A COMFORT AGAINST THE Spaniard. DEVT. 20. And when ye are come nigh unto the battle, the Priest shall come forth to speak unto the peole. And shall say unto them, Hear, O Israel, you are come this day unto battle against your enemies, let not your hearts faint, neither fear, nor be amazed, nor in dread of them. For the Lord your God goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, and to save you. LONDON Printed by john Windet for I. O. 1596. ornamental border TO THE REVEREND FATHER IN God, William Lord Bishop of Norwich, and to the rest of her majesties Officers for the execution of justice in that Dioces. T. N. wisheth grace and peace. IS it true that the spaniards will come this spring? And is it not as true that we are ready to receive them? Hath this land at any time had, either better provision, or more Soldiers: braver Captains to lead them, or sounder Divines to encourage them? Yea, but what for Armour on our backs if fear be in our hearts? can fear there remain where our late victories are remembered? Is not our enemy the same, our case, nay our God the same? But Pharaoh, and Sisera, their overthrow is now forgotten. Miriam may sing alone, and Barac and Deborah can get no hearers. O, rather let this book call to mind our duty, for why should we deprive, either our GOD of his glory, or ourselves of such a comfort? Is it not an hours Sermon of that invincible Navy, and a brief Apology of the Portugal voyage? and doth it not set before our eyes how great things the Lord hath done for us? To this end I have published it, & to your Lordship, and worships, I do Dedicate it. Beseeching God, so to bless you in governing us, that still the Gospel may have free passage among us. So shall we still eat the fruit of our vines, in despite of Senacherib: and good Ezechias shall not want Esays to comfort her, when Rabsache shall be sent to rail upon her. Your Lordships, and worships in Christ Thomas Nun Minister of the word, at Weston. A Comfort, against the Spaniarde. jud. 5. ver. 19 19 The Kings came, they fought: then fought the Kings of of Canaan at Taanach by the waters of Megiddo: they got not the money they desired. 20 From heaven they fought, the stars in their courses fought against Sisera. 21 The river Kishon swept them away, the river of their meetings the river Kishon. O my soul tread under foot what soever seemeth valiant. 22 Then the horsehoofes were battered by the swift fleeing of their valiants. 23 Curse ye Meroz: (saith the Angel of jehova) curse ye the inhabitants thereof, because they came not to help jehovah, to help jehovah among the mighties. 24 Let jael the wife of Cheber the Kenite be blessed above women: above women dwelling in tents let her be blessed 25 He asked water, she gave him milk: she brought forth cream in a lordly dish. 26 She put her left hand to the nail, and her right hand to the workman's hammer and she smote Sisera: she took away his head and battered & bruised his temples. 27 Between her feet he bowed himself, he fell & lay still between her feet: he bowed himself he fell, and where he bowed himself there he fell deprived of his life. 28 The mother of Sisera looked out at a window, & chatted through the lattesse: why doth his chariot defer to return? why tarry the wheels of his chariots? 29 Her wise Ladies answered her, yea she herself answered her own words. 30 Have they not gotten? do they not divide the spoil? A maid, yea two maidens to every one? Sisera hath a prey of divers colours, a pray of divers colours, of colours of nelde work, of divers colours of needle work on both sides, for the necks of the spoilers. FAther jacob in his last * Gen 49.21. will foreshoweth, that Neptalie should be a hind let go, giving goodly words. The singer of the song (beloved) is the performer of this Prophecy, even Barack of a jud, 46. Cadesh the son of Abinoam: for as his feet were swift in c jud. 4, 10. leaving his army against Sisera: so are his words sweet which for the victory he here singeth with Deborah. The whole song is longer than may now be handled, this part as fittest for our purpose I have red unto you: for we are here assembled, not only to sanctify this Sabaoth as at other times: but also to bless God for the late Spaniards overthrow. It containeth 12. verses, and consisteth of two members. In the one the battle is described: in the other a curse to Meroz and a blessing to jael is pronounced. Three circumstances describe the battle: the place where it was fought: the parties that fought it & the event of it. Two places are named Taanah and Megiddo neighbour towns in half e josua. 17 11. Manasses. At Megiddo good king josias was * 2. King. 23.22. 