in pollyng and pyllyng them, they are thieves, lions, and wolves as the Prophets term them. An ape shall be an ape, though she be clad in purple and gold. Aesop’s crowe was still a crowe, even whē he had decked him self with the pleasant and goodly feathers of other birds. It is virtue, and not gross flesh & blood, which thing we all are, that maketh the true, noble and gētlemā. It is a mind disposed to do good, yea & doth good in deed when occasion serveth, and not sumptuous aparell and gold̄ cheines, that setteth forth true nobility. It is justice, mercy, liberality. kindness, gentleness, hospitality for the poor, and such other godly gifts of the mind, and not the multitude of riches, that declare who is a gentlemā, and who a churl, who is noble, who unnoble. He that can nyest approach unto lady virtue, and most lively set forth her natural disposicion in his conversation and behaueoure, he is the best gentleman, be his parents never so base, and his kindred never so vile in the judgment of the world.

Socrates the Philosopher beholding a man very rich and wealthy in deed, but an assehead in the knowledge of goodness, and notwithstanding gorgeouse and galante in apparel, said: Behold a golden slave. Socrates nothing estemynge the rich man for his riches and sumptuous rayement, called him a golden slave, meaning: that though he were laden with never so many golden cheynes, golden rings, golden apparel, yet so longe as he him self is but filthy in his conversation, and hath a mind subject to carnal lusts, as couetousenes, pride, ambition. & cete, he is but a very slave, so far is it of that he is a gentleman. At another time that same Philosopher seeing a man both rich and galauntlye appareled, said: Here is a horse trapped in silver. Hys apparel shown him to be a gentleman, but his manners and conditions declared him to be but a horse and a beast. Diogenes hearing a certain man bragging and boasting of his kindred, riches, beauty, costuous aparel, and such other worldly visars, knowing not one pointe of nobility to be in him, nor ought else worthy of praise, said: loo, here is a sheep with a golden flese. Cato the elder was wont to say, that the little thieves did wear fetters, but the great thieves went up & down galauntly appareled with purple and gold. I pas over diverse other saiyngs of the wise mē, which without any respect had to carnal nobility, worldly riches, gorgeous aparell. &c. called the wealthy worldlings, by such names, as their manners and behaueoure deserved.

Wolde god all they which will be taken for gentlemē were gentlemen in deed. Then should it go much better with this realm of England.

Thys endless encroching of worldly possessions show evidently, y ^• they which use it are not frindlye to the common weal, seeing thorough it y ^e poor commons are brought to beggary. Solomon hath a notable saying and would god all men would learn it. It is this. The increase & prosperity of the comons, is the kings honor: but the decay of the people, is the confusion of y ^• prince.

Frindely to y ^e common weal • Mary syr they are not frindlye to the king by Solomon's saying, that enpouerysheth the comons: if the comons increase, wealth, and prosperity be the honor of the king, and if the decay and enpoueryshement of the comons be the confusion and destruction of the prince, then are they extreme enemies to the king, which without any respect had to the comō weal, seek thorough their vnsaciable couetousenes to beggare the Kynges subjects, whereby they shall be the less able both to serve the king, and to bear for their portion, the charges of the Realm, when time requireth.

Certes a Kynge can never be poor, so longe as his subjects be wealthy. And better it is to have many that should help in time of need, then few, and easier is the burden and the gladlier it is borne y ^t many bear then few.

If that same gentleness and liberality were found at this present among the rich men of this world, that hath been here to fore in men of like degree, the commons should not only at all times be quiet, but also the realm should floryshe with great wealth, yea and that vniuersallye, where as now it resteth in few men's hands. Gentlemen to be enchrochers of Farms, notable shepemongers, Grasi • rs, Bochers, Clothiers, Weavers, Brewers. &c • . as I may speak nothing of their parsonages, vicarages, prebendes. &c having otherwise whereof abundantly to live? O unworthy act. O unseemly sight. O abomination. What is it to beggare the Realm, to famyshe the Kynges subjects, to bring slavery in to this realm, if this be not? Do they not suck the poor men's blood, that suffer them not to have whereof to live? The wyseman saith: The bread of the needy is the life of the poor, he that defraudeth him of it, is a murderer.

Well neyghboures, although I doubt not, but that the Kynges majesty and his most honorable council will se redress in these things when they have convenient leisure, yet if the world should go forth & continue as it is, & the rich worldlings more miserably oppress the pore then they heretofore have done, god forbid that the comō people, or any kind of people should reise up tumults, stir up sedicions, lift up their hand against the hye powers.

For that is a sin, which by no means can escape vnplaged, yea they that so do, run into the danger of eternal damnation, as ye have heard afore.

I say god forbid also: but ye know the come • proverbs, the belli hath no ears, hunger is sharper then thorn, necessity is an hard darte, need maketh the old wife trot.

Saint Paul had rather never to eat flesh nor drink wyne, then he should offend his weak brother▪ Wolde he then think you, trouble an whole common weal, make vproures, raise up commocions, come armed in the field, assemble a sort of idle brains and brainles people together, rob men's houses, spoil their goods, break up their hedges, make several pastures common to all men, hunt carnal liberty, make a communion, yea con • usion of all things, and all for the belly? Paul would rather like unto the pore Lazar have died for hunger, then once violently and unjustly to take away other men's goods.

Ye se the unmercifulness of y ^e riche, what, would ye have the pore people starve for hunger?

Rather starve and die for hunger as pore Lazar did, then to trouble a common weal. As riches, so likewise poverty cometh from god: And both are to be takē thankfully, and not to be grudged at. If oppression be done to the pore of the rich worldlings, shall they avenge them selves? God forbid, yea rather take that cross patiently, and think that they have deserved far worser things, which have so often deserved hell, and pray to god to give those rich men merciful hearts, that according to their duty they may be moved with pytie and compassion toward the pore. Again if they have injuries done unto them, if they cannot otherwise be redressed let them complain to the Magistrates and officers of the commō weal, which are appointed to hear men's causes.

If the poor oppressed complain to the Justices of peace or such like in the country where he dwelleth, that hath the injury done unto him, little redress, as I hear, can be had, one so serveth another's turn, even as the Mules scratche one another's back.

If there be any such parciall officers, which are not indifferente, but judge for favor, yet remaineth there another refuge, and that is, to complain unto the Kynges Majesty and his moste honorable council, which without all doubt will both gladly hear their lamentable complaints, and redress their matters according to justice. But who so leaveth godly means, and attempteth wicked ways, both he and his enterprise must needs come to naught, as we have seen of late days. The lord him self hath spoken it. All they that take the sword, shall perish with the sword. All they that are private men, and go about with force and violence to avenge their own cause, and to redress their own matters, shall surely come unto destruction. For they be order breakers and despisers of gods holy ordinance, which hath appointed magistrates and head rulers justly to judge between man and man in all matters of controversy, that peace and quietenes may be maynteined in a common weal.

If men wer christen men in deed, as they profess in word, they would never for the bellies sake go about to disturb, trouble, and disquiet all the members of the body. There is a proverb no less true then common, God never made mouthe, but he made meat. And truly I am thus persuaded, that god, which made me a living soul, and fed me in my mothers womb, will not, after he hath brought me in to this world, suffer me to perish for hunger, if I hange on his fatherlye proui ••• e, cast my care on him, seek to please him, and live in my vocation according to his word.

I am glad neybour Theophile this to hear you speak: for as I may tell you truth, the principal occasiō whi I so greatli desire to speak w ^t you & with my other neighbors here, was to confort and strength̄ you against this solicitude and thought taking for the belly, wherewith many at this present are much vexed. For I am not ignorant what importune su • er the belly is, and how she is ever craving and casting doutes, fearinge that she should never have enough, and therefore continually knocketh at the door of the mind, to put him in remembrance to provide for her, saying: Adfer, Infer, bring hither, bring in. For the idle belly continually consumeth, wasteth, but getteth, provideth nothing. Therefore is she full of thought and care for her living, even as a beggare is, which is so ielouse over his drink, that he will not suffer the little fly to sit upon the brymme of his cup, leste she should beguyle him of his drink. Thys belly care causeth the Lawers to corrupt the law, the judge to give false sentence, the officers to be untrue to their Lord's and masters, the Hipocrites to corrupt the holy scriptures, the rich men to be vnliberall, unmerciful, the Beneficed men to receive much and distribute little, the Patrones of benefices, to sell to unlearned Priests their benefices, parents to sell their children like calves and sheep for money, the papiste to hate the truth of gods word, the marchaunte to for swear him self in sellynge his merchandise, the crafts man to make and utter false and sleyghty wares, the temporal Lord to raise his rentes, or to take great fines and incommes, the I • ne kepers to polle and pylle his geastes, the servant to rob his master, the maid her masters, the single or married woman to pley the whore, the single or married man to play the Rufian, and the thief, the subject to rise against his superioure. &c. Innumerable euels doth this belly care bring unto men, against the which except they be well furnyshed both with strong faith in gods holy providence, and also fortressed with the knowledge of holy scriptures, wherein lie buried so great consolacions for the faithful, they can not abide y ^• importune & continual futes of the sluggyshe belly, but must needs despair of satisfiynge her requests, and by this means not only have an unquiet mind, but also throw them selves into desperacion, and so to much wretchedly finish this their careful life

Thys belly care without doubt is a great temptaciō to mā, and very much disquieteth him, namely when he seeth all things so dere as thei be now, and despair of a redress, for as much as they which should amende this thing, are the cause of this dearth and famine, I speak of Grasiers, Shep mongers, and riche fa • mers. Therefore neighbor Philemon, ye can not entreat at this present in your communicacion among us of a thing more mete for this beggarly and needy wretched time, then to declare unto us by the holy scriptures, how merc • full and bounteous l • de we have in heaven, which will not suffer us to perish for hunger, if we hange on his fatherly providence, and cast all our care on him.

