A COMPLAINT against security in these perilous times:  
Written by M. THO. KINGSMILL, sometime fellow of Magdalen College in Oxford:  
And lately her majesties public professor of the Hebrew tongue, in the same university.  
LONDINI Impensis GEOR. BISHOP. 1602.   

TO THE READER.  
WHen I thought to complain of mens security, as always; so in these perilous times,( good christian Reader) I remembered our sinful body of death, as the best excuse, expressed in these two 
Scripturae per Antonomasiam: for some special writing taken out of the caconical scripture: as is this book.  scriptures; the first, in the ninth of wisdom, which is this: Corpus quod corrumpitur, aggravat animam:& terrenum domicilium plenam curarum mentem deprimit: A corruptible body is heavy to the soul: and the earthly mansion, keepeth down, that understanding, that museth vpon mean things. The second in the seventh to the Romans where S. Paul saith: novi quod non habitet in me, hoc est, in carne mea bonum: Nam velle, adest mihi:& vt faciam bonum, non reperio. I know that in me, that is in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing; for to will is present with me, but I find no ●●anes, to perform that which is good: as also that known verse of the Poet: Sors tua mortalis, non est mortal, quod optas. Thy state is mortal, but the thing which thou seekest is immortal: which although it be well answered, by that godly father: S. Augustine, where he saith: That the soul is immortal, and therefore cannot, be satisfied, but with immortality: yet because concerning the body, wee are but flesh, and earth, it is our excuse( if wee haue any) for the secure mind, in heavenly matters: No marvel, if earth mind earthly things, though faith, and sense itself may accuse man of so careful seeking of the earth, and so careless a mind towards the health of the soul: which being iudges are against us, in seeking either of them above our reach, or measure: But how not more forcibly, when men are secure, concerning the better part of their creation, and become unmeasurable, or unsatiable, to prefer the worse, before the better? which how evil it is the Apostle sheweth in the third to the Phillip. saying: Many walk of whom, I haue  told you often, and now tell you weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end, is damnation, whose god, is their belly, and glory, to their shane, which mind earthly things. Now what may be more horrible, then that our end should be damnation? what more abominable, then that our belly should be our god? what more intolerable, then that our glory should be our shane? And what doth S. Paul lay as the efficient, or sufficient cause, or causes of all these things? but onely this: for that mens mindes are set vpon earthly things; from the which mind set vpon earthly things, as a most dangerous roote of such evils, wee are recovered and raised by the Apostle in this place, saying: But our conversation is in heaven, from whence also wee look for the saviour the Lord Iesus Christ. Secondly, by S. Paul in the third to the colossians, saying: If ye be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God the father. Thirdly, by S. Paul 1. Cor. 15. saying: The glory of the earthly, is one, and the glory of the celestial is another: As it is written: The first man Adam was made a living soul, and the last Adam was made a quickening spirit, the first man is of the earth, earthly, the second man is the Lord from heaven: as wee haue born the image of the earthy, so wee shall also bear the image of the heavenly: for ye are dead saith the Apostle, and your life is hide with Christ in God: And in so much as wee are dead in Christ he concludeth, that wee should set our affections on things above, and not on things vpon the earth. 
Coloss. 3.  This ought to be the souls thirst; as it appeareth in the Saints of God: but being clothed with flesh, clouded with the body, corrupted with sin, our weakness is offended at the unspeakable blessedness, at the everlasting time, at the glory, honour, ioy, peace, and immortality, which are too much, too high,& too inestimable for vs. As we look not, nor harken after that which is too far off, to see, or hear, which may happily so quench the smoking flax, and bruise the broken reede, that not only of our manifold sins& wickedness, but also of the unworthiness of flesh and blood, dust and ashes, we may not so much as look towards it: the treasures whereof, if they were conferred from a mighty King of this world vpon a poor Lazar, or low subject, I should aduise him to be secure of the Kings favour, neither to seek any measure of such inestimable felicities, but being between us and the father of mercies, and God of all consolations, which hath vouchsafed us to be partakers of his heavenly kingdom, and hath not left us unprovided of most gracious means to come unto it, and withall, not without most dreadful comminations and threatenings, if we depart or divert from this calling. As it is an evil thing when there is hope of any benefit, or fear of any danger to be secure; so, how are we not presently ashamed? why should we not stand in awe of utter confusion? how should we escape that everlasting destruction of hell? If either strong unbelief, as if there were no such matter, by the love of this world, as though the whole world being compared with the loss of the soul, hath not been weighed in the balance, and is found too light; or if the care of fields, houses, wives, and such like, whereof it is in the gospel, should cause us to be found careless of that heavenly kingdom. Wherefore, having a fervent desire( good Reader) to awake men out of this security, according to S. Paul in the 5. to the Ephes. Expergiscere qui dormis,& surge a mortuis;& illucescet tibi Christus: Awake thou that sleepest,& stand up from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light: I testify, and that because of these perilous times 
A true use of the word catholic for general: as also page. 110 agreeable with our confession of catholic church, which Trent catechism canno-deny: though the papists impropriat orbem in vrbem: catholic for roman: that is general for particular: therefore a wise and just part to restore a word of that moment to the primitive use.  catholic warres, foreign& civil dangers, late seditions, and uproars; that it is not a time to enjoy vines or oliues, to rest in chairs or footstooles; that ulysses chimney though long, would not serve; that the board or the bed are but lawful things; that it hinders not, to be poor, nor helps not, to be rich; that in all estates it hinders to be careless; it helps to be vigilant, and faithful; that as it is too much to say: I am rich, and increased with goods: soul take thine ease: So it is not enough to say, I am poor the Lord help me; As it is too much to say, I haue need of nothing: so it is not all to say: I am well contented with that, that I haue; because we haue need of a smach or taste {αβγδ} of the wheat of heaven: neither ought to be satisfied with all that the world yeeldeth. In so much that albeit great virtues, as constancy, gravity, reverence, discipline, regiment, authority be known as the contraries, and aduersaries to confusion, disorder and evil; yet while these good gifts are unchristened, even our christian catechism teacheth, that they are unable to endue us with the best blessedness: according to that saying of S. Hugh: who naming these or the like virtues luminosas,& validas; strong and lightsome: saith, that they should be persuaded to men: Non tantum propter istam vitam honestissime gerendam, nec tantum propter civitatis terrenae concordissimam societatem: verum etiam propter adipiscendam sempiternam salutem, diuinamque rempublicā: cvi nos cives asciscit fides, spes, charitas, continency, love, iustice, concord, piety, and other virtues( saith he) are persuaded, not onely for the leading of a most orderly life, neither only for a peaceable society of an earthly city, but also that we might obtain everlasting salvation, and that divine common wealth, to the which faith, hope, and charity doth gather us as citizens. And again, Deus sic ostendit in opulentissimo,& praeclaro imperio Romanorum quantum valerent ciuiles, etiam sine vera religione virtutes: vt intelligeretur hac addita, fieri homines, cives alterius civitatis, cuius Rex veritas: cuius lex charitas: cuius modus aeternitas. God hath so shewed in the most rich and famous Empire of Rome, how forcible civil virtues may be without true religion, that it might be considered, that true religion being adjoined, men become citizens of an other city, the king whereof is verity; the law charity; the measure eternity; the treasures therefore of this city, are verity, charity, and eternity, even the wheat of heaven, which before they are attained, our hunger and thirst would not be satisfied. And therefore neither the body of life, neither the body of death, neither worldly worthiness, nor mortal weakness, much less sin and evil, the glory of this life, the cares of this world, voluptuous living, riches, and other sensual delights, ought to be respected otherwise, then as stumbling blocks in the way to life, and steps towards the way to death; and are to bee eschewed as the nutriments of this security, which we seek to remove, being found to abound, to be ripe, and rife in this old age of the world, whereby the most righteous, or best allowed are but offensive, and scandalous far behind hand, esteeming the gifts, comforts, and blessings of this life overmuch; and are satisfied within themselves to become civil, courteous, gentle, virtuous, or not maligmant, injurious, wrongful, or tyrannous. Now they haue wells which they digged not, houses which they builded not, vineyards which they planted not, all which with the rest, which dig, build, or plant with them, I awake out of this dead sleep, and dark mist of security, which is able to make even the holiest men, as when all are asleep, in the holiest reward, not to differ from faithless, idle, and vain persons. In dead we cannot, but haue a good opinion of such as are sagely, sadly, or seriously occupied; a better of such as are studious, then of the laborious; a better of the laborious then of the careful: yet what may be the reward of study, but a form of knowledge? what of labours but a state of rest, and comfort? what of cares, but a ioy of life and safety: and might it not be answered, to every of these from our saviour: verily I say unto you, ye haue your reward? or from the Apostle: Ye haue whereof to rejoice, but not with God. For shall it be enough to be baptized assoon as we are born? or to be catechized assoon as we are able? Fiunt, non nascuntur Christiani, saith Tertullian: Men are made in time, and are not born Christians. For behold, men, women and children, living as if a child should live, in the time of Moses, vncircumcized, or since christianity, vnbaptized; behold, men building, planting, plucking down, setting up, rooting out, buying, selling, marrying and giving in marriage, without respect of the life to come, without the eye of faith, without that fire wherewith every man should bee salted, and that salt wherewith every sacrifice should be seasoned. Now who? or where are they at this day to whom the Lord saith: 