2. Chron. 35.22.23. slain in the battle, & to Megiddo the three spirits like Frogs in the a reve. 16.13. Revelation do bring the kings of the earth to battle: the allusion is unto this text, & the meaning is, that pseudocatholikes should fight with no better success against Christians, after the reviving of the gospel, than did Sisera against Barack at the waters of Megiddo. And in this sense, well may our narrow Seas be called the waters of Megiddo, for thither their pride brought them, and there were they cutin pieces. And thus much for the place, the parties that fought are now to be considered. Sisera and his adherents is the one, and Barack and his partakers the other. Sisera his adherents are thus recorded. The kings came, they fought: then fought the Kings of Canaan. josua in conquering the land, killed c josu. 12.24. one & thirty of them, Israel had express e Exod, 23.33. and Deut. 7.2. commandment to root out the rest: a jud. 1.21. But Benjamin, a jud. 1.28. Zabulon, a jud. 1.30. Asher and a jud. 1.31. Neptalie, thought it better policy to put than to tribute: they preferred gain before godliness, but what gained they by that policy? They found them pricks in their eyes, and thorns in their sides, as God had c Numb. 33.55. threatened: they were brought to mere beggary and extreme slavery, as well they deserved: mere beggary, for their high e jud. 5.6. ways were unoccupied, and traffic ceased: extreme slavery, for the servant of servants, even cursed Canaan became * jud. 4.2. Lord over them. But what is not Canaan his curse upon the Pope's back? Is not he as rightly called the servant of servants as a Gen. 9.25. Canaan was? If so? Why is not his brood rooted out from among us? Or seeing England will still be pitying of them, why are they not Lords over her as was Canaan over Israel? The difference between them is the reason of it: for Israel chose new Gods; England hath renounced I idolatry, Israel did c jud. 4.1. evil in the sight of the Lord: England giveth free passage unto the Gospel. And this I dare assure you, that so long as English laws do countenance true religion, England shall be ours in despite of God's enemies. Truth it is, that in space of 339. years Israel was e jud. 3.8. jud. 3.12. jud. 4.2. jud. 6, 1 jud. 10 7. jud. 13.1. six times oppressed: but this also is as true that no one oppression began before Israel went a whoring after other Gods. The ten tribes were * 2. King. 17.2 carried captive into Ashur: but the ten tribes had first 257. years continued in the sin of jeroboam. a 2. King. 24.14. & 25.11. 2. Chron. 36.20. Daniel. 1.2, judah & Benjamin were carried to Babel: but not before josias, his children had c 2. King. 23.32, & 37. & 24, 9 & 19 overthrown what josias had established concerning religion. And as for their posterity which returned from Babel, to build the temple, e 2. King. 2●. 2, 2. Chro. 34.2. they became Saducees and pharisees: they a Mat, 27.22. Mark, 15.13. Luk. 23.21. john, 19.15. joined with the Romans', to Crucify Christ, before Titus, either sacked their City, or burned their temple. We read of David that he c 1, King. 15.5. held Religion all his days, the like we read of e 1. King. 22.43. jehoshaphat, the like of * 2. King, 18, 3. Ezechias, and the like of a 2. King, 22.2. josias, and who of all their enemies prevailed against their land in their days? And yet to that purpose, how often and how dangerously were they assaulted? Twice Philistims army was c 1. Chro. 14.11. & 13. pitched in Baalperasim: once Edom, Ishmael, Moab, Ammon, Philistims, Amalakites, Hagarens, Gebalites yea and Ashur too had e 2. Chro. 20.1. &, 2. and Psal. conspired together, and were approached to Engeddi: * 2. King. 18.17. Rabsache had brought his host to the walls of jerusalem: and to such a plunge Necho Pharaoh put judah that she lost her a 2. King. 23.29. King in the battle even good King josias. And to come to those sour c Revel. 9.14. unto. 20. Angels of God's wrath, I mean the Turks and Saracens, what though for their multitude, they are c ten thousand thousands: for their force horses: for their courage lions heads: for their great desolation they make burning where they come, they have Habergions fiery blue, and brimstone, and for their doing this upon a word, fire, smoke and brimstone come out of their mouths: yet Christian nations they overrun not, only they kill such men as will be still e reve. 9.20. worshipping of Devils, and Idols of gold, silver, stone & wood, there only making desolation where God's wrath is provoked by Idolatry. Solomon was as a lions whelp couched in his den whilst he held Religion, but after that his thousand wives had * 1. King. 12 3. turned his heart, who then had not a heart to rise up against him? Hadad, Reason, jeroboam how pitifully did they a 1. King. 12.14.23. & 26. verse afflict him? And at the last c 1. King. 1●. 