Thys your beente good will to hear, doth not a little encourage me to speak that which I have purposed, yea and that in few words, because I will not be tedious unto you.

Speak I pray you, we will give good ear.

That ye may be thoroughly persuaded of gods liberality toward his faithful servants, I pray you first of all consider gods order in the provision for his creatures. Before god made man, whom he was determined to make the high ruler under him over all things in this world, he made and prepared everything necessary for him, and for the conseruacion of his body, y ^• he might abundantly have, whatsoever is expedient for him, and by no means perish for hunger and lack of food. Fyrst placing him in paradise that garden of pleasure, he gave man liberty to eat of all the fruit that grew in the garden, except the tree of knowledge of good and • uel. After the transgressiō of gods commandment, when man was justly driven out of paradise, and worthy for his disobedience not only to starve for hunger, but also to be condemned forever, if god for his mercies sake, promised in that blessed seed Christ Jesus, had not favored & forgiven him. God sending forth man into this vale of misery, did not leave him confo •• les and without provision for his bodelye sustenance, neither sent he him into a bareyn, desert or • alte ground void of all fruit, but into this world, where he found plenty and abundance of all things, and gave him liberty to eat of all fruits and seeds growynge in it. Encrease, saith he, and multiply and replenishe the earth, and subdue it and have dominion of the fyshe of the sea, and the foul of the air and of every living thing that moveth upon the earth. And god said: Behold, I have given you every herb, sowinge seed, which is in the upper face of all the earth, and in every tree in the which is the fruit of the tree, and that sow • the seed, that they may be meat unto yo • . Wyth this kind of food was Adam and his posteritye content until the flood of Nohe. After the flood, God purposinge as it were, to repair man kind, and to be man's good and merciful lord, & no less but much more bounteous to him, then he was afore • said: bring ye forth, and multiplye and replenyshe the earth. The fear of you, & the drede of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every foul of the air, and in all such as the earth bringeth forth, and in all the fishes of the sea, into your hand are they delivered. Every thing that moveth itself, and that liveth shall be meat for you. Even as the grene herb, have I given you all things. As god afore gave mā liberty to eat all kind of herbs, sedes, and fruits that grow upon the earth, so likewise giveth he mā authority now to eat all kind of fyshe or flesh as he lysteth.

O exceadinge great is the liberality of our lord god, which dealeth so fauorablye with wretched man: Not only to give him liberty to eat all kind of herbs, seeds, and fruits, bu • also all manner of flesh and fyshe. This is without doubt a singular benefit and great token of gods inestimable goodness toward man.

Here even from the beginning and reparing of mā doth the kyndenes of god braste out and show forth it self toward man abundantly, so that now all things are pure, to them that are pure. Nothing is commune or unclean, neither is any kind of meat to be refused, if it be taken with thanks giving. For that which god hath purified & made clean, ought no man to call impure, unclean. And all these things hath god givē us to eat. Now that ye may be thorowlye persuaded of gods truth in performinge his promises, call to remembrance the histories of the holy scriptures, which do declare and evidently prove, that god is faithful in all his words, and dealeth no less fauorablye with his servants in deed, then he promiseth in word. GOD commanded Absalom to get him out of his country and out of his nation, and from his fathers house unto a lande that he would show him. Abraham did as the lord commanded him. If Abraham had not been fully persuaded of gods constancy and truth in accomplyshing his promises, would he have forsaken his native country, and gone out of his own house, where he was qui • tely placed and wealthily settled, and wandered abroad like a masterles hounde, he cannot tell whither?

A carnal and worldly wise man would have thought it great madness to leave a thing certain, for that that is vncerteyne.

So judgeth the wisdom of this world, which is folyshenes afore God. Notwythstandinge Abraham nothing doutynge of gods promise, forsook country, nation and house, and obeyed the voice and commandment of God. Neither was he any thing at all thereby impoueryshed. The scripture saith, he was very rich in cattle, silver, and gold. For his native country, God gave him a country that flowed with milk and honye, that is, with the abundance of all things. For one house, he gave him many houses. For one nation, he made him a father of many nations. So recompenseth God the losses that any man susteineth for his sake.

The like thing is promised of our savior Christ in the gospel. Ther is no mā saith he, that hath forsaken house, either father or mother, either brethren, or wife or children for the kingdom of gods sake, which shall not receive much more in this world, and in the world to come, life ever lastinge.

Who even by this one example is not greatli encouraged to believe the promise of god, and to be fully persuaded, that as god dealt with Abraham, so in like manner will he deal with us if we obey the voice of god, as Abrahā did? For there is no respect of persons with him, but in all people he that •• areth him & worketh ryghteousenes, is accepted unto him. The promise of god is universal. Whosoever therefore layeth hand on it with strong faith, he shall have of god, whatsoever he hath promised. There is no difference between the Jew and the Gentile, for one is lord of all, which is rich unto all that cal upon him. For whosoever calleth on the name of the Lord he shall be safe.

It is not without a cause, that thapokles prayed: Lord increase our faith. For if true and undoubted faith were in the hearts of mē, thei would nether distrust y ^• promise of God, nor yet despair of convenient living.

Faith is much, yea faith is altogether. Whatsoever ye axe when ye pray, saithe Christ believe to have it, and ye shall have it in deed: as god shown himself faithful in his promise to Abraham, which is the father of the faithful, so likewise did he to other, because no man should doubt of his liberality, which is comune not to Abraham only, but to all the faithefull in like manner: ye remember y ^t Hager was the hand maid of Sara Abraham's wife & because Sara hir self was bar̄ & childeles, she gave to hir husband her maid to be his wife y ^t she might be edified by hir.

We remember it well.

This Hagar brought forth a son called Ishmael, by hir master Abraham, which child was a mocker, in so much y ^t after Sara had brought forth Isahac hir son, she would not suffer neither the lad nor his master to tari any longer in hir house, but caused Abraham to put them both out.

Ye say truth.

Abraham rose up earelye in the morenynge, and toke bread and a bottle of water and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on hir shulders with the ladde also, and sent hir away. Now marc •• Hagar is put out of hir masters house with hir child. She knoweth not whither to go. She hath no house wherein to hide her head, but wandreth up and down in y ^e wilderness of Ber Seba. To comfort her no man is bente: For no man is present. As touching her vitaile, it is all spent. The bread is eaten, the water is drunk up. There remaineth now in sight no more but utterly to despair of soucoure, and miserablye to die. Which thing Hagar considering, casteth the ladde Ishmael under a bushe, goeth her way, and sitteth on the other side a great way, as it were a bow shote of, because she would not se the death of the child. Wyth howe great sorrows her heart was stuffed, wha • plenty of tears gushed out of her eyes, what careful fayntenes occupied her whole body, no man is able to express. A child to die for hunger, the mother knowing of it, yea and as it were in her sight, in her bosom, O dolour unspeakable. The mother likewise to be pearsed with the same darte, O in comparable pain. Al things are brought here to extreme desperaciō There is no way to escape this present mischief. The child crieth, the mother wepeth: Both loke for present death. But what? Is god untrue, unjust, false in his promise? Stoppeth he his cares, that he may not hear the lamentable cōplaintes of the to much wretched? Despiseth he the tears of the mother, and the cryinges of the child? Yea rather when no remedy is looked for, god is present, god conforteth, god helpeth, because he will be found a god which is faithful in all his words, which is the self truth and cannot lie, which leaveth no mā socurles that calleth on him. He sendeth his holy angel to the miserable womā, when no mortal creature is present to help. He conforteth her, and biddeth her not fear: for god hath heard, saith he, the voice of the child where he lie • th. He showeth her a well of water to confort both her & her child withal, and afterward pr • miseth that the lad Ishmael shall be a noble man, and great multitudes of people shall rise of him.