Hosee 13.  I did know thee in the wilderness in the land of drought: but when they were well fed, and had enough, they waxed proud and forgot me: for shall not onely jacob but judah also be found well fed, and proud, or rather among fornicators, vnbeleeuers, Idolaters? shall they at any time be found among the ungodly or unrighteous: or themselves be ungodly and unrighteous. Caesar, when his time was come to be slain in the Senate of Rome, as well by Brutus and Cassius, as other conspirators, saith to Brutus: Etiam tu fili? what art thou also my son, among these conspirators? even so our heavenly father, whose onely begotten son we crucify again, by falling from the love wherein we were first established, saith to every such: Etiam tu fili mi? what art thou also my child among conspirators? among wilful and audacious persons, among fornicators, among extortioners, louers of this world, vnbeleeuers, scismatiks, scribes, pharisees, hypocrites. Brutus and Cassius were sons in law to Caesar, and not his sons indeed: all Israell as one son, is called the first born of God, but were not so indeed: Reges in benevolentia Ioues sunt, saith Homer. In like manner, the great and mighty withall that prosper in this life, are soon of opinion, that they are in high favour with God; a philautie, a filiation, a famed, a name to soon resumed, presumed, and received: 
John 2.  verily S. John saith. They went out from us, but they were not of us, for if they had been of us: 
2. Tim. 2.  they would no doubt haue continued with vs. Verily Saint Paul saith: The strong foundation of God standeth still, having this seal: the Lord knoweth them that are his: and let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. Verily our saviour saith: By their fruits ye shall know them; this is all the sight or knowledge we haue, or ought to haue, one of another in this life, after, God iudgeth, and how may any promise to themselves other then heavy iudgement, 
4. Esdras 9.  if their fruits be evil, or if they depart not from iniquity. They( saith the Lord to 
Thus the discreet devotion of this reverend man maketh use of ancient monuments, but yet plainly distinguishing them from apostles and prophets page. 70 79. 81.  Esdras) that haue abhorred my lawe, while they had yet freedom, and when they had yet open leisure of amendment, and conversion, the same must know it after death in pains. And therefore be thou no more careful how the ungodly shall be punished: but inquire how the righteous shall be saved, and whose the world is?& for whom the world is;& when? under the name of Esdras, are not the most righteous admonished to inquire how they shall be saved? Shall the righteous be saved? how? or when? for the promise is made to Abraham and his seed, 
Rom. 4.  that he should be heir of the world. Of a truth( good Reader) heaven gate is so strait, the way so full of dangers, the troubles so manifold, the temptations so subtle, the enemies so mighty, the impediments so hard to overcome, the reward so far above our reach, or measure, that it may be feared, but that with Abraham we learn to hope beyond hope, that the best or most righteous, shall by the best they can do, or at least, by the best that they do, inherit but this world. All the Israelites perished which came out of Egypt, and not one entred into the land of Canaan. Are there two or three excepted? for unless the priests and levites carry the ark before the people more zealously; unless the people be more vigilant to follow the cloud which leadeth by day, or the pillar which lighteneth by night, more devoutly; unless sincerely we eat the passeouer, 
Exod. 12.  as with unleavened bread, with our loins girded, with our shoes on our feet, and with our staues in our hands: how should we not dwell in this side of jordan still? how should we pass the red-sea? howe should wee overcome the caues, dens, mountaines, and wilderness of the earth? 
Esdras 7.  doth not Esdras tell of a city given to a man for an inheritance? and doth he not protest, that the entrance to it is like, as if there were a fire on the right hand, and a deep water on the left, and but one onely strait path between them both, between the fire, and the water, so small, that there could but one man go there at once: and is not mused, by Esdras himself how this man should receive his inheritance? go on therfore strait: tread not awry: look not aside: strain out both camels and gnatts: espy both motes, and beams; give both loaves and crumbs, the honey, and the honey comb, to thy poor brethren. Do wee not know that when Nabuchadnezer, should be chased from men, and his dwelling was to be with the beasts of the field: how it is answered by daniel: 
Daniel 4.  wherefore receive my counsel O king: break of thy sins by righteousness, and thine iniquity by mercy toward the poor. Now how long will schoolmen dispute vpon this: whether righteousness, and mercy to the poor, 
Thus this zealous man calleth men from dispute to practise, lest some under pretence of plucking up Popish merit, should pluck up the wheat of good works.  are meritorius to salvation, which as it was spoken first, to Nebuchadnezar: so is left for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come: that we also should break our sins by righteousness, and our iniquity by mercy toward the poor. And are not the ends of the world come vpon us? Is it not time to stretch out both the right hand, and the left, to such friends, as may receive us, into the everlasting tabernacles? wherefore then do we not call vpon righteousness and mercy, as material, and necessary causes sine quibus non,( as the logician speaketh) without which, mercy is shut from us: I deenie not( christian Reader) but zeal should call vpon charity, that it might be kindled; as also other good gifts, that they might be raised: The Amalekites for uncharitableness had warres for ever, with the Lord and his people: All our Lords labourers are to few, to fell the harvest of iniquity: yet I haue entitled this paper, A complaint against security alone. All the world sitteth still, and is careless, Zach. 1. {αβγδ} The earth was without form, and was voided, and darkness was vpon the face of the deep. These two scriptures, I commend to every reader, showing with what contemplation, men may take a view of this latter age of the world. Beware( christian reader) of this general security, beware of unbelief, knowing for a surety, that it is most unadvised, to care for all things of this life, and to be careless of Gods favour, of the rewards reserved in heaven, or the punishments remaining in hell, for vs. To God the father; God the son; and God the holy Ghost; be all honor, glory, and dominion for ever.  
Thine in Christ, THO. KINGSMILL.   

A complaint against security, in these perilous times.  
IF the children of light were as wise in their generation as the children of this world are in theirs, they would in these perilous times advantage themselves of heavenly lucre, as they seek their gain of every occasion that is offered: for in these times, sounding nothing but warres and rumours of warres, remembering as well kingdoms, nations, and cities, as private persons, of their latter end; we ought to visit ourselves, to search and see what oil there is in our lamps; that is, what faith, piety, and fear of God there is among men. For what kingdom, nation or city is there, over which we ought not to weep, as our saviour did over jerusalem, saying: 
Luke 19.  If thou hadst known those things which belonged unto thy peace, even in this thy day: but now they are hide from thine eyes: for the dayes shall come vpon thee, that thine enemies also shall cast a bank about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side, and make thee even with the ground, and the children which are in thee: and they shall not leave in thee, one ston vpon another: because thou knowest not the time of thy visitation. This being a truth through the sword which our Lord draweth vpon the latter end of the world; though not literally vpon every place or person to be determined; should move men, women, and children, to repent; and as S. John Baptist speaketh, to show forth fruits, worthy of repentance and amendment of life. {αβγδ} wo unto a nation that is sinful. 
isaiah 1.  I must ease me of mine enemies, and avenge me of my aduersaries, saith the Lord. Concidit in plateis veritas: truth is fallen down in the streets: equity cannot show forth itself in the light. 