20. rent in two pieces his kingdom. Israel had e Exod. 34.24. promises of her God to be kept safe in her land, whilst she held his ceremonies. His ceremonies we hold whilst his son we profess, for he is the end of them, & the truth of them, and therefore as safe as were the Israelitish women from the enemy at home, whilst their husbands appeared before God at jerusalem: so safe are we from the Papists, whilst we hold fast our profession. Salomons temple was seven years in * 1. King, 6.38. building, Nabuchadnezar, a 2. King. 25, 9 burned it, he was seven years to be a c Dan. 4, 22, beast for it: yet Daniel giveth him this e Dan. 4.24. assurance, that if he would break of his sins by righteousness, and his iniquities by pitying the poor people, there should be a prolonging of his peace, * Eliza. 1 Our Queen hath broken the neck of Popery, hath received into her kingdom Christ's righteousness, & pitying the poor souls of her ignorant subjects hath caused it to be preached among them. And why should we distrust God for the continuance of our peace, whilst she and her successors continue this course? Yea but Moses telleth Israel, that if they do not all God's commandments, the enemies shall eat the fruits of their land. Now England is so full of sin that in stead of all it seemeth to perform scarcely and one of them. * Levi. 26.15, 16. The text is, if ye keep not my commandments but break my covenant then etc. Now England, howsoever it faileth in civil duties, yet holding the covenant she is not subject to this punishment. Neither is she therefore the rather to be secure: for wherefore is pestilence and famine so often among us? Wherefore so often is the sword of the enemy upon our soldiers abroad? The sword of the magistrate upon our malefactors at home? But for her sins. Neither yet any whit the more is she the to spare the Papists, for do they not deny the nature & offices of Christ? Do they not give unto that a Revel. 9.11. Abaddon what is due unto our Sovereign? They are heretics and in truth very Traitors, & yet you would think them the best subjects, if you consider but their dealings with unreformed ministers: they are so zealous in speeches against them, and so importunate with judges till sentence be given against them. But O ye fools, can ye imagine no other let for bringing in again your superstitions, but only that the learned ministers their mouths are still opened? Are the laws so soon altered? Will England be so soon at your beck, as when with the Dog she returned to the vomit, and with the swine to the mire? Hath she these 37. years hated the whore, left her naked and burnt her with fire, and should she now again begin to love her? I tell you God hath put these things into her heart to do them, strive not longer against his government. Come out of Babel as we have done, kiss his Son & then live in our land, yea live for ever. But if still you will have a saul's eye against God's Ambassadors: then O ye judges do ye justice, & let not c Conser. Ezra. 2.13. with Revela. 13.18. Adonicams children stand up against them. Are they not e Revel. 11.3. two for their fewness and in sackcloth for their poorness? Yet out of their mouths cometh the * Revel, 11.5. fire that devoureth your enemies, they are your a 2. King. 6.17. fathers, and the c 2. King. 2.12. chariots and horsemen of Israel, they bring unto you the glad tidings of the Gospel, which if you believe, you shall e josu, 3.16. live for ever, and if you still profess you shall still be safe from your enemies. And this of Sisera his adherents. Barack is the other party * jud. 4.10. 10000 marched under his banner, but who revenged his quarrel? From heaven they fought, the stars in their courses fought against Sisera. These were dumb creatures, yet such as jehovah useth to destroy his enemies. At his commandment the waters a Gen. 7.23. destroyed the old world: fire from heaven c Gen. 19.24.25. Sodom and Gomorrath; e Exod. 9.24.25. hail and * Exod, 10, 14, 15. grasshoppers the fruits and beasts of Egypt: the red a Exod, 14.28. Sea Pharaoh and all his host: c josu. 10, 11. hailstones more of josua's enemies than did all josuas army, the Lord of hosts is his name. The hosts of heaven and earth are always ready priest for his armies. Had the Spaniard learned this lesson he would have trembled to have given the name of God to his Navy, for only jehovah is invincible. The Centurion showeth by his answer how well he believed it, I am not worthy * Mat, 