O history full of most sweet consolacion. This is a comfortable & pleasant mirror for all people to behold, specially for them that are married, and yet se not (such and so great is their poverty) howe they may be able to noryshe them. If the married folk live according to their vocation, and travail in their estate in the fear of the lord, though they have never so many childrē and great family, yet shall the sea sooner be without water and fyshe, and the land without grass and cattle, then any of them shall perish for hunger. If god provided for Ishmael and his mother in the wilderness, where no sustenaūce was to be gotten, where no mā was present but brute beasts, & fowls of the air: will he leave thē socourles, that put their trust in him, be-being in cities, towns, and villages, and cōuersant with men, where all things do abound?

If the pore married mē did earnestly wey, and diligently ponder this moste sweet and comfortable history, they should never despair of a living, neither for thē selves, nor for their children and family, neither would they seek any unlawful means, as by stierring up cōmocions, making insurreccions, spoylynge other men's goods &c, how to avoid their misery: but rather labor to answer their vocation, and without ceasing call on the name of the lord, which will deal no less favorably with thē, then he did w ^t Hagar and Ishmael. Putte thou thy trust, saith David, in the lord, and do good, so shalt thou dwell in the earth, and be fed with the best daynties thereof. Delyghte thou in the lord, and he shall give the thy hearts desire. Committe thy way to the lord, and put thy trust in him, and he shall bring it to pass. He shall make thy ryghteousenes as clear as the light, and thy just dealing as the noon day. Hold the still in the lord, and abide pacientlye upon him. &c Agayne: Put your trust in God alway, O ye people, pour out your hearts before him, for he is our hope.

In the days of Isahac Abraham's son, there fell a great dearthe in the lande where he dwelte, in so much that he removed from that place, and took his iourneye toward Abimeleche Kynge of the Philistines, even unto Gerer. And while he was yet in his journey, god spake unto him and said.

Go not down into Egypt, but abide in the land which I shall show unto the, soieorne in this land, and I will be with the, and will bless the. For unto the and to thy seed, I will give all these contreis. Behold gods careful providence for his servants. Isahac wyshing to escape the cruel daries of hunger, hunteth about where he and his may conueniētlye dwell. And rather then he would die for hunger, he after the example of his father Abrahā, determineth to go down into Egypt. God which is able to feed and to save his people in every place (for the earth is the lords and all that is contained therein) for biddeth Isahac to go down into Egypt, willeth him to tarry still in the country, and promiseth to bless him, yea to give to him and to his seed, all the contreis of that lande. Isahac obeying the voice of god, tarried in that cōtrey, & waxed exce • ding mighty, wealthy & rich. For god gave him great abundance of corn, of sheep, and of oxen, yea with a myghtie household did the lord bless him, insomuch that the king him self came unto him, & desired to make acouenaūt of peace and amity with him: unto such & so great power was Isahac grown. He which afore knew not where cōmodiously to live, and in y ^• country which he would have forsaken for penury and hunger, even he now is become so rich, that the king him self is glad to come to him, and to desire his favor.

O wonderful works of god.

Here find we that true, which is spoken by the wyseman: Put thy trust in god, and abide in thine estate, for it is an easy thing in the sight of god, to make a poor man rich, yea and that suddenly. The blessing of god hasteth to the reward of the righteous, and maketh his fruits sone to florishe and prosper.

This in deed was proved true in Isahac. phil. Not in Isahac only, but in so many as ever obeyed the voice of God, and lived according to their vocation. God is the same god to us all, that he was to Abraham and Isahac, if we by strong faith hange on him and on his fatherlye providence, as they did, if the same integrity of manners and innocence of life appeareth in us, that shined in them.

This beneficence and liberality of god toward Isahac ought to encourage all men to tarry at home in their own contreis and houses, to be content with their estate & calling, and not to stray a broad for livings, as many idle brains do now a days, leauinge their wives and their children in great care and misery, and many of them never returning unto thē. Neither ought men to doubt, but that god which is almyghty, and able to do whatsoever his good pleasure is, will as well provide for them at home in their poor cotages, as in the haulles of Princes. The blessing of the lord maketh men rich, as for careful travail it doth nothing thereto.

When Isahac sent his sonne Jacob to Mesopotamia, y ^• he might take to wife one of y ^• daughters of Labā, Jacob as he passed forth on his journey, made a vow, & said: If god will be with me, & will keep me in this journey which I go, and will give me bread to eat & clothes to put on, so y ^• I come again unto my fathers house in safety, thē shall y ^• lord be my god, & this stone which I have set up an ende, shall be gods house, and of all that thou shalt give me will I give the tenthe unto thee. Here Jacob desireth gods assistēce in his journey, that he may go and come safe. And as touching worldly goods, he desireth no more but food and raiment. And so nothing douting of gods help, he goeth forward on his journey according to the commandment of his father. Now behold the loving kindness of god toward Jacob. God which never leaveth them socourles that call on his holy name, appeareth unto Jacob in his sleep, and promiseth that he will give him & his seed the lande that he sleepeth upon, and that his posterity shall be great and many, that they shall be as the dust of the earth, and shall spread abroude to the weaste, to the easte, to the north, and to the south, yea and that in his seed all kindreds of the earth shall be bless • d.

Here are mo benefits promised to Jacob, then he asked.

Yea mo then he durst have required of god

But what of the requests concerning his journey?

Ye shall hear. Wher as Jacob desired god to be with him, and to keep him in his journey, god said unto him on this manner: Behold I am with the and will be thy keeper in all places whither thou goest, and will bring the again into this lande, neither will I leave the until I have made good all that I have promised the. According to gods promise Jacob had a prosperous journey trauailynge into Mesopotamia. Of whose cōminge, when Labā heard, unto whom he was sent of his father, Laban for very joy ran to mete him, enbrased him, and kissed him, and brought him to his house

Thys was good luck.

Good luck in deed.

So worketh god for his servants, which hath all men's hearts in his hand.

But what entertainment had Jacob afterward?

Jacob tarried with Laban twenti years: in the which time, God did not only send him bread & clothes according to his request, but also such wives as his heart desired, with many goodly children. Yea God so blessed Jacob, that he was excedinge rich in gold and silver, in maid servants and men servants, in sh • pe, Camels, Asses, goats, kyne. &c. And afterward God brought him home again into his contreye both saffelye and wealthely. Who will now distrust the promise of such a Lord, so liberal, so bounteous so beneficial?

This history is greatly comfortable for all godly traua • lers by cōtreies, hereof may they learn, y ^• god will not forsake thē nor leave thē socourles, but send thē all things necessary in their journey, defend them from their enemies, and safely bring them whō again, if they cal on his holy name & caste their care on him.

So saith the Psalmograph, he shall give his Angels charge over the, to keep the in all thy ways. They shall bear the in their hands, that thou hurt not thy foot against a stone. God shall defend the under his wings, & thou shalt be safe under his feathers. His faithfulness & truth shall be thi sheld & buckelar. Thou shalt not be afraid for ani terror by night, nor for y ^• arrow y ^• fly • th by y ^• day. Again, my help cometh even from y ^• lord which hath made heavē & earth. He will not suffer thi foot to be moved, & he that keepeth the, will not sleape. Behold he that keepeth Israel shall neither slomber nor sleape. The Lord him self is thy keeper, the Lord is thy defense upon thy right hand.

So that the sun shall not burn the by day, neither the moon by night. The Lord shall preserve the from all evil, yea it is even he that shall keep thy soul. The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth for evermore.

Thes • e be sweet and comfortable scriptures

I grant to the faithefull, which depend altogether on God and on his fatherlye providence. But the unfaithful, which trust on them selves, on their own wisdom, and policy, fele no savor nor swetnes in them, as saint Paul saith: a natural man perceaueth not the things that belong to the spirit of god for they are folyshnes unto him. But let us behold mo histories, which shall declare & set forth gods hi • providence & singular liberalite toward his servants, y ^• we may learn perfectli to hāge on the lord our god. Ye read in the first boke of Moses, that in the time of Jacob whom we spake of a little afore, there was a great dearth in all contreis, in so much that in the land of Canaan there was no vitaile to be gotten for money. Now behold the providence of god. God aforeseyng this plage of famine, to the entente that his servants should not perish in time of hunger for lack of food, wonderfully sent Joseph afore into Egypt. And although his brothers sold him in to a strange land, by this means seeking his destruction, yet god turned this his servitude unto his honor, and the evil that they did to their brother, unto their profit, wealth, and commodity. For god exalted Joseph, and set up his honor above all the lords and princes of Egypt: even next unto the Kynge was he in dignity, in so much that he had the rule of all the kings dominions, & did what seemed him good in his own eyes, such favor found he in the sight of the king thorough gods working. Now when this dearth was also felt in the lande of Canaan, and Jacob w ^t his family in great danger thereof, Jacob hearing that corn was to be sold in Egypt (for thorough Joseph's wisdom was there corn enough laid up in the store houses of every Citye in Egypt) sent his sons thither to bye corn for their money, that they might live and n • t die. To be short, seeing the history is known, when the sons of Jacob came thither for vitaile, there was Joseph their brother in hie authority, whō they judged either to be dead, or elles to live like a bond slave and drudge, not able either to do him self good or any other. In few, they had vitailes home with them, and their money also, with many precious gifts, and at the last a commandment given them y ^• they should bring their father and his household with all that he had, and provision should be made for them even in the best partes of the lande of Egypt. Yea the king him self sent char • ttes out of Egypt to fetch Jacob and all his family, and bad them not regard their stuff, for the good of all the lande of Egypt is yours, saith he. Jacob and all his were honorablye brought thither, liberally and gently enterteyned of the king, quietely and wealthelye placed in the lande of Egypt. And all this came to pass by the providence of God, which afore seeing things to come, worketh wonderfullye for the safeguard and health of his servants.