isaiah 59.  He that refrayneth from evil, maketh himself a pray, when the Lord saw this: saith isaiah the prophet: in the 59. Chapter. It displeased him sore, that there was no equity: he saw also that there was no man righteous; and he wondered that there was no man to help him; wherefore he held him by his own power, and he sustained him by his own righteousness: he put on wrath in the stead of clothing, and took iealousy about him for a cloak; even as when a man goeth forth wrothfully to recompense his enemies, to be avenged of his aduersaries, he will recompense& reward the islands. For who seeth not the indignation is come forth from the Lord: who heareth not the trumpet, which the Lord setteth to the mouth of the prophet, 
Hose 8.1.  saying {αβγδ} trumpet to the roof of the mouth. Like an Eagle shall the enemy come against the house of the Lord, for they haue broken my covenant, and transgressed my law: Israell should haue said unto me, thou art my God, we know thee; but he hath refused the thing that is good, therfore shall the enemy pursue him. Doth not our LORD cry, as well by the prophet isaiah, 
isaiah 1.  as if there were a prophet this day raised among us, saying: If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land; but if ye be obstinate or rebellious, ye shall be devoured of the sword; for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. Doth not every one see in the person of ieremy, 
Iere. 1.  the almond rod, and the seething pot, looking out of the north, wherein is signified, that a plague is coming; as most severely, as also, most swiftly vpon the dwellers of the earth? who seeth not with the prophet isaiah, ieremy, and Ezechiel, 
isaiah 34. Iere. 47. Ezech. 2.  the sword of the Lord drawn out, whetted, sharpened, skoured, to cut off the righteous with the wicked? and seeing the Lord shall cut off the righteous and the wicked, the righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him in the day of the visitation of the Lord: wherefore what remaineth, but that wee should mourn, if not with Ezechiel to the breaking of our loins, and the melting of our hearts, yet with all his seruants to thē fruit of repentance? the sword is sharpened, and well furbished, sharpened it is to make a great slaughter, and furbished that it may glitter: shall we then make mirth? cry and howl saith the Lord by Ezechiel, mourning shall be in all streets: 
Amos 5.  saith the Lord by the prophet Amos, Et in omnibus vicis, dicent heu, heu, and they shal say, in all the high ways, woe, woe, and they shall call the husbandmen, to lamentation, and such as can mourn, to mourning: and in all the vines shall be lamentation; for I will pass through thee saith the Lord. And shall not the Lord pass as well through one place, as another? all places as well as Israell or judah? And is it not the same Lord which having let out his vineyard to husbandmen, tarrieth the time wherein he may sand his seruants, to receive the fruits? and what shal become of our fruits, or the fruits of our vineyards? where offences and misdeeds haue multiplied, and haue prevailed; what other fruit may be reaped, but repentance? and where our Lord giveth space to repent and we repent not, what shalbe found? but in stead of true repentance even melting of hearts, collision of knees, sorrow of loins, 
Nahum. 2.  blackness of faces, howling, and weeping. If secular men like nothing worse in their children, or seruants than weeping and sobbing, leaving the work undone: shall our mourning and tears wrong out with most extreme coertions, and thraldomes, become our best fruit? or shall that be a thing acceptable, or a day that pleaseth the Lord? 
Matth. 25.  verily our Lord and heavenly king, both for his talents unoccupied, and his vineyard unfruitful let out to husbandmen, doth adjudge them to most miserable destruction, wherefore if it were firmly believed, that our everlasting king at his coming to judge the quick and the dead, shall sit in his tribunal seat, before whom wee must appear to answer the things that hath been done: as it is known that an earthly king departed into a strange country, at his return will take account with his seruants: How should it be that wee the seruants and subiects of Christ should become more careless or fruitless then all others? Should it not be remembered, that our Lord and King as well as earthly Lords and kings, shall call for his fruits in due season? and shall take his kingdom from a fruitless people, and give it to a nation, yielding the fruits of it? for indeed what kind of men are so idle, or unfruitful in their vocations, as the seruants or subiects of Christ are in theirs? Other men though their barns be full, their coffers full, and their houses full; yet they labour still, to get, to keep, to save: As for our Lords plough, it stands still, his field is untilled, his harvest vnfilled, and the penny wherewith he hyreth us, to work by the day, hour, or year, is utterly refused. Now what may become of this, but that our Lord as he threateneth by the prophet isaiah, 
isaiah 5.  should take his rain from that vineyard: judge( saith the Lord) between me, and my vineyard: I looked for grapes, and behold it brought forth thorns. As for the vineyard of the Lord of hostes, it is the house of Israel and the man of judah, his fair planting of these he looketh for, {αβγδ} equity, but see, there is oppression, for righteousness, and lo, there is crying: woe unto them that join one house to another, and bring one land so nigh unto another, till ye can get no more ground, will ye dwell vpon the earth alone? the Lord of hosts roundeth me thus in the ear: shal not many greater and more gorgeous houses be so wast, that no man shall dwell in them? and ten acres of vines shall give but one bath, and thirty bushels of seed, shall give but one ephat: these wild grapes of extortion, and covetousness are punished with desolation, and famine; with desolation, for great& gorgeous houses, shall become wasted with famine; for many acres& great measures of seed, shal yield but haths and ephats; the punishments are not so great, as the offences, and therefore unless it be prevented by repentance, they call for sorer iudgement. How sayest thou I am not unclean: look vpon thine own ways( saith the Lord vie the prophet ieremy) thine own wickedness shall reprove thee, 
Iere. 2.  and thy turning away condemn thee: that thou mayest know, and understand, how evil and hurtful a thing it is, that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God, and hast not feared me saith the Lord God of hosts: I planted thee a noble vine, and wholly right; see how art thou turned then, into a bitter, unfruitful, and strange grape? yea and that so sore, that though thou wash thee with Nitrus, and make thyself to savour of boreth, yet in my sight, thou art stained with thy wickedness, saith the Lord thy God. There is no doubt but by this noble vine the house of Israel, and the man of judah is meant, as Isay himself doth interpret it: and as Tertullian speaketh, Quod Israeli dicitur, id omni genti preiudicat. What is spoken to Israel, is prejudicial to every nation: Insomuch that every nation or kingdom; yea every ●●y, and private person, are to be visited, with famine and desolation or sorer iudgments of the Lord at his time: if in the day of their visitation, they be found fruitless. security is our evil, whereof cometh blindness of hart, with an alienation from the life of God, through a continual darkness, taking hold in secure men, which carry their souls in their bodies, as buried in their graues: And even as the blind man in the Gospel, saw men like trees; so let us but awake, and we may see men alive indeed; but behold they are dead, as walking, speaking, and doing; but behold they are deaf and dumb; as crwoned with glory and liberty; but rusty by corruption; slow, by nature; raw, by security; and having no light or life remaining in them, haue smothered up their souls in their bodies, as it were in sepulchres, and prisons; undone of well doing for lack of use; withered at winter, bearing leaves in the summer; but at fruit gathering, failing and yielding nothing. Now as peace is the breeder of security; so warres of the contrary which ought to raise men, not onely from their resty, and careless minds; but also from their most urgent and best actions. And therefore we read of Augustus the second Emperour of Rome, that when he was sacrificing in Octauia to Mars, who was then taken to be the god of arms; and hearing of invasion of the enemy, that he took semi-cruda exta: the entrails of the sacrificed beasts half raw, and so entred the field, and returned victor: whereby it was after observed, that such sacrificed beasts should bee offered raw, by a very lawe and custom among them, whereof if we gather that the good things men haue in hand, ought to be left undone, or rawly done, when the sword approacheth; so the very noise, and famed of warres, though not so near, yet not so far of, as belike it is taken, ought to stir men at the least from their security, and to become more wary to look better to themselves, to their bodies what safety they are in; to their souls in what peril they are, lest with Iulius Caesar, our sacrifices be found vnoffred against death; or with Octauius Caesar, wee offer them rawly, as unawares, when the foreign enemies shall indeed invade, and come vpon vs. A slothful body, at all times, and in all callings is abhorred: who is compared by Ecclesiasticus: to a bemired ston, of whom every one will speak to his dispraise, lapidi conspurcato comparandus est piger; conferendus fimo sterquilinij, quod quicunque contigerit manus suas excutiat: A slothful body is compared to the dung of Oxen; every one that toucheth him, must wash his hands: wee all wash our hands from the idle, as from day and mire, the rather, if there be business, the more, if there bee danger: the reward whereof, by itself, is dispraise, shane, a general mislike, and a hatred. nevertheless, how may it bee that one should bee idle, and not evil; or that evil should not come of it? I went( saith Solomon) by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the foolish man, and lo, it was all covered with nettles, and stood full of thorns, and the ston wall was broken down: this I saw, and considered it well, I looked vpon it, and took it for a warning; yea sleep on still a little; slumber a little; fold thine hands