8.8. saith he to our Saviour that thou shouldest come under my roof, only speak the word and my servant shall be healed: for I have soldiers under me, I say to one come and he cometh, and to another go and he goeth: As if he should say: health, and consequently all other creatures are so ready to go & come at thy word, as are my soldiers at my commandment. But to leave this point, and to come to the event of the battle which thus followeth. They got not the money they desired. The river Kishon swept them away, the river of their meetings, the river Kishon. There were the horsehoofes battered with the swift fleeing of their valiants. And was it any marvel, though Sisera his army was thus foiled? who ever resisted God & prevailed? daniel's profane kingdoms could not, yet was Babel among people as a a Dan. ● 4, Lion among beasts. The Medes & Persians ruled over 127. nations. Alexander in six years well nigh overran the whole world, and the kingdom erected by his Captains was a fearful and ugly c Ester. 1.1. beast with ten horns. These in Nebuchadnezars' eyes were as a goodly image, whose head was of gold, breast & arms of silver, belly of brass, and feet of iron: yet for resisting God & abusing his people, in short time the Lord so powned them to a Dan. 2.34, powder, that at his coming in the flesh, scarcely a remnant remained of them. And as for Rome, howsoever by God's close providence it may remain for a time, for the holiness of Pilat's vicar to abide in: yet seeing she hath c Mat, 27.26. killed the Lord, banished john, & continually e Revel. 17.6. & 18, 24, shed the blood of God's saints, her damnation is decreed, she is that a Numb. 24 24 Chittim that must in the end perish. In john's days she was called the c Revel. 17.18. great City, and rule over the Kings of the earth had she: But that great City shall e Revel, 16.19. drink of the wine of the cup of God's fury, * Revel. 16.21. hail like talents shall fall upon it, the whore shall a Revel. 18.8. come to destruction, her c Revel, 18.15. Merchants may bewail her, but none shall be able to help her. But to return to Sisera: he had e jud. 4.3. 900. iron Chariots: his Ladies were assured that he could not lose the victory, how therefore do they comfort his mother concerning his long tarrying? Have they not gotten? do they not divide the spoil? a maid yea two maids to every one. Sisera hath a prey of divers colours, a pray of divers colours of needle work, of divers colours of needle work, on both sides for the necks of the spoilers. But the a Pro. 10.28. fools their hope quickly perished, for Sisera is now dead, the army fled and drowned: c jere. 6. 1●. they said peace peace, but sudden destruction came upon them. And this for the former part of my text. The other is Meroz, curse & jael's blessing. The cause of her curse thus followeth. Curse ye Meroz saith the Angel of jehovah, curse ye the inhabitants thereof, because they came not to help jehova: to help jehovah against the mighty. Meroz durst not venture a limb to get liberty, she was situated so nigh the battle and so faint hearted, that well she might be some town in Isaschar, the only tribe which Deborah * jud. 5.16. upraideth of asselike sluggishness, and which father jacob a Gen. 49.14. foretold should be an Ass couched under two burdens. She only regarded her commodities, so she kept them Sisera, or jehovah whom she served she cared not: Luke warm c Revel. 3 14. Laodicea was much like her in behaviour, and almost the like punishment had she, for she e reve. 3.16. was spewed out of the Lords mouth, and Meroz is here accursed from his mouth▪ And this of Meroz curse: Melts blessing thus followeth. Let jael the wife of Cheber the Levite, be blessed above women, above women, dwelling in the tents let her be blessed. He asked water, she gave him Milk, she brought forth Cream in a lordly dish: she put her lift hand to the nail, and her right hand to the workman's hammer, and she smote Sisera, she took away the head, and battered and bruised his temples. Between her feet he bowed himself, he fell, and where he bowed himself, there he fell deprived of his life. Before we come to jael's blessing, a word must be spoken of her Country and exploit: she was neither Israelite nor Canaanite, but a Kenite, a jud. 4.4.11. descended from * Exod, 3.1. jethro king of Median Moses father in law the Kenite. Lot and jethro showed the like obedience, the one a Gen. 14.4 left his father's house to go with Abraham, the other c Mat, 11, 5 left a kingdom to go with Moses, and almost the like reward found they for Ruth the daughter of Lot was the Lord's mother, c and jael the daughter of jethro * jud. 