For the cause that Jacob and his children found such favor in the sight of king Pharaoh, was not fortune, nor chance, but gods providence: again, that Joseph was exalted unto such dignity, the cause thereof was not Joseph's fayr face, nor yet his goodly personage, but gods good will, which gave him such wisdom, as none had the like in all Egypt, neither was there any in all the dominions of king Pharaoh found like unto Joseph, whom the king might make governor over his realm. And all these things wrought god for the preseruaciō of his servants as Joseph himself said to his brethren: I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold in to Egypt. Now therefore be not grieved therwyth, neither let it seme a cruel thing in your eyes that ye sold me hither. For god did send me before you into Egypt for your wealth, and to save your lives. For this is the second yere of dearth in the lande, and five mo are behind, in which there shall be neither earing nor heruest. Wherefore god sent me before you to make provision, that ye might continue in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So now it was not you that sent me hither but god, which hath made me a father unto Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and ruler thorough out all the lande of Egypt. God him self also spake unto Jacob in a vision by night, saying: I am god, the god of thy father, fear not to go down into Egypt, for I will there make of the a great people. I will go down with the into Egypt, and I will also bring the again.

O the unspeakable good will of god toward all them that trust in him. What other nation, saith Moses, is so great that gods come so nye unto, as the lord our god is nye unto us in all things, so often as we call unto him? The Lord our god is a merciful god, he will not forsake us, neither destroy us, nor forget the appointment of our fathers, which he sware unto them. The lord our god cherysheth us even as a father doth his son. Wyll a mother forget the child of her womb, saith god, and not pity the son, whom she bare? And though she doth forget, yet will not I forgette the. Behold I have written the up vpō my hands. &c.

The last history which you rehearsed, neighbor Philemō, is very comfortable, and teacheth us that although the plage of famine be caste upon any realm, & the wicked thereof perish for hunger, yet will god so provide for them that fear him, & cal on his holy name, that they shall want no good thing.

Well noted neighbor Theophile. So would I have you both hear and read the histories of y ^• holy scriptures, y ^• ye should persuade yourself that whatsoever comfortable history ye find in the sacred byble, is there written for your comfort. And to prove your saying true, hear what god saith by the Prophet. Behold my sernauntes shall eat, but ye shall hunger. Behold mi servants shall drink, but ye shall suffer thirst. Behold my servants shall be merye, but ye shall be confounded. Behold my servants shall rejoice for a very quietness of heart, but ye shall cry for sorrow of heart, and complain for vexacion of mind.

The saying of Kynge David doth not much differ from this.

Behold the eyes of the lord are upon them that fear him, and upon them that trust in his mercy, that he may deliver their lives from death, and noryshe them in time of hunger. Solomon also saith: the lord will not let the life of the righteous suffer hunger.

After god had delivered the Israelites out of Egypt with an out stretched arm, and brought them into the wilderness of Sin, where they saw neither meat nor drink (for god was determined to prove them whether they wer faithful or not) they grudged against Moses and Aaron, saying: would to God we had died by the hand of the lord in the land of Egypt, whē we satte by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread our bellies full. For ye have brought us out into this wyldernesse to kill the hole multitude with hunger.

Ye se the vnthanckefulnes of this people for whō God had wrought so many wonders, and to whom God had shown so great tokens of loving kyndenes, even as a father doth to his child. Ye have heard howe they murmured agēst Moses & Aaron God's laweful ministers, which is nothing else then to murmur against God him self. Ye se their unfaithfulness, & howe they are altogether swerved from God and from his holy providence, so that they are worthy no benefit at the hand of God: but what thē? Is God false of his promise? yea rather evē for his promise sake (where unto God hath ever chief respect) which he made to their fathers Abraham, Isahac and Jacob, he wonderfullye sent them down meat from heaven, evē manna, & so fed thē as y ^• wise mā saith: y ^u hast fed thine own people with angels food, & sent thē bread redye from heaven without their labor, being very pleasant & good of taste. And to show the riches and swetnes unto thy childrē thou gavest everyone their desire, so that every man might take what lyked him best.

If God for his promise sake fedeth the unfaithful & no les vnthāckefull Israelites from heaven, we that believe his promises, and hāge only on him and on his fatherlye providence, may be sure not to want but abundantlye to have what so ever is necessary for us, as y ^e Psalmograph saith: The eyes of all things loke and wait upon the O Lord, and thou geueste them meat in due time. Thou openest thy hand, and replenishest all things living with thy blessing.

Ageine: They that fear the Lord shall have no scarsenes. Thei which seek the Lord, shall want no • good thing.

God shall sooner cease to be God, then such as unfeignedly trust in him, shall perish for hunger.

As y ^e Israelites murmured for meat, so likewise did they for water. They came to Moses & chide with him, yea thei wer almost redye to stone him, and said. Gyue us water to drink. Wherefore haste thou brought us out of Egypt to kill us and our children and cattalle with thyrste? The Lord God still con •• derynge his promises, and not weyinge their in fidelity nor vnthanckefulnes, woēderfullye and against all natural and human expectaciō, gave them plenty of sweet waters out of the hard stonye rock.

O the maruelouse works of God. He is not called almighty without a canse. For he doth what so ever his good pleasure is.

It is truly said of David: great is our Lord, and great is his power, yea his wisdom is infinite. Who will now doubt of necessari food, seeing God so meruelously fedeth the unfaithful, vnthāckefull & disobediente people?

At a nother time the rascal people y ^t was among them, being wearye of the meat sent down from heaven, fell a lustynge, and turned thē selves and wept (even as did also y ^e children of Israel) and said: who shall give us flesh to eat? We remember the fyshe which we did eat in Egypt for naught, and y ^e cucūbers, and melons, lekes, onions & garlecke. But now our soul is dried away, for we can se nothing else save Manna. And our soul lotheth this light bread. Ye see that these people are still like them selves, that is, unfaithful, vnthākefull, disobediente. O froward and crooked generaciō, saith Moses, do ye so reward the Lord, O ye foolish people and unwise?

It is not without a cause, that sainte Stephen called that nation styfnecked, uncircumcised hearts and ears, and such as alway resyste the holy ghost.

Well yet note: Notwithstandinge their infidelity, vnthanckefulnes, and disobedience God continued still just in his promises, faithful in his words, & true in his dealynges, for according to their desire for his promise sake, he would not suffer them to want, but gave them whatsoever they lusted for. Ther went forth a wind from the Lord, saith the scripture, and brought quail from the sea and let them fall about the host, evē a days iournei round about on every side of y ^e host, and they did fly in the air as it were two cubits hye over the earth.

And the people stood up, & all that day, and all that night, and on the morrow they gathered quayles. And he that gathered a little, gathered ten homers full. And they spread them abroad round about the host. Thus se ye how God for his promise sake, cheryshed the Israelytes although unfaithful, vnthanckefull and disobedient, even as y ^e Nurse doth hir sucking babe, and fed them by the space of .xl. years in y ^e wilderness without their pain, care, trayuayle or labor.

If God shown such gentilnes to the unfaithful and disobediente for his promise sake, howe much more will he show him self a gentle and loving father to them that fear him, believe in him, love him, and for their powers labor to walk in his holy pathwaies?