together a little. Argos foris: talpa domi: we haue moats and beams in our eyes, when we should see the thorns and nettles that grow in our own fields, we are quicker of sight then Solomon, when we look vpon other mens evils: charitas incipit a seipsa. Godly wisdom and charity begins at it self; enfourming thee to look to thine own field, thine own family, thine own body, thine own soul. A man loues not another, saith S. Barnard: that loues not himself; a man loues not himself, that loues not his soul. Be secure of thy body, and behold sundry deformities, diseases, infirmities: be secure of thy soul, and behold it is covered with nettles, it stands full of thorns, the ston wall is broken down, it lies to bee wasted of the wild boar out of the wood, and of all the beasts of the field; whereas the soul should flow, of wine, not unlike the winepress, and vineyards of the old time, and should haue no less then a tower and watch, out of a most sure and high place kept in it: howbeit, it is humility, and not height, that is the watch, and tower of this vineyard, without the which, devotion will become superstition; honesty, hypocrisy; knowledge, x inflation; civility, subtlety; friendship, falsehood; here saith every one that hath but an understanding heart, in the person of Solomon, vidi,& eruditionem coepi: I saw and took it for a warning, And shall we look vpon another mans field? another man vpon ours? shall a stranger see it, consider it, look vpon it, take it for a warning? And shal not one see, rather for himself, consider it better, take it too himself for a better warning? What, yet sleep on still? yet slumber a little? yet folding thine hands together? How long shal we be behind hand with secular men, in every care, labour, and work that belongeth unto us? do they that haue fields, slumber, or sleep? do they fold their hands together? do they not gather up the stones, grub up the bushes, weed out the nettles, hedge it or wall it? And shall there not be a watch in the midst of our fields? shall there not be a winepress, or the best grapes, or seeds in them? shall grapes be looked for, and behold wild grapes? shall wee suffer them like the good pastures, mentioned by Ezechiel, to be trampled under the feet of wild beasts? shall they lye wast? shall they be neither digged nor pruned, but bear even thorns and briars? what may this threaten, but that poverty that Solomon mentioneth? or that which is ghostly and spiritual, which comes vpon that secure soul; like one that travaileth by the way, and as an armed man. More fearful is that saying of the Apostle, which notwithstanding carrieth both bless and curse with it. The earth which hath drunken in the rain that cometh often vpon it,& bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom also it is tilled, receiveth blessing of God, but that ground which beareth thorns and briars, is reproved, and nigh unto cursing, whose end is to bee burned. This good sentence hath fire and water, blessing and cursing, life and death with it. And as it may haue allusion to some grounds, which are set on fire being too thick of brambles and briars, and overgrown too much for the hand of man to manure; so by the eye of faith, it hath better relation to the fire meant by S. John the Baptist, saying: Now is the axe put unto the roote of the trees: therefore every three that bringeth not forth good fruit, is hewn down and cast into the fire: or the parable of the tares in the 13. of S. Matthew: where our saviour teacheth, that even as the tares are gathered and burnt in the fire; so the son of man shall sand forth his Angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity, and shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be weeping, and gnashing of teeth. Then saith he, shall the righteous shine, as the son in the kingdom of their father. Whereupon he addeth: He that ears to hear, let him hear: for let all learn of our saviour to require and yield vpon most serious matter, their best and héedfull attention; for what shall men do with their ears, if they harken not to these things? see therefore hear, and understand, lest we be in the number of such as haue eyes and see not, ears, and hear not, hearts, and understand not the importance of this fire, which our almighty God and saviour hath set down for ever in the church to be taught, heard and believed: if a wheatfield should be set on fire, which was performed by samson against the Philistines: if thy house should be burned, as we haue seen and heard of many in our time: if a mans child should be cast into the fire; for we haue red, that a woman being burnt for a martyr, when her child sprung from her, that the child was thrown into the fire for an heretic. If this were thine own child, if this child were to be preserved by our helps, who would be secure? and to omit fields and houses: what man, what woman, whose wife, whose child, whose body, whose soul is not ready to be delivered into the furnace of fire, where there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth? And who is there that is not secure? for O dull and slow of heart to believe all that is written in the lawe and the prophets? Are we secure, and careless, or rather are we not unbelieving, and faithless? is there not fire, as well as water: is there not death, as well as life: is there not hell, as well as heaven? shall all go to heaven, that haue not thought of hell? Deus novit, qui sui sunt: God knoweth, who be his: in the mean season, there is neither man, woman, or child, but ought to be informed by it: malum non vitatur nisi cognitum: A man well warned, is half armed: for herein we recommend ourselves to the church of Christ, and do testify and protest, to the children of men, and to all the world, that no youth, or age, no nature, no ingenuity, virtue, beauty, dexterity, except christianed, sanctified, or reformed through faith and repentance, with the accomplishment of right and iudgement, for any thing we haue learned shall be able to deliver them from the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone for ever. he that hath ears to hear, let him hear. May it be imagined, that Antichrist alone, or that woman sitting vpon a scarlet coloured beast, 
Apoc. 11.  having seven heads and ten horns; or the dragon which draweth the stars from heaven, to throw them on the earth, standing ready to devour children, assoon as they be born: or gog and magog, as gathered to fight against the tents of the saints and beloved city; or even the divell, the beast, and false-prophet, shall be tormented in that lake of fire, and none of those men and women, which for their ingenuity, activity, virtue, as some count virtue, are praised on the earth. Nos adhuc pueri sumus, saith saint Chrysostom: we are children all this while? for we soon addict and adjudge all that is foul, evil shaped, miscasually abjected, the aged, the deformed, to death and hell fire: again, what is ingenuous, virtuous, as it is called, faire, smooth, in good estate, plausible, pliable, affable, estimable, beautiful like children, we can not think heaven good enough for them. This is the sinister iudgement of the world which think not of hel fire, but for such as are cast aside of the world. Whereas they are to take consolation in Christ Iesus, which suffer with him: and even they which still abide some cross or other, as ignominy, reproach, calamity. And contrariwise, all such haue to mislike, misdéeme, and mistrust, which enjoy praises, felicities, aduauncements without interruption, whereof saint Hierom saith: nimis delicatus es frater, si vis gaudere cum mundo,& laetari cum Christo, ye are nice brother( saith saint Hierom) if ye think to enjoy Christ and the world. S. Ambrose saith, ind incipit beatitudo judicio divino; ubi aerumna aestimatur humana: what is esteemed of men, as miserable; thence beginneth blessedness by divine iudgement. fauos post fella gustauit Christus: saith Tertullian: Christ tasted not hony, before he had smatched of the bitterness of gull. Sciunt sancti se, temporalibus supplicijs, vitare aeterna, saith saint gregory: The saints know( saith he) that by temporal punishments, they escape eternal. Wherefore the children of God, ought to appeal from earthly counsellors to the prophets and apostles: which providing for this body of sin, procure nutriments, aids, stays, aduauncements, lucers for the same, giuing comfort to others to do the like; whereas themselves are the seruants of corruption, in that they see not the soul, but through a vail or cloud,& as a pearl butted and hide, thinking all is safe and well, cast no peril, and much less are careful, how the soul should subdue all earthly things till it may lead them, rule them, bless them, as itself is the seed and earnest of blessedness: shall these take upon them to give counsel to others? shall these bee our leaders and rulers still? shall these be our friends still? prejudicially to such saint Paul entereth into jealousy and boasting himself, saith: 
2 Cor. 11.  ye suffer fools gladly, seeing yourselves are wise: ye suffer, if a man bring you into bondage, if a man devour, if a man take, if a man exalt himself, if a man smite you on the face:  