4.17. killed the Lord's enemy. But why should jael therefore be blessed, was he not in league with her? Did not he * fly to her house for secure? The league was but civil and private: But now a a jud. 4. public cause is in hand & the Lords battle in fight, she was to prefer the cause of religion before her covenant with Sisera: Her blessing was the very same that Gabriel c Luk, 1, 28. bestowed upon Mary, for bearing the Lord, this only excepted that Mary is blessed among women, but jael above women. I will not now dispute whose was the greast blessing, but this I am sure of, that they were both saved by believing, and not by these works, howsoever they had a prerogative above women for them. For this is a sealed truth, that we are saved by e Ephe. 2.8 9 faith, and not by the wokes of the law: Yea, Marry * Luk. 1.47. rejoiceth in God her Saviour. The time is past: yet a word of the Spaniard; and that by way of comparison, with the enemy we have now in hand. Sisera a judg. 4 3. had 900. iron Chariots, the Spaniard a Navy invincible: Sisera with an high hand, came down to the river Kishon. The Spaniard brought their Navy on our natrow Seas with the like affection. In Israel none doubted to follow Barack but such as misbelieved Deborah her prophecy: In England none fainted to take armour against the Spaniard, but such as knew not the course of God's government. c judge 4.9. Deborah went up with Barack to comfort his Soldiers. And at Tilberie O Elizabeth, how were thy Soldiers encouraged at thy presence? Maidenlike in attire, thou camest unto them, but warrierlike in behaviour wast thou among them, void of fear was thy countenance, and gracious were thy speeches: Mighty was thine army as was Baracks, but jehovah would have the glory as then he had, his winds revenged thy quarrel. O jehovah, to thee must we sing, thou wast our man of war in that day, the horse and his rider thou overthrewest in the Sea, thou hast triumphed valiantly: The Spaniard said we will pursue, we will overtake, we will divide the spoil, our lust shall be satisfied upon them: thou blewest with thy winds, the depth covered them, they sunk to the bottom as a stone. O jehovah, so let thine enemies perish, but they that love thee, let them be as the Sun arising to his strength. The Apology of the Portugal voyage. THe Portugal voyage had a double purpose: the one to spoil the K. of Spain his towns of victual, the other to weaken his strength of men and shipping: and both these to this end, that he being impoverished and weakened at home, the Church in England might without fear still serve the Lord jesus in holiness and righteousness. This was no evil meaning, seeing God commandeth * Revel. 18, 6. to do unto them as they thought to have done unto us: seeing also Rome is babel which if we destroy we have ablessing. One means to accomplish this, was the carrying of the K. of Porting all into his country: neither was this a cursed course though his Religion be accursed: for shall we condemn Abraham for c Gen. 14.24. carrying with him Anar Eschol, and Mamre for recovery of his Nephew Lot? Or e Gen. 30.7 loseph for using the help of Pharaos' servants when Bee went to bury his Father? Or * Nehemi, 27. 8. Nehemiah for having aid from Darius when he returned to jerusalem, or a Acts 23, 7. Paul for stirring the Pharasies against the Saducees, that he might escape with his life? God forbidden, seeing the ancient Hebrues had always this Christian liberty, to use unclean beasts in matters of Physic. It is truth that many of our soldiers died in the voyage: but to the godly death is no curse; and as for the rest it is a great blessing to the land that they never returned. It is truth that at Plymmouth God kept his winds from favouring us a great while, even until the greatest part of our victual was spent, & many of our soldiers weak: but who knoweth whether this was that we should humble ourselves under his mighty hand, at the beginning of the enterprise: & that we should give him the whole glory, the victory being gotten. This I am sure of, that he that thinketh he laid these cross upon us as a curse, because he disliked the whole action, never knew what blessing he vouchsafed us in any one part of the action: In 3. days he brought us from the lands end to the coast of Spain: this was no small blessing. He gave first into our hands that town, where the year before that invincible Navy was gathered together, where a hours was builded for the laying up of the English treasure, where a mint was erected to pay the Soldiers appointed for that voyage, where also we found victual hoarded up for the present victualling of a new Navy. This we confessed to