Such shall never want. Now marcke what followeth. As god provided meat for the Israelites, so in like manner suffered he them not to go naked, nor to perish for cold, but all that time of fortye years, when they were in the wyldernesse, he so preserved their clothes, that they waxed not old, and so saved their shoes that they were not worn: but both garments and shoes so whole at the forty years ende, as they were at their first coming into wilderness. I have led you forty years in the wyldernesse, saith god: and your clothes are not waxed old upon you, neither are the shoes of your feet, worn. Ye have eaten no bread, nor drunk wyne, or strong drink, that ye might know that I am the Lord youre god. Moses also saith: god humbled the, & suffered the to hunger, & fed the with Manna, which neither thou nor thy fathers knew of, to make the to know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouthe of the Lord, doth a man live. Thy rayement waxed not old upon the, neither did thy foot swell those forty years. Here of may ye perceive, howe bountiful God is in giving food and apparel, to them specially y ^t fear him, and keep his holy commaūdementes. Who will now be careful either for the belly, or for the back, as they say? God made thē both, God will nourish them both

These histories do so set forth the kindenes of God toward mā, that none except very infidels have just occasion to despair of God's liberality, if they cal on his name and travail according to their vocation.

There is no thing more certain. But leste any man should think, that this kindness of god ceased in them, of whom I have hitherto spoken, I will rehearse one or two histories mo out of the old testament, and then allege certain out of the new, whereof ye may learn that other proved the like kyndenes at the hand of god even as well in the new testament as in the old, that by this means ye may be perfectlye persuaded god to be the Lord of the same liberality now, that he was afore, & alike kind to his servants in all ages. Who knoweth not y ^• Elias was an excellent Prophet of god, fervent in spirit, vehement in word, and jealous for the glory of god?

The scriptures testify no less of him.

Elias stood up as fire, saith the wiseman, and his word brent like a cresset. Whyle he lived he was afraid of no Prince, and no man might overcome him. Of his praise writeth Jesus the son of Syrache.

Thys man of God lived in the time of Ahab king of Israel, in whose days God sent a great dearth into the world, for it rained not upon the earth by the space of iii. years and .vi. months. In this plage of famine, whereof innumerable without died, se howe God provided for his servant Elias. Fyrste when the waters began to be dried up, God sent him to the brook Cherith, where he promised to give him drink, which thing he unfeignedly performed: so that whē other perished for lack of drink, he had God's plenty & enough, as they use to say. Now as touching his meat, behold the wonderful power of God, which commanded the Ravens to feed him and to bring him meat. The Ravens, saith y ^• scripture, brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and likewise bread and flesh in the eueninge, & he drunk of the broke. Behold & mark well, howe god provideth for his servant. He maketh the fowls of the air to be Elias cookes, & to bring him meat, and god himself is butler & geuith him drink at y ^e broke Cherith. O what a god have the faithful, how tender & gentle, howe loving and kind is he to all thē that put their trust in him? Rather then his servant should die for meat, he maketh the fowls of the air to bring him things necessary for the sustenaūce of his body. O behold & di •• gently mark y ^e fatherli care, which the lord god hath for his servants Even as a father pitieth his own childrē, evē so is the lord merciful to thē y ^• fear him. It is truly said of y ^• Psalmograph: The lord is at hand to all thē that cal on him, yea to all thē that call on him in truth.

Elias might right well say, as David wrytethe of him self. The Lord fedethe me, therefore can I lack nothing. He shall feed me in a gre • e pasture, & lead me for the beside the waters of comfort.

As God dealt with Elyas and David, so will he deal with us, if we labor to please him as they did.

So I trust, for there is no respect of parsones w ^t God. And what so ever is written, is written for our learning, y ^t thorough patience & comfort of y ^e scriptures we may have hope.

Ye say truth. Neither did the care of God cease for his servant Elias with that benefyte, whereof ye have hitherto heard. For God is no chaungelinge, whom he loveth, he loveth to the end. Therefore whē the brook was dried up because there fell no rain upon the earth, God, which never leaveth his servants socourles▪ said to Elias, up and get the to Sarepta, which is in Sidon, and dwell there, behold I have commanded a widow there to sustain the. So he arose, and went to Sarepta. And when he came to the gate of the city, the widow was there gatheryng styckes. And he called to hir and said: fet me I pray the a little water in a vessel, y ^t I may drink. And as she was going to fet it, he cried after hir, and said: Brynge me I pray the a morsel of bread also in thine hand. She said: As truly as the Lord thy God liveth I have no bread redye, but even an handefull of meal in a barrel and a little oil in a cruse. And behold I am gatherynge two styckes for to go in, & dress it for me & my son, that we may eat & die. And Elias said unto hir: fear not, come and do as thou hast said, but make me thereof a little cake first of all, and bring it unto me, and afterward make for the & thy son. For thus saith the Lord God of Israel: the meal in the barel shall not be waked, neither shall the oil in the cruse be diminished, until the Lord have sent rain upon the earth. And she did as Elyas said. And she and her house did eat a good space, and the meal wasted not out of y ^• barrel, neither was the oil spent out of the cruse according to the word of the lord, which he spake by the hand of Elyas. Here again ye se what prouysyon God made for Elyas, and howe benefycyall he also was to Elyas hostesse, and to her household, because she entertained him so gentyllye & did what so ever he commanded.

These be comfortable histories.

And written for our comfort.

At another time when he fled from wicked Jezebel king Ahab's wife, which sware that she would surely sley him, because he had killed all Baals priests, whom she full deintely nouryshed at her own table, howe did god, even when he was a sleep, send his Angel unto him with a loaf of broiled bread, and a vessel of water, and bad him eat? For thou hast yet, saith he, a great journey to go. And in the strength of that meat, saith the scripture, walked he forty days and forty nyghtes, even unto Horeb the mount of God. Here se ye, that when we sleape, god watcheth and careth for us, even as he cared for Peter, and sent his Angel to deliver him out of prison, when Peter was in a sound sleape, and thought nothing at all of the matter. Behold saith the Psalmograph, he that keepeth Israel, shall neither slomber nor sleape. Note agein, that with one meals meat God is able to preserve us forty days and forty nyghtes, as he did the Prophet Helyas, yea all our life time, if it be his pleasure, so that it is truly said, man shall not live with bread alone, but with every word, that cometh out of y ^• mouth of God: And as God made prouysion for Elias even so stoored he up Abdia Governor of wicked king Ahab's house to petye his Prophets and to provide for them: which when diuilishe Queen Jezebel destroyed the Prophets of God, toke an hundred of them, and hyd them, fyfti in one cave, and fyftye in a nother, & provided bread and water for thē: such and so great is the care, which the Lord taketh for his servants vniuersallye.

It is therefore truly said of the Princelyke Prophet, thei y ^• seek the Lord shall want no good thing. Ageine: I have been young and am waxen old, and I have not seen y ^e righteous forsaken, nor his children beggynge their bread on the earth.

These be comfortable histories for christē and Godli preachers, whom for the moste part the wicked and vnthanckefull world neglecteth, despyseth & set nought by, yea and maketh les provision for them, then for their malte horses and bandedogges. Here may the true Prechers se, y ^t although the world regardeth them nothing at all, and suffereth them so much as in them is, not only miserable to live, but also to perish for hunger, yet God, whose ministers they are, whose word they preach, will not suffer them extremelye to want, but will either wonderfullye feed them him self, as he did Elyas, or elles store up some good Abdie to make provision for thē, as this Abdi did for the Prophets of the Lord, when they hyd them in the caves from the tyranny of queen Jezebel, & provided things necessary for their living.

We read also that a certain womā of y ^• wives of the Prophets came unto Heliseus the Prophet, declaringe unto him, that her husband was dead, & that for dette which she ought and was not able to pay, the creditor was come to fet her .ii. sons to be his bond men. This woman was a Prophets wife. Her husband is dead, which left her both pore and in dette. Comforte hath she none, but only the company of her .ii. sonnes which also the creditor would take away and make his bond men, because she is not able to discharge the dette. O in what misery is this careful woman? She hath nothing at all in her house, but a pitcher of oil. But what is that to the dispatche of the dette. And if that be gone, there remaineth nothing whereof she & her sons may live. What is then to be done?

Det must be paid. Her substance will not reach so far. To make her childrē bond slaves, should be to her present death. This therefore remaineth. The sorrowful widow lamēteth first of all her cause secretly in her hert unto god, which is the helper and patron of all true wyddowes and fatherless children, and afterward uttereth the same to Elisha the Prophet of god, which thorough gods blessing of one pytcher of oil, filleth so many empty vessels full of oil, that she sellinge part of the same, was not only able to pay her dettes at the uttermost, but also had enough of the rest to find her and her children.

O notable miracle. Here find we true y ^t holy Thoby said to his son: My son, be not afraid.

Truth it is, we lead here a poor life, but great good shall we have, if we fear god, and depart from all sin, and do well.

This woman's husband was a Prophet, and feared the lord, therefore could not she and her children remain longe confortles. For god hath promised to be a husband to such widows, and a father to such godly men's children. I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor their children begging their bread on the earth, saith the Psalmograph. Again: Blessed is the man that feareth the lord, he hath great delight in his commandments. His seed shall be myghtie upon earth, the generation of the faithful, shall be blessed. Riches and plenteousenes shall be in his house, & his ryghteousenes endureth forever.