It is plain that saint Paul entereth inlo a comparison between himself and false Apostles: and yet it is marvelous, that the Corinths should suffer such false Apostles, not onely to exalt themselves, but to bring them into bondage, to devour them, to take away, and to smite them on the face: But that it is more wonderful, to see the wisdom of this world bear with all these things, in their secular leaders and rulers, as long as peace, agreement, love, and( which is enmity with God) as long as the friendship and lucre of the world reigneth and linketh them together. With what observation, obedience, submission, humility, are all magistrates, masters and rulers received, save Gods ministers, which bring the spirit of truth, showing obedience onely to the faith, which is in Christ. Was there a lawful comparison between saint Paul and those false Apostles? the one bringing the abundant blessings of the gospel of peace: the other exalting, devouring, taking, smiting: is the nature of man so resty with the world? so rusty to well doing; so rebellious to all that is of God; that even in this latter age of the world, nothing seems more bitter or grievous, than spiritual rebukes: do we tempt God? are we stronger than he? are men so strong that they may abide the truth, but not his truth; wisdom, but not godly wisdom; laws and ordinances; but not the laws and statutes of the holy one of Israell; crosses and troubles; but not the cross of Christ, or the tribulation whereby we may enter into the kingdom of heaven. Doth not the merchant sand his complices through the danger of the seas; and are they not at commandment? doth not the husbandman set his household to labours and works; and are they not contented? doth not a captain fet forth his souldiers to fight; and are they not obedient? rich men displace, disgrace, devour; and they are though not pleasantly, yet patiently abidden: seruants though they be buffeted of their masters, and kept in bondage, take it submissively and are quiet; though one friend deceive another, yet the bonds of friendship are not broken; though censors abuse parents in their children, yet they are friends still: A young scholar is pitifully corrected of his schoolmaster( a most detestable corruption as is it used)& honors him as corrected for his fault. A handmaid abides most shameful smiting and stripes of her young mistress( a most abominable insolency, and most apparent dotage to suffer it) and the handmaid is obedient still. A great oversight in magistrates, parents and governors, to judge this not a heinous offence, to see lust joined with pride and cruelty, to the detriment of flesh and blood which in the realm is cared for too much, and herein being well seen, that a mistress hath her will vpon her handmaid or maid-seruant, having no right of regiment, but houses and marriages: that likewise a young schoolmaster hath his will vpon his scholar, whose voluptuousness or anger is the childs undoing: and to suffer it, as though it were a trifle, being indeed a pernicious evil cloaked with hypocrisy, tending to the maintenance of insolency and lust in young rulers, masters, and schoolmasters, and to the bondage and thraldomes of youth: for I may not say to the prejudice and detriment of any common-wealth which should grow or be builded among men. It is a wrong don to innocent children, and to the youth of the realm, that this inordinate affection in young schoolmasters, young masters and mistresses( as though lust is not the rod that beats the disciple, handmaid& prentice, which nevertheless are not always children) is not espied, and with some order visited, as also being found, condignly and competently punished. It is pity but such schoolmasters should haue good wives; it is pity but such masters should be well punished. Is it enough for aged& sage men to espy such folly in youth, such simplicity in the vulgar sort? how is it that ye do not rescue it, or wink at it? how is it that the sting of a scorpion is mistaken for drink and schoole-butter, of you that are old and ancient? for as the stay of great matters, lightly resteth vpon few and not vpon the multitude; so some few hath our God and Lord chosen to instruct to withstand the rest, that if they also fail, the fall is the greater: Paucorum virtus cuncta Romae patrauit: it was the virtue of some few that did all at Rome: is it not our Lords ordinance, that the number of men, that youth, that women and children should be left unto themselves; but( as S. Bernard noteth) old men, Apostles, magistrates, fathers, scribes, &c. are ordained with a private charge of themselves, to look to the well doing or saving health of others: if these be found in their beds with their children, that nothing may awake them but overmuch noise; if the clamours of the fatherless orphans and widows, with which, withall other righteousness ascend to heaven, may not be heard of these but by very importunity, as we are threatened by a parable of the wicked judge: 
jerm. 5.  then will be fulfilled the saying of ieremy: Thou hast scourged, but they take no repentance, thou hast corrected them for amendment, but they refused thy correction. Therefore I thought in myself; peradventure they are so simplo, that they understand nothing of the Lords way and judgements of their God: therefore will I go to their heads and rulers, and talk with them, if they know the way of the Lord and judgements of their God: but these haue broken the yoke, and burst the bands in sunder: wherefore a lion out of the wood hath hurt them, and a wolf in the evening shall destroy them: the leopard doth lye lurking by their streets, to tear in pieces all them that come thereout. The age of this world doth not bear, that either a lion out of the wood, or a wolf in the evening, or a leopard lurking in cities should destroy, or tear men in pieces, which three beasts are threatened by the prophet: but by these we are to judge of the like, or as great judgements; for is it not of very unbelief, as though faith in more abuundance is not expected in this age that makes men not to fear, either lion, wolf or leopard: that is, any subtlety that may deceive us; any strength that may vanquish us; any violence that may devour us: for though we should actually( as ieremy speaketh) go from the lowest to the highest, might it not be said universally, and of all together? they understand nothing of the Lords way and judgements of their God; they haue broken the yoke and burst the bands in sunder. This being so, or if this be so, then may we inwardly cry against ourselves out of the fourth of ieremy, saying: Woe unto us for we are destroyed: O jerusalem, wash thine heart from wickedness, that thou maiest be helped; how long shall thy vain thoughts remain with thee? for a voice from Dan and from the hill of Ephraim speaketh out and telleth of destruction: there cometh a strong wind saith the Lord through the way of my people; neither to fan nor to cleanse, for thus hath the Lord said; the whole land shall be desolate, the earth shall mourn; for the thing that I have spoken to the prophets, purposed and taken upon me to do, it shall not repent me, I will not go from it: the whole land shall flee for the noise of horsemen and bowmen: they shall run into dens and into woods, and climb up the stony rocks: all the cities shall be void, and no man dwelling therein. What wilt thou now do thou being destroyed? for though thou cloathest thyself with scarlet, and deckest thee with gold, though thou paintest thy face with colours now, yet shalt thou trim thyself in vain, for those that hitherto haue been thy louers, shall abhor thee, and go about to slay thee. Héere, though we may do well to think our own land threatened under the name of jerusalem: yet if England set out armies into foreign lands, as well as foreigners sand out their armies into England; if we besiege their cities as well as they besiege ours; then the name of jerusalem, the men of judah or the people of God, is indifferent, and lighteth best vpon that kingdom people or city, where the holinesse of God and his hope and fear dwelleth, and whose present danger is such, that they may say with the prophet, 
jerm. 4.  {αβγδ}, viscera mea, viscera mea. I can not be stil, for I haue heard the crying of the trumpets and peals of wars: and again {αβγδ}: contritio supper contritionem: destruction vpon destruction: How long shal I see the tokens of war,& hear the noise of the trumpets? nevertheless this shall come vpon them, because my people is become foolish, and hath not known me, they are the children of foolishness, and without any discretion: {αβγδ} non intelligentes, not understanding: to do evil, wise they are; but to do well, they haue no wisdom, this is the same that the Apostle urgeth: I would haue you simplo to evil, and wise to that which is good: and again, be children in malice, but in sense and understanding, be of a ripe and perfect age. For what an infatuation? what a darkness? what a blindness is this? to bear with nature, age, cruelty, coertions, and punishments, as long as affinity, alliaunce, worldly lucer endureth; and so much to be scandalised at Gods professed seruants, as every word they say is a blow; every touch a torment; every sparkle of that fire, whereof our saviour saith, I haue brought fire into the world, and what remaineth, but that it should be kindled, as a lightning or thunderbolt, as it were leveled to undo vs. Here the Prophet and the apostle may seem to contend: the one counting all the children of foolishness, that are ripe and of a perfect age in maliciousness, but simplo in sense, and understanding: the other touching even children, and women, or effeminate persons, which by clothing themselves with scarlet, decking themselves with gold, painting their faces with colours, and otherwise trimming themselves, see not their own shane, stand in awe of no danger, and haue hope to enjoy this glory of their world still. 
isaiah 47.  unto them wee may say with isaiah,( under the name of babylon: understanding by babylon, men and women given to excessive meats, and vestures:) As for thee O daughter, thou virgin babylon, sit thou down in the dust, sit vpon the ground O thou daughter of Chaldaea; for thou shalt no more be called tender and pleasant: Bring forth the querne, and grinned meal, loose thy broidered hair, &c. and again, Sit still, hold thy tongue, get thee into some dark corner, O daughter Chaldaea, For thou shalt no more be called Lady of kingdoms. To this may be laid that complaint out of the fourth of Lam. The children of Sion that were always in honour, and clothed with the most precious gold; how are they now become like the earthen vessels, which be made with the potters hand? they that were wont to fare delicately, perish in the streets; they that afore were brought up in purple, make now much of foul clothes. here should I not digress, to speak of some enormous evils, having neither wisdom nor reason in them: and especially of the excesses or riots of women, and that at large; but there be three punishments left here, and to be induced by wars more forcible to them then death, and hell itself. whereof the first is; that they are to be abhorred of such as haue been their louers, and that they shall go about to slay them: The second, that they shall sit down in the dust, and sit vpon the ground; that they shall bring forth the quearne, 
isaiah 47.  and grinned meal; and that they shall no longer be called Ladies, tender or delicate; The third that such as are clothed in gold,& brought up in purple, shall either perish in the streets, or make much of dung,( that is to say) of dungie or evil savouring garments. 