be a great blessing. The exceeding great plenty of wine & victuals we found there, were notably abused to drunkenness & suffetting: & therefore did not God there once make us miss our purpose? and ever after send leans even to the death among us? Yet so in wrath he ever remembered mercy, as still he showed himself a favourer of the action. He gave us courage, so that we burned the shipping in the harbour, destroyed the Country round about the town, the army gathered at the Bridge, having great advantage of us, both of place and number, could not withstand our forces, they fled before us to the top of sleep mountains, where, if they stayed, our sword pierced them, if they fled, they broke their necks down ward. If this were not a blessing, why was the General & his valiant Captains so joyfully received, when in the Evening they returned from the slaughter? yea, why was the next day so solemnly proclaimed A day of thanksgiving. How rued it the enemy from the high town to behold this triumph? to see our Soldiers marching in their armour, our Mariners carrying abroad their munition and wealth, their own town flaming at the last with fire, and they not daring come forth to quench it? And though we thus plagued them fifteen days together, yet no other wreak they wrought upon us (such a fear had our good God put into their hearts) but only peeping out of some hole of the Wall, with a piece now and then they took a leg or an arm from us. Penichea was the first town we descried in Portugal, and could there, either the shot from the Castle, or the sleepnes of the mountains, or the Rocks hidden in the water, or the troops of the enemy keep us from landing? How shamefully did they after one or two bravadoes given, take themselves to their heels? How speedily was the town given over and the Castle surrendered unto us? Were there any more of us then 6000. that marched from thence to Lysborne? Yet as the Hare before the Hounds, so fled the peasants before us. They gave us leave three days and three nights to enjoy the Suburbs of the City, even so long as any provision for us was found in them. Once indeed they sallied out with Vive Don Antony, as if they had been Portugeses, but their dissembling was well recompensed, for we are persuaded that of 600. not 26. returned without their deadly wound: so long the chase was in which we had them, and so nigh they were when we began to pursue them. From Lysborne we marched in one day to Castcales, the march was long, and our match spent, and health sore decayed, this they knew as well as ourselves: yet all that day long, durst they once skirmish with us? Nay, their horsemen thought it as a great matter, a far off from some high hill to behold us; so a wonderful glory to kill, a few stragglers, which the army being passed, they found in Orchards. At Castcales word was brought that 8000. of them were come within two miles of us. We feared presently: not that they were come so nigh, for the reporter was well rewarded: but lest they would not abide the trial of the battle, such cowards we had always found them, therefore with all speed a Trumpeter was sent with, round message to provoke them: we as fast as we could marching after, they heard no sooner of our coming, but strait way they took themselves to their flying march, a trick of war which they always used. Homewards within the Isles of Bayon, we Anchored in despite of them, Vigo and the villages there about we set on fire, the inhabitants we chased all, some we killed, and had not Bayon been better walled than they hearted, we had fully satisfied ourselves upon them: but some will say: what is the King of Spain the worse for this, or we the better? What? we have laid open the weakness of his Country, the dastardlynes of his people, set on fire his holds, & brought away his Munition, his gold, his spice: yea, what was there worth the carrying which we left behind us? Where we carried forth one we brought home two ships, the like we did of Armour, the like of bread, or at least of Wheat to make bread, and the like of other pillage whatsoever is become of it. Yea but our Mariners there all died, which are the strength of our land? So indeed do Papists give out, to dissuade unstable minds from the like enterprise, but ask her majesties Officers men of great worship and credit, who saw them as they paid them, and they will tell you clean an other matter. And therefore howsoever this voyage is evil spoken off of some, whom nothing contenteth, and bitter to others that lost their friends: Yet for the Generals and Captains it was most Honourable, for the whole land blessed, and cursed for none but for the Papists. FINIS.