This is a comfortable history for such godly womē as are christen preachers wives. Hereof may they learn, that though their husbands be never so poor, when they depart out of this world, yet if they remain faithful, and in the fear of god, and diligently call on his blessed name in their adversity, he will neither suffer them nor their children to lack necessaries for their living, but by one means or other send them all good things, so that they shall not want. I will not fail the, nor yet forsake the, saith god. The lord giveth meat to the hongry. Behold the eyes of the lord are upon them that fear him, and vpō them that trust in his mercy, that he may deliver their lives from death, and nouryshe them in the time of hunger. God despiseth not the desire of the fatherless nor the widow, saith the wyseman, when she poureth out her prayer before him. Dothe not god se the tears that run down the chekes of the widow? or heateth he not the complaint over such as make her to weep? For frō her chekes do y ^e tears go up unto heaven, & the lord which heareth them, doth accept thē.

At a nother time also we read, y ^t thaforesayd Prophet in the time of dearth fed the Prophets childrē, & with a few loaves norished a great number of men, in so much that they did not only eat enough, but also left much of y ^e bread, so greatly was it multiplied thorough y ^e blessing of god, which is able of a little to make much, seeing of nothing he made all. Geue unto the people, y ^t they may eat, saith y ^e Prophet. The minister answered: What, should I set this before an hundred men? Set it before the people, saith he, and let them eat, For thus saith the lord: They shall eat and leave. And he did set it before them, and they did eat and leave according to the word of the lord. Se ye not here, what the blessing of the lord is, and how all things increase and abound, when the lord openeth his hand? If we depend on gods goodness, he will surely increase our vitayle in our store houses, upon our table, yea in our mouths and bellies.

The Prophets servant though it not possible, that so great a number of men could be sustained with so few loaves. But that which is impossible with men, is possible with god.

Who therefore will doubt any more of gods liberality, have he much, or have he little? It is all one before God to feed with much, or to feed with little.

If god bless us, we cannot want, but if God's blessing be taken frō us, we must needs perish.

So saith the Psalmograph: All creatures depend vpō the O lord, that thou shuldest give them their meat in due time. For thou giving it them, they take it, and thou opening thy hand, thei are well satisfied. But y ^u hidinge thy face, they are sorrowful, & thou taking away their breth, thei are but dead, and turned into the earth, that they came of.

Howe wonderfully did God feed Daniel the Prophet, when he was caste in to the Lions den of the hye rulers, because he said that the great Dragon, whom they of Babylon worshipped as god, was not god? Dyd not the Angel of the lord take the Prophet Abacucke by the top, when he was going in to the field to bear meat to the mowers, & carried him by the herre of the head, and thorough a mighty wynd set him in Babylon, upon the den, where Daniel was? So carry thy meat, saith the Angel, that thou haste into Babylon unto Daniel, which is in the Lions den. And whan Abacuch eryed and said: O Daniel thou servant of God, have take thy breakefaste, y ^• God hath sent the. Daniel answered: O god hast thou thought upon me? well: Thou never fayleste them that love the. What a lively example is this of gods singular providence and fatherly care, which he hath for his servants? Notable and worthy to be written in letters of gold, is this saying of Daniel. Thou never faylest them that love the.

This history is very comfortable for all thē that suffer inprisonment for the glory of god, and the confession of his truth. Hereof may they learn, that god will not lean them socourles, nor destitute of help, as David saith: The lord is my light and my health, whō then shall I fear? The lord is the defender of my life, of whom then shall I be afraid? Whē mine enemies came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stoumbled and fell. Therefore though an host of men were laid against me, yet shall not my heart be afraid, yea and though there rose up war against me, yet will I put my trust in him.

As I may leave of the histories of the old Testament, and rehearse certain out of the new, that we may learn gods liberality toward his servants to be one and the same at all times, and in all ages, let us call to remembrance the wonderful miracles that Christ wrought for the sustenance of his people. Read we not that our Sauioure Christ at a certain time fed almost five thousand men beside women and children with five loaves and two fishes? And yet when they all had eaten enough, they gathered up so much of the fragments that be left, as filled twelve baskets full. At a nother time, when the people had been with Christ three days, and were ready to depart, having nothing to eat, and some of them had far to go, so that if they had gone away without meat, they should have faynted by the way, what a fryndlye care had Christ for them? I have compassion on the people, saith he, because they have continued with me three days, and have nothing to eat. And I will not let them depart fasting, leste they perish by the way.

And whē his disciples said: whence should we get so much bread in the wiloernes, as should suffice so great a multitude, & told him that they had but seven loaves, and a few little fishes, he commanded the people to sit down on the ground, and toke the sevenloaves and the fishes, and giving thanks, brake them, and delivered them to his disciples, and the disciples to the people, and they all did eat and were filled.

And they toke up of y ^e brokē meat that was left, seven baskets full. And yet they that did eat wer .iiii. thousand men besides women and children. Here se ye, that the loaves and fishes were multiplied in the hands of the disciples, and in the mouths and bellies of them that did eat thorough Christ's blessing, so mighty is he to preserve the lives of his servants in the time of need.

This is a comfortable history for all them that love to hear the word of god, & to frame their life according to the same. Such may be sure not to want the liberality of god in their necessity, which, as S. Paul saith, giveth us all things abundauntly to enjoy thē.

This affirmeth that princelyke Prophet, saying: The rich shall want & suffer hunger, but they which seek the lord, shall want no good thing.

Whē Christ & his mother with his disciples wer at the marriage in Cana a city of Galilee, ye know that y ^e gestes wanted wyne. What, spared he his liberality from them? Yea rather did he not command the seruitoures to fill the water pots with water? And when they had filled even unto the bryme .vi. water pots of stōne, containing .ii. or three fyrkins a piece, did not he turn all y ^• water in to sweet wyne? Certes they can want nothing, which have Christ present with them. Let us provide that we have Christ among us, & we may be sure to have abundaūce of all good things.

This history is very comfortable for all married persons, which mary in y ^e lord. Al such that so mary, & continue in the fear of god, may be sure, that the water in their welles shall sooner be turned into wine, & the stones of their walls in to bread, & the claye of their flores into meat, & y ^e thatch of their houses in to cloth, then thei shall extremely want necessary things, either for them selves or for their family.

Wold god all mē believed this. Then should they have merrye and quiet minds, where now thorough infidelity they be miserablye disquieted with the care of worldly things.

Laye thy care on the lord, saith David, and he shall noryshe the. Also. S. Peter: Caste all pour care on god, for he careth for you.

Agayne, how did our savior Christ provide for his disciples, when he sent them forth to preach, without money or meat? as he him self saith in the gospel of Luke. When I sent you without wallet, and scryp and shoes, lacked ye any thing? And they said: No. The disciples according to their vocation, went forth and preached the gospel, nothing doutyng but he that sent them, would provide for them. For what master can find in his hert to se his servants lack?

Thys is very comfortable for the true Preachers of gods word. Herof may they well be asserteined, that if they do their masters message faythfullye, they shall not want, though the wicked world be never so unthankful and nyggardely unto them.

O how comfortable are these words of our savior Christ to a faithful christen man: I say unto you, be not careful for the life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more worth then meat, and the body more of value then raymente? Behold the fowls of the air, for they sow not, neither reap, nor yet carry into the barns, and yet your heavenly father feedeth them. Are ye not much better then they?

Whych of you (though he took thought therefore) could put one cubit unto his stature? And why care ye then for raiment? Consider the lylies of the fyelde, howe they grow. They labor not, neither spyn. And yet for all that I say unto you, that even Solomon in all his royalty was not arrayed like unto one of these. Wherefore if god so cloth the grass, which is today in the field, & tomorrow shall be cast into y ^e furnace, shall he not much more do y ^e same unto you, o ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought saying: what shall we eat, or what shall we drink, or where w ^t shall we be clothed? After all these things seek y ^e gētiles. For your heavenly father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But rather seek ye first the kingdom of god, and the ryghteousenes thereof, and all these things shall be caste unto you. Behold what goodly and natural examples our savior christ bringeth forth here, that he may allure us to trust only on gods providence, & not to be careful for the necessaries of this life, which are not gotten by painful travail, but received of gods mere liberality. And because we should not be careful for meat, he first setteth before our eyes the fowls of y ^e air for an example, whō seeing god the father feedeth so plenteously y ^t they want nothing, when they neither sow nor reap, nor cari in to the barns, much more will he feed us, and send us whatsoever is necessary for the preservation of this our natural life, if we call on his holy name, and live according to our vocation. If he fedeth the birds because they be his creatures, which notwythstandyng so once die, that they never live after, much more will he provide for us, which are not only his creatures, but also created after his own Image, endued with an immortal soul, and made unto this ende, that we should set forth his glory, praise his blessed name: and after the general resurrection, our bodies and souls being knytte together, live with him in glory worlds without ende, as his lawful heirs, thorough Jesus Christ our Lord. And as touching our apparel, to dissuade us from thought taking for that, he byddeth us consider and diligently mark the lylyes and flowers of the field, which although they neither labor nor spynne, are so clothed with fine and pleasant colors, that not Kynge Solomon in all his royalty and glory was appareled like unto one of them. If God so decketh the transitory flower, which this day is in the field pleasauntly growynge, and tomorrow shall be cut down and caste into the furnace, howe much more will he send us conueniente apparel for our bodies, which though they once die, yet shall they rise again, and forever live with God in eternal glory?