Lam 4  This most pernicious evil, against which we may most ominously cry out with our saviour: vae mundo ascandalis: woe be unto the world because of offences, necessary it is that offences come: nevertheless wo unto him or her by whom it cometh. As it is at all times most scandalous, so is it at the time of warres most detestable, and unadvised which calleth all to fasting, weeping, and mourning, and both to sackcloth& ashes, I speak of scandal or offence, offering venom, or rather a silken halter to the modest and innocent; a sour grape in stead of a sweet, whereof the mothers haue eaten, and the childrens teeth are set on edge: which seemeth faire and pleasant, but indeed is most tyrannous and cruel. For be it well discerned, and it will be found, that the joys rising between men and women, of meats, and garments, enjoying stately behaviour, and the pride of life and beauty, doth cast such a prejudice vpon the rude and evil favoured, that none appear to great men and women greater sinners, then such as lack these wedding garments. A faire garment covers many a foul evil; enwalled they are, from death, imprisonments, ignominies, and rebukes, to all which they are disaduantaged, and hastened which lack them, as men that are without doors. For of stately men and women they cannot be enjoyed, which will be fain to execute iustice vpon such as are rough and rude in the out side, bruised with labours, wasted with miseries, which could never wear soft raiment, because of their hard burdens: whereby magistrates are fain to spare, as Saul did Agag, and Ahab Benhadad; so the mightiest, as also the most civil and comeliest, as such as are delighted to reign, or rule with them. Now this is a betraying, and traducing of the poor helpless man, who is taken as a fly in the spiders web, where the mighty burst through it: wherein the heroical minds of captains, as general captaines, captaines of 1000. of 100. of 50. is to bee doubted of, which standing too much vpon honour, or iustice by law of arms, or wisdom in military discipline, will be fain to proceed against defamed, maimed, wearied, or abashed souldiers, and that in rigorous maner; whereas if the comfort of his nature had not been spent, if he had never fallen into the hands of his enemies, and according to that irony,( if he were alive, as he is dead,) he would haue been found as vnguiltie as his fellow souldiers; it is for Catelines and not for christian souldiers, where they haue once set their foot to fight, there to overcome or die: Homo fugiens denuo. pugnabit: A man fights twice, that flies at his time. Shal he that putteth on his harness, boast himself as he that putteth it off? are not the ends of the wars uncertain? is there such difference between man and man? again if the Lord go not forth with our armies, how can the victory be ours? were the romans victorers still? were the Israelits? was pompey? was Caesar? for the covetousness of many captaines and souldiers, their ambition and hope of felicities( not unlike Publius Lentulus dream, that he was the third Cornelius to whom the Empire of Rome should be devolved) is to be withstood as well by ordinary reason, 
Thus this holy man charitably conceiveth of them, that in general who though the pitch of Rome haue defiled them in diuers superstions, do yet hold one faith with us, as not having tasted of the depth of satan in the popish idolatry.  the course of nature, as also by the interest we haue in the same inheritance, the equality in the same redemption, the faith which makes us all but one in Christ Iesus: whereby as we aclowledge that they are our brethren, with whom we fight, heires of eternal blessedness as well as we: So we ought to confess, that we may make shipwreck, or be drowned in the Seas, as well as they bee slain in the siege or field, as well as they suffer perpetual exile, captivity, utter vndoings, and the extreme things which men are afraid of, as well as they. Now this being weighed as it ought to be of all christian souldiers, that men are going assoon to ruin as to victory; to misery as to felicity; to bad as to good; shall it bee commended in a Christian to say with Turnus? I care not for him, Etiam si praestet Achillem: Though he were as valiant as Achilles: or shal not that christian be accounted for the best soldier, which fights with Aeneas against his will, and stands and lives harnessed: Vt qui putet extremum semper adesse diem. As one that thinks his last day and the latter end of his life is come: for were there any care in men to further the souls bliss, as there is of worldly lucre; it would not be thought, that the soldier alone should take advantage of every battle, skirmish or fight, to think that the day of his visitation draweth near: but even we which are at peace, and( as the prophet speaketh) sit under the vine and fig three, ought by the contemplation of these wars ensuing vpon the world, awake out of sleep; and by thinking of our Lords day, or our day to approach, to become more vigilant, héedfull, zealous, to deny ourselves in this life, and to live a continual breathing and meditation of the life to come; for is this a time to sit under vines& fig-trées, to enjoy them, to enjoy wives, houses, vineyards, and( as Perseus saith) vncta patina vivere: to live to our anointed dishes: it had no success, but it was a most abstinent fact and answer of uriah to king david, when he was threatened to go to his house and Beersheba: 
2. Reg. 11.  The ark of Israel and judah( saith he) dwell in pavilions, and my Lord joab, and the seruants of my Lord sit in tents vpon the flat earth, and shal I then go into mine house to eat and to drink, and to lye with my wife? By thy life,& as sure as thy soul liveth, I will not do the thing. uriah indeed was to return as a soldier, and therefore returned and was slain with the sword of the children of Ammon. see the piety, fortitude, and zeal of uriah: uriah would not go to his house( though discharged of the king) to eat and to drink, and to lye with his wife, while the ark of judah dwelled in tents, and while the men of Israel were pitching their tents vpon the face of the field. We haue to follow, though not the fortitude, yet the zeal that was in uriah to the Ark of God. And as for our brethren, which do castramentari superficie campi, which do pitch their tents vpon the face of the earth: we ought to condole and suffer with them; they fight; fight we should against flesh, sin and satan, and the corruptions of the world: walking in the flesh, yet we do not war according to the flesh: for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, 
2. Cor. 10.  but mighty through God. Ye haue not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin, saith the Author to the Hebrewes: 
Heb. 12.  cast all your care vpon God, for he careth for you; resist your adversary the divell; be steadfast in faith( saith saint Peter) knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. 
1. Pet. 5.  We haue need therfore that live in peace to arm ourselves with the shield of faith, the breast-plate of righteousness, the helmet of salvation,& not to be of such unbelief, as though these spiritual armours were not of might, through our God to vanquish our earthly and ghostly, deadly and mortal, visible and invisible enemies; we haue also after the example of uriah to fight for the ark of God: pro aris& focis; as well for our temples and churches, as for our fields and houses. It is written in the 79. Psal. {αβγδ}. The heathen are come into thine inheritance, thy holy temple haue they defiled, and made jerusalem an heap of stones; the dead bodies of thy seruants, &c. When the ark of God was taken, as it was once of the Philistines: we read that Eli the high priest fell backward, broken his neck and died. And how shall not the priests of God, though not to the breaking of their necks, and death itself fall backward, and fall vpon the face of the earth, when they shall see the ark of God, that is their temples and churches invaded of most cruel enemies? wherefore then do they not before the enemies invasion, and before the sight and fee- of such tyrannous desolation and profanation, cry out between the proch and the altar? wherefore do not they and we, and all men by them, and with them, lift up pure hands, not as the prophet speaketh in the porches or at the altars: but( as the Apostle urgeth) in all places. Wherefore do they not offer the Corinthians, that is the people or the charges committed unto them, as living sacrifices unto God, without spot and blameless before him? wherefore should there not be some adventure given in the battle that is set before us, as captaines and souldiers are fain to give adventure in the time of war? whether we may possibly attain to that most abstinent life, a rule or form whereof is set down where the apostle saith: But that I say brethren, because the time is short: It remaineth that they also which haue wives, be as though they had none; and they that weep, as though they wept not;& they that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not;& they that buy, as though they possessed not; and they that use this world, as not abusing it, for the fashion of this world goeth away. give we an adventure or attempt to the highest abstinence,& happily we may attain to some measure, or which is as much as is wished for our own measure in christianity. It is written: Let no man appear empty before the Lord. Now what is it at this day not to appear empty before the Lord? the priest to bring a sermon, the people to present themselves at a sacrament, to honor marriages& burials? they are ready to answer with the rich man, all these things we haue observed from our youth; the sermon more zealous, the sacrament more blessed, the marriage more holy, the burial more contemplative, every spiritual action more devout is {αβγδ}: that is the free will offering to make atonement between God and us: for is there not fear lest we shall be bereaved, even of these holy things of david which are faithful within a short time, of some of our priests, and many holy men and women? Are not our churches and temples specified plainly enough by the name of the Lords temple; when it is said? thy holy temple haue they defiled, and made jerusalem an heap of stones: Are not our priests and even our holiest men, too plainly specified when it is said, the dead bodies of thy seruants haue they given to the fowls of the air, and the flesh of thy saints unto the beasts of the field. The tyranny of armed souldiers, full of wrath and reuengfull, leaves no hope for men or women to escape, being also specified in the 74. psalm, that such heathenish warriors had shed the blood of his saints like water in every side of jerusalem, and there was no man to bury them; we may learn it of Adam. But it is not the safest way in matter of sin or danger, which some godly persons and devout women, or perhaps some careless persons and godless women do, to derive all that is nought, fearful and dangerous vpon others from ourselves? doth not our Lord threaten by the prophet, that in the extirpation of a city, realm or kingdom, he shall destroy the just with the unjust, the righteous with the wicked? 
Eze. 22.  And yet it is not Noah, job and Daniel set vpon the wall, testifying; that if it be any thing, it is they that shall defend it. Now albeit, how far we differ from Noah, job and Daniel, all the world seeth: yet as king Ashuerus stretched out his rod to him that approached: so the Lord stretching out the rod of mercy, looketh that some or other should with Elias stretch out hands, or with Moses stand in the gap, as finding that wrath is going from the almighty, lest the voice of the Lord by the prophet be fulfilled: The day of vengeance is assigned in my heart, and the year when my people shall be delivered, is come. I looked about, and there was no man to show me any help. I marveled that no man held me up: then I held me by mine own arm, and my ferventness sustained me: And thus I will tread down my people in my wrath, and bathe them in my displeasure. This is the same that the Lord testifieth again by Ezekiel, 
Isai 63.  saying: The people in the land useth wickedness, extortion and robbery; they vex the poor and needy, and oppress the stranger against right: And I sought among them for a man that would make up the hedge, and set himself in the gap before me, 
zek. 22.  in the lands behalf, that I should not destroy it. But I could find none; therefore haue I powred out my displeasure vpon them, consumed them in the fire of my wrath; their own ways will I recompense vpon their own heads, saith the Lord God. This is so spoken as if our Lord would not consume us in his wrath, if there were but one found, that might set himself in the gap before him: verily there was Lot in Sodom, Rahab in jericho, judith in Bethuel: for if there be no hope that in all our land, none may resemble job, of whom it is: that in the land of Hus, there was a man, whose name was job, 
〈◇〉. 11.  the same was a perfect and just man, one that feared God, and eschewed evil: yet as penitent sinners, with Rahab, Lot and judith, or even with publicans and sinners, we holding of his mercies, may cry for mercy to our God, who hath promised, saying: thou disobedient Israell, turn again, and I will not bring my wrath vpon you, for I am merciful; and I will not always bear displeasure against thee. And again, 
Ierem. 3.  O ye disobedient children, turn again saith the Lord and I will be married with you: for I will take out one of the city,& two out of one generation from among you,& bring you into zion. How should we not be astonied, afraid and abashed at this? for if one of a city, two of a generation shall be brought into Sion, as meant of that everlasting Sion: what shall become of the rest that are counted thy people, and haue thy name given unto them: Call me father, and shrink not from me saith the Lord: the voice of the children of Israell was heard weeping& wailing, for that they haue defiled their way,& forgotten God their Lord. O ye disobedient children, turn again,& so shall I heal your back-turnings. lo we come unto thee, for thou art the Lord our God; confusion hath devoured our fathers; for we and our fathers from our youth up unto this day, 
Iere. 3.  haue sinned against the Lord our God, and haue not obeied the voice of the Lord our God. Repentance therfore it is, acknowledging that we and our fathers haue sinned, that stopped up the gap between the Lord and us, {αβγδ} a conversion of evil that is fruitful, and hath amendment of life with it. And who seeth not that wars with other scourges and plagues, are sent for fruit of our repentance? for if we were of a ripe and perfect age in the school of Christ, knowing that repentance is not an affection or a sigh and sob of the heart: but a very dereliction of evil, with a new life and doings, entred and sustained: wee would discern between time and time, between cause and cause, wherein both the clergy and the people may learn of uriah, though a soldier, that when the ark of God is ready to be taken, when joab the captain& whole armies abide in the open field; as he thought it not his time to go to his house to eat and drink, and to lye with his wife; so we, because of the time proclaiming wars, as well to England as to the world, we sue a divorcement of evil, we become sorrowful for our repletions and satieties in meats and drinks, we rue our surfeits taken of women; to conclude, we forsake our own unrighteousness, and lay hold on eternal life, we set onely vpon things lawful and seemly, taking reconciliations, restitutions, distributions, as the first steps towards a new life; then as men that haue far to go, haue not to rest; so we covet the better gifts, proceeding to lawful deeds from unlawful; from lawful things, to that, that is expedient, from the expedient, to things edifying, and exemplifying towards others; that as we red of Croesus who was dumb before, when his father should be slain, crieth out notwithstanding, O homo ne interficias patrem. O man slay not my father: so though dumb to this day, yet seeing our churches like to become heaps of stones, our daily sacrifice like to be abolished, the blood of the saints and seruants of God  shed like water vpon the earth, their carcase lying unburied, no age, no sex, no person spared, all which we are subject unto as well as all others; that we burst out into cries, tears, and prayers, become more fruitful in our stewardships; more zealous to discharge that five, two or one talent received, we seek to adjoin to holinesse, integrity and sincere affection; to faith, virtue; to knowledge, temperance; above all things enduing ourselves with brotherly love, and humility: we sustain the orphan and widow, the comfortless and needy, we help them to right, that suffer wrong; that either by our amendment and such sacrifice, these present dangers may be avoided; or if they must needs come vpon us, wee may live and die in Gods favour, which from the day of our birth to the day of our death, is all the bliss we ought to seek for. Our life is but a meditation of death; we are to think of life and death as mortal men; of everlasting life and everlasting death as christian men, whereof if we bee still to be remembered because of mortality, howe much more when our mortality is augmented with misery? Suffer me( good reader) to pass over with silence these pitiful times, seeing they be no more pitiful then manifest and general, as who is there that sees them not, or hath not his part in them? and wherefore should the evil that is suffered be reported? or wherefore should the thing that is foretold, more rather then the thing which we haue felt? the issues whereof are dangerous and fearful: still all that are secure, standing like the parts of a house, yet untouched, which by likelihood must be plucked down as well as the rest. Shall the pen of a writer prophetically warn of evils to come, where men are but to shut their doors against them? The day is come the day is come already, the morning hath appeared of evils: it is not( good Reader) a comet or an eclipse that we stand vpon: we haue seen a morning, or rather a day evil; and onely is not of those of whom it is in the prophesy: we haue made a covenant with death and with hell; or we are at agreement, and though there go forth a sore plague, it shall not come unto us: 
Isa. 28.  for we haue made falsehood our refuge, and under vanity are we hide, whereof it followeth: the covenant ye made with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; yea when the sore plague goeth forth, it shall take you away: for early in the morning every day, yea both day and night shall it go through, and when the noice therof is perceived, it shall gender vexation; for the bed is narrow and not large, and the covering small, that a man may not wind himself therein: this strait bed and covering is thought to be a proverb signifying the strait siege of jerusalem, which is also threatened by the prophet Isai in the chapter following, in these words: woe unto thee Ariel, Ariel, thou city that david dwelled in; I will lay siege unto Ariel, so that there shall be heaviness and sorrow in it, and it shall be unto me, 
Isa. 29.  even as an altar of slaughter. This word {αβγδ} is as much as the altar or the lion of God; whereof we may observe, if that Sion itself, the strongest as the lion, if the altar of the city that david dwelled in as the holiest, could not escape; then it is not our holiness, and much less falsehood and deceitfulness, that shall be able to hid us from so sore a plague. And whereas we haue seen sore plagues publicly and personally, light vpon others on the right side and on the left, and they haue not come near us; it becomes not christian men to think that it is either their sinfulness or our righteousness that made them to suffer us to escape such horrible and unexpected troubles, and that considering the season: because this old age of the world, by warres, seditions, uproars and tumults, threateneth disturbances, overthrows of realms, cities, and kingdoms. And how should private men of all sorts, with women and children escape the sword, or sundry kinds of death, as also the preparatives, as exiles, incarcerations, captivities, the hands of their enemies, &c. Xerxes king of Persia, seeing a huge company of his people and subiects about him, fell a weeping; and being asked wherefore he wept, having cause rather to rejoice for the multitude of his subiects: I weep( saith he) that within a short time there will not be one of these left alive: so he that shall confer the ruins of thousands that haue perished within these twenty yeeres by the sword, shipwreck, sudden deaths, and that disease which is commonly called the plague or pestilence, with such as within a short time are like to perish of the said calamities, as also of hunger and famine, one of the signs of the figge-trée, budding vpon the