Christ therefore concludeth, that all these things shall be cast unto us, if we seek the kingdom of god and the righteousness thereof. Lette us seek heavenly things, and things worldly shall abunde unto us. Let us labor to garnishe our minds with virtues, and god will not suffer our bodies to perish for lack of transitory things. For god is the lord which giveth meat to all flesh. He giveth, as the Psalmograph saith, food to the cattle, and fedeth the young ravens that call upon him. He fedeth y ^e Turk, the Saracen, the Jew, and all the rabble of Infidelles for their creation sake, and for his mercies sake. He therefore will not leave them that be his faithful people unprovided, socourles and destitute of help. He giveth the vile worms of y ^e earth not only their being, but also where of to live: he therefore will not se the faithful man lack, which is made like unto his own similitude and image. Let us therefore never despair either of food, or of apparel. God gave us the life, god will preserve the life. God gave us the body, god will clothe the body. Away therefore with careful pensiuenes, and pensyue care. Let us cast our eyes on gods most holy and infallible providence, which is certain and never faileth. Take hede and beware of covetousness, saith our savior christ, for no man's life standeth in thabundaunce of the things, which he possesseth.

I beseech god give us all grace so to do.

Amen good lord, I most heartily beseech the.

Furthermore that we should be certain of corporal necessaries, Christ our Sauioure hath commanded us in that prayer which we cōmomlye call the Pater noster, and so likewise taught us, that we should axe our bodily sustenance of our heavenly father. Thys would he not have done without doubt, if he had not ben certain, that according to our requests our heavenly father will deal with us, & give us our desires.

Of whom should the child crave but of his father?

Again to make us thorowli assured of this thing, what comfortable promises have we in y ^e holy scriptures? Axe & it shall be given you: Seke & ye shall find: Knocke & it shall be opened unto you. For who soever axeth receiveth, and he that seeketh, findeth, & to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Is there any mā among you, which if his son axed him bread, would offer him a stone? Or if he axed fyshe, would he profer him a serpent? If ye then which are evil, can give to your children good gifts, how much more shall your father which is in heavē, give good things to thē that axe him? What soever ye desire when ye pray, believe that ye shall have it, & it shall be done unto you. Uereli, verily I say unto you, whatsoever ye shall axe the father in my name, he will give it you. Axe and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full. The lord is at hand, saith. S. Paul. Be not careful, but in all things show your petition unto god, in prayer, and supplication, with giving of thanks. Many other moste sweet and comfortable promises have we in the holy scriptures, wherbi we be assured to obtain of god, whatsoever we axe of him being agreeable to his moste holy will.

To axe necessaries for our living, is according to gods will.

Truth. For God hath commanded us so to do, and promised that he will hear us.

Jacob and Solomon, as the scripture witnesseth, axed of god necessaryes for their living, and were heard.

Although we ought to depend on gods providence, and by strong faith and fervent prayer loke for all good things at his hand, yet may not we be idle, and lie wyde open, gapyng when godwyll put meat into our mouths like careless swine.

God forbid. For as the holy man Job saith: A man is borne to labor, evē as the byrde is to fly. From the beginnynge, god appointed man to labor, saying: In the sweet of thy face shalt thou eat thy bread, until thou return unto the earth, whence thou wast taken: For earth thou art and unto earth shalt thou return. David also saith: Thou shalt eat the labors of thine own hands. The holy apostle Saynte Paul giveth a commandment, that if ani man will not labor, the same should not eat, and giveth a charge that all men work with quietness, and eat their own bread. We beseech you brethren, saith he, that ye study to be quiet, and to meddle with your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you. Again, let him that stole, steal no more, but let him rather labor with his hands some good thing, that he may have to give unto him that needeth. Saint Paul calleth it theft for any man to live of the labor of other men's hands, idelly and without any certain vocation, and commandeth that all such should labor and get them some honest occupacion, whereby they may be the more able both to find them selves, and also to distribute unto other, that have need. Our first father Adam toiled in the earth according to gods commandment, and so ga • his living. Cain was a plowman. Abel was a shepherd. Iuball exercised musycke. Thubalcain was a smyth, and a graver in metal. No he was a planter of vineyardes. Abraham, Lot, Isaac, and Jacob were plowmen and shepeheardes. Joseph was a Magistrate, and a public minister in the common weal of Egypt under king Pharaoh.

Moses was a Shepehearde, and kept the sheep of Jethro his father in law, Prieste of Madian. The Chyldren of Israel got their living with hard and painful labor in Egypt under Kynge Pharaoh. David before he was anointed Kynge of Israel was a shepherd. All the Priests and Levites of the old law, every man according to his vocation labored by giving attendaunce in the temple, by kyllinge of beasts, and offering sacrifices, by studyinge the Scriptures of God, and teaching the same unto the people. etce. Amos the Prophet, was one of the shepeheardes at Therna. Abacuch the Prophet travailed in husbandry. Christ him self was a carpenter. The Apostles of Christ were fyshers. Paul labored with his own hands, and gat both his own living, and others that were with him. Saint Luke was a Phisicion, and as some writeth a Paynter also. Aquila was a maker of tents, of the which occupacion Saynte Paul was.

Simon, Sayncte Peters host was a Tanner. Dorcas that virtuous womanne made garments with her own hands, and gave them to the poor.

Ther was no good & godly man even from the beginning of the world, which hath not practiced sūwhat to get his living, and lived in some certain honest and godly vocation, wherein he might with a good conscience eat his bread.

The Magistrate is called of god to rule with the temporal sword, to be gouernoure of the people, to promote gods word, to noryshe the preachers of the same, to exercise justice, to defend the widow and fatherless, to conserve the common weal, to banyshe all false religion out of his realm, and to seek the quietenes and commodity of his subjects, even as a father seeketh the health and profit of his natural son. The spiritual minister is appointed of God to rule with the sword of the spirit, which is the word of god, to rebuke sinners with the law, yea and to excomunicate them, if thei be obstinate and will not repent, to comfort and cheryshe the weak with the sweet promises of the holy scripture, to encorage the strong, & to exhort them to go forward until they wax ancient, and be perfect in Christ's religion, to minister the sacraments, to make colleccions for the pore, to maintain hospitality, for the relief of the nedie. The subject is called of god to obey, and to be in subieccion unto his superiors, and every one of them is bound by the commandment of god, to live in their vocaciō. The Lawer, in pleadyng and defending poor men's causes: The Shomaker, in making shoes, the Tailor, in making garments, the Merchaunt, in occupyinge merchandise faythfullye and truly, the Scholemaster, in bringing up his scholars godly and virtuously, the Father of the household, to provide for his family, the Mother of the household, to look upon things pertaining to the house, and to see her family well governed, and so forth in all other persons, in what soever state God hath called them. Every man in his vocation ought to labor, and by no means to be idle. And who so doth, God will bless his labors, and send him wherewith abundauntlie to live.

The wise man saith: the slugherde ploweth not for cold, wherefore he beggeth in herueste, and getteth nothing. He that gathereth in heruest, is a wise son: but he that is idle in somer, is the son of confusion. Again: He that tylleth his field shall be satisfied, but he that is idle, shall suffer hunger.

God in deed hath promised to feed us, but yet so, that we our selves labor for our living. God hath promised us salvation in Christ Jesus, yet so, that we believe his promise, and labor to the uttermost of our power, to frame our lives according to his blessed will.

David saith not only, Spera in domino, trust in the Lord, but he addeth unto it, et fac bonitatem, and do good. All our affiaunce and trust, must be reposed in God, and all good things must be looked for at his hand, yet must we do that lieth in our power concerning all those things that we desire to obtain of God.

Therefore Christ saith: Take no thought. He saith not, labor not. The pensive care and thought taking for our living, wherewith the Heathen be so greatly disquieted, we must caste away from us, and lay it upon God, which careth for us: but as for labor, which is laid upon us of God as a Cross for our sin, and disobeience in Adam, we may not refuse, every mā in his vocation, but ioyfullye take it upon us, and give god thanks, that by such means without our care and thought taking, he will feed us according to his word. For what are all our pains, labors, and travails, if god bless them not? as the Psalmograph saith: Except the lord build the house their labor is but lost that build it. Except the lord keep the city, he watcheth but in vain that keepeth it.

Me think the occasion of this dearth, wherewith we are now oppressed, is not so greatly to be ascribed unto the covetousness of certain gredye gripes, as unto our own selves, unto our ungodliness and dissolucion of life, which so live, as though there were no God at all, so behave our selves, as though there were neither heaven nor hell. They which have the gospel swymminge in their lips, so live clean contrary to the doctrine of the gospel, as though there were no gospel at all. In ambition, in pride, in covetousness, in envy, in malice, in wātonnes of life. &c. thei give place to none. Another sort are so drowned in papistry, in superstition, in hypocrisy. &c. and burn with such an immortal hatred against gods word, that they can neither abide that (otherwise then it shall serve their fancy) nor the preachers of it, nor yet such as a uaunce it. Can God do any otherwise then send his plages, where such impiety & ungodliness reign? It cometh from gods great mercies, that we be not consumed, and handled as Sodom & Gomorre. But our own damnation sleepeth not, if we do not both shortly and earnestly repent and amende.

Truth it is in deed, that god many times sendeth the plage of famyne into the world for sin, as it came to pass in the time of that moste wicked an idolatrous king Ahab, and at diverse other times. And Moses that most excellent Prophet of God, saith: If thou wilt herken diligently unto the voice of the lord thy god, to observe & do all his commandments, which I command the this day, the lord will set the up on hie above all nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come on the, and overtake the, if thou wilt herken unto the voice of the Lord thy god. Blessed shalt thou be in the town, and blessed in the fields. Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy cattle, the fruit of thy oxen, and thy flocks of sheep. Blessed shall thy almerye be and thy store. Blessed shalt thou be both when thou goest out, and blessed when thou comest in. &c. The Lord shall command the blessing to be with the in thy store houses, and in all that thou setteste thine hand to. &c. The Lord shall make thee plenteouse in goods, in the fruit of thy body, in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy ground. &c. The Lord shall open unto thee his good treasure, even the heaven, to give rain unto thy lande in due ceason, and to bless all the labors of thine hand. &c. But and if thou wilt not herken unto the voice of the Lord thy god, to keep and do all his commandments and ordinances, which I command thee this day, then all these curses shall come upon the, and overtake the. Cursed shalt thou be in the town, and cursed in the field. Cursed shall thine almery be, and thy store.

Cursed shall the fruit of thy body and the fruit of thy lande be, and the fruit of thy oxen, & the flocks of thy • hepe. And cursed shalt thou be when thou goeste in, and when thou goest out. And the lord shall send upon the famine, hunger and going to naught in all things that thou settest thine hand to, until thou be destroyed and brought to naught quyckely, because of the wickedness of thine inuencions, in that thou haste forsaken the lord. And the heaven that is over thy head shall be brass, and the earth that is under thee, Iron. And the Lord shall turn the rain of thy lande unto powder and dust, even from heaven shall they come • own upon thee, until thou be brought to naught. &c. Thou shalt carrye much seed out in to the field, and shalt gather but little in: For the vermin shall destroy it. The Prophet Isaiah also saith: If ye be loving and obediente, ye shall eat the good things of the earth. But if ye be obstinate and rebellious, ye shall be devoured with the swerd. For thus the lord hath promised with his own mouthe. These sentences, with many other in the holy scripture • d • evidently show, that the plage of famine and hunger is sent unto us of god for our sins.

It is convenient therefore, that we all hearken to the admonition of God given by the Psalmograph, which is, that there be no strange God among us, nor that we worship any other God, but him alone, which only is the lord our god that delivered us out of the spiritual Egypt, that is, from the servitude and tirannye of Satan. If we so do, God promiseth that he will give us whatsoever we ask of him. He will feed us with the finest wheat flour, yea & satisfy us with honey out of the stony rock. But to obtain of God this abundance & wealth, we may worship, and have no strange gods. These strange & new found gods, are not only idols and maumettes made of wood or stone, which in times past the simple and foolish ignorant people worshipped as gods, but the abhominable vices, which reign so commonly now among us, I mean covetousness, pride, ambition, glotonie, lecherie, malice. &c. These are strange gods. These must we put out of our breasts, if we will have god merciful and liberal unto us.

For is this reasonable for us to serve strange gods, and to give over our selves as bond slaves to them, and yet to require our wages and reward of the true and only living God? What fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? What company hath light with darkness? What concord hath Christ w ^t Belial? Either what part hath he y ^t believeth with an infidel? How agreeth the temple of god with idols? Know ye not saith .s. Paul how that to whom soever ye commit yourselves as servants to obey, his servants ye are to whō ye obei, whether it be of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? Everyone y ^t doth sin, is the servant of sin, saith Christ. We must first of all be gods servants, before we flatter our selves w ^t the obtaining of the good things promised by god, or elles we deceive our selves. If we be once the servants of god, and faithfully continue in his service, then may we be bold to axe of him our wages, and to persuade our selves, that all the comfortable Histories and sentences, which we read in the holy scriptures, pertain unto us, otherwise we have no more to do with them, then the Turcke or the Jew. And if we receive any good thing at the hand of god being not his servants, we receive it as all other Infidelles do, unto our damnaciō.

I confess neighbor Eusebius all this to be true, which you have now spoken. Neither meant I by talking so much of gods gentleness and liberality, & by alledgeynge all these comfortable histories and sentences, to stablyshe the Idolaters in their Idolatry, the wicked in their wickedness, the covetous worldlings in their couetousenes, the proud in their pride, the lecherous in their lecherie, the idle bellies in their idleness. &c. and yet notwithstanding to loke for all those good things at the hand of god, which belong unto his sernauntes, as he witnesseth by the Prophet, but to declare for your comfort and mine, that so many as give them selves over to God, believe in him, fear him, serve him, and live according to their vocation, shall never perish for hunger, but at all times have whatsoever is necessary for them. And if any should chance to famishe (which seldom or never happeneth) God suffereth them so to do, partly that he may the sooner call them unto his glory, partelye, that their death may turn unto the greater damnation of such unmerciful monstures, as suffered the servants of god to perish for hunger.

We know your godly entente, brother Philemon, neither doth our neyghboure Eusebius otherwise take the matter. And I for my parte thank you right her tely for your godly admonicions, freely confessinge that I am much edified by your talk, and strongly enarmed against the darts of poverty and hunger, whensoever thei shall go about to oppress me.

We all confess no less.

I spake that I spake, to this ende, that men should not flatter them selves w ^t the sweet & comfortable promises of god, when they live in all wickedness, and abomination, which promises pertain not unto them, but unto the faithful servants of god, which shall enjoy no less at the hand of god, then he hath promised. If they will enjoy the like commodity, they must do the like seruise. Thei must away with their strange and new found gods, I mean, pride, couetousenes, gluttony, whoredom, malice. &c. and serve the only true, and living God.

Well neyghboures, to knyt up our talk with few words, ye have heard howe beneficial God is to them that put theyre trust iu him, and live according to their vocation: so that those that be faithful need not to despair of comfort, seme the scarsenes of things so great, that it bringeth present death almost with it. For in that dearthe and penurye, the faithful man that casteth his care on God, and hangeth wholly on his fatherlye providence, may well say with the Psalmograph. If I walcke in the mids of the shadow of death, I will not be afraid of any evil, for thou art with me. God is ever present with his people in all their tribulacion, & he will undoubtedly deliver them, & save them harmless. Thys now remaineth, that when ye come among the poor neadye Christians, ye comfort them with these sweet scriptures that ye have heard, which without all doubt shall greatly stir and quiet their minds, and refrain them from attemptyng any unlawful redress of things after this. Agayne, according to your ability, releue their poverty with your riches.

Exhorte your rich neyghboures likewise to be beneficial to the poor, as the faithful stewards of God, remembrynge that unto that ende god hath endued them with their possessions. Praye unto god that he may give unto the covetous worldlings, a merciful and liberal heart, that after this they may no less wyllynglye seek the profit of their neyghboures, then hitherto they have sought their own private lucre, and singular commodity. To conclude, pray unto god, that everyone of us may so live, and so frame our life according to his will, that he may vouchsafe to bless us, and send us necessaryes for our living, that we may the more freely, and with the more quiet minds, serve him in holiness and righteousness all the days of our life. Well neyghboures, I pray you take the pains to come into the parlor with me. Ye shall take your parte of such homelye fare as I have. And I pray yon be no strangers: The ofter ye come the more welcome shall you be.

We thank you moste gentle neyghboure Philemon, and praised be the lord for your godly and comfortable exhortacions. Chri.