later end of the world, may weep with Xerxes, or rather exclaim with the prophet ieremy, saying: O who will give my head water enough, and a well of tears to mine eyes, that I may weep night and day for the slaughter of my people? do we think that our Lords judgements haue an end in them that haue felt them already; or do we think that greater are to come, and yet we which live in peace shal escape them for ever? And what if we escape evils that are mortal for ever? {αβγδ}, in aevum, seculum: that is for our ever, or age or time. Well men may sit under their vines and fig trees, live in their houses, die in their beds: but neither may these blessings persuade our hearts, that Gods bless is vpon us, neither is it evident, whose torment shall be greater at the hour of death. And as for iudgement after this life; shall we believe that wee ascend to heaven, and they descend to hell, because they died in the field, and we in our beds? or because they made shipwreck in the seas, or fell into the hands of their enemies, or lye unburied in the streets, and we pass our life in quietness without care, fear or danger, live at home, and haue no doubt, but we shal be honourably or honestly butted( as our fathers were) in the churches or church-yeards, or graues and sepulchres builded for us? This sinister iudgement of the world( which bequeathes a blessed end to such as haue lived quietly, and so die; and is afraid what doth become of them which abide some cruel or extraordinary end, is to be corrected and controlled. Noli timere, prorsus confirmo, 
Aug. de disc. Christia. cap. 2. to. 9.  audeo dicere, credidi, propter quod loquutus sum: Non potest male mori, qui been vixerit. fear not( saith saint Augustine) I avouch it to the uttermost, I am bold to say it; I believed, and therefore I spake. He can not die ill, that hath lived well. Iam tu dices tibi; num multi justi naufragio perierunt? certè non potest male mori, qui been vixerit: Now thou sayest to thyself; haue many righteous men perished by shipwreck? certe non potest male mori, qui been vixerit: surely he can not die ill that hath lived well. Num multos justos gladius peremit hostilis? num multos justos latrones occiderunt? num multos justos bestiae deuorauerunt. Hath the sword of the enemy slain many a righteous man? haue many just men fallen among thieves? haue many righteous men been devoured of beasts? To all these S. Augustine stil answereth: certe non potest male mori, qui been vixerit: Of a truth he can not die ill, that hath lived well. Nonne has mortes martyres subierunt, quorum Natalitia celebramus: did not the martyres suffer these kindes of deaths, whose birth-daies we celebrate? Quid proderat diuiti sepulchrum marmoreum, sitienti apud inferos? Quid oberat pauperi, panni cum sanie vlcerum eius, requiescenti in sinu Abrahae? what was the rich man the better for a grave of marble ston, lying athirst in hell? what was the poor man the worse for his poor clothes arrayed with the noisome matter of boiles, resting in Abrahams bosom: Dic mihi quis been mortuus est, quis male? Tell me who died well, who ill? An vis aromatibus sepeliri& apud inferos sitire? disces ergo been mori, si didiceris been vivere: wilt thou be butted in sweet odours, and lye thirsting in hell fire? thou shalt learn therefore to die well, if thou shalt learn to live well. Now this age invites to a reformed life,& bids men put themselves in order to live well, that they may die well. And as warres, tumults, seditions, plagues, famines, according to Esdras, are sent for amendment; so it is prophesied as well by Esdras, as by the prophets and apostles: that they shall protend and foreshow the latter end of the world, which is so manifest, that in stead of alleging the places, I had rather the prophet Esaie should be heard, crying for me, and saying: 
Isai 41.  O stubborn and faithless generation, that haue not set their hearts aright; hear this ye that be called by the name of Israell, which are freemen of the holy city, and look for comfort in God, whose name is the Lord of Hostes, the things that I haue shewed you ever since the beginning; haue I not brought them to pass immediately as they came out of my mouth, and declared them and they are come? Howbeit I know that thou art obstinate, and that thy neck hath an iron vain, and that thy brow is of brass: this the prophet crieth out vpon Israell. But is it not our necks that hath an iron vain? is it not our brow that is of brass? Are not we even worse than those hypocrites mentioned by our saviour in the 16. of Matth. which go not so much as out of our doors, to see whether the sky be read or lowering, whether the weather will be faire or foul? doth our saviour mention these times without caution& contestacion of watchfulness& repentance? for the heaviness and perplexities of them, search and see, ye that be called by the name of Israell, whether these comminations be fulfilled in our sight, or whether the mystery of thē be not working already? {αβγδ}: haue understanding& make others understand the times& seasons of times, that are stil beholding the sky of the scripture, ye that continually hear the voice or voices of the Lord by the prophet and the apostle; beware of too much honey; descend with Moses from mount Sinai to the people; abide not still with Adam in Paradise; cloak not security with the title of holinesse; neither transmit faults from yourselves by agrauating other mens sins: for what will ye do? will ye hear the voice of God walking in the garden( as it is written) in the cool of day, and hid yourselves among the trees of the orchard,& say with Adam: the woman that thou gavest me, &c. shall the woman say, the husband that thou gavest me? shall men and women that be hallowed in the scriptures, but doing nothing, say: the brothers or sisters that thou gavest me haue beguiled me, and I did eat. And did not the Lords judgements light as well vpon the man as the woman, and the woman as the serpent? do we not in dead look vpon the sky, and say: it is read, we shall haue faire weather; it is lowering, we shall haue foul weather; and behold it is blood-red,& can it not be discerned, what weather we shall haue? wherefore should the voice of the preacher, or the pen of the writer, allege the prophesying of our saviour, as namely in the 24. of Matthew, and the rest of the evangelists, rather than refer them to the meditation of godly men and women: it will soon be found that such fortunes both in war and in peace as we see and hear, haue been foreshowed for this latter age of the world by the apostles; as the old age of men were wont to be forewarned by the prophets; and that whatsoever things haue been foreshowed of old, haue ever come to pass, even as they came from the mouth of the Lord; I haue referred the godly to the conference of the scriptures: I call vpon them with saint chrysostom: Comparate vobis biblia saltem noua testamenta: get you Bibles, at the least the new Testament. It is time to resort to them to read them, to contemplate, to fight with them and for them: haue ye not red of a time wherein the people of God with one hand did the work, with the other held their weapons? 
Neh. 4.  and how that every one that builded had his sword girded by his side, and so builded, and the trumpeters standing beside them? where of we say: this ought ye to do, and not to leave the other undone, that is, these warlike times calls vpon men to turn mattocks into spears, and sickles into swords, and yet not to leave the work undone: for albeit there be some difference betwixt the idle and voluptuous, and them that are still busy about some work or other: yet in an age, wherein we are all ready from our saviour to say one to another: sell thy coat and buy thee a sword: wilt thou hold thyself excused, if thou work still? In the mean season we exhort you according to the example of Nehemiaes souldiers, to take in stead of swords, books in one hand, and your work in another. Is there any house without a sword, harness, or other furniture fit for warres? even so, is there any house without a Bible, a new Testament, and other holy and godly writings: the prophet saith, {αβγδ}: they haue made the house of God the house of vanity: should not every house be charged with a Bible? for worse were that house than the house of vanity, where Gods book or no part of it dwelleth: make therfore your houses of the house of vanities, or rather of darkness, Gods house {αβγδ}: wherein by his word and following thereof, his honour dwelleth. Where two or three be gathered together in my name( saith our saviour) I am in the midst of them. see how gracious a promise there is annexed to men and women, be they few or many that shall assemble themselves in the name of Christ Iesus. wherefore if there be but four or five, if but two or three in a house, yet let them come together in his name; or if they lack number, what aileth us, that as in all other things we seek not assistance of neighbours and brethren, were there faith and hope in us, were there dreadfulness and the fear of God in us, would we not seek to bear one anothers burden in soul matters as well as in all other things? Our Lord offereth space of repentance: the whole displeasure of the almighty is not yet risen to come vpon men: snares, fire and brimstone hath not yet been our portion to drink; the enemy hath not yet done his uttermost violence; yet our cities, houses and churches stand as they haue done: we exhort you therefore to bring the ark of God into your houses while ye may: may ye not read that where it was, the house was blessed with it? we exhort you to fall to prayer, to the hearing, reading, meditating and following of the Scriptures. If a man hath drawn his sword, wherefore do ye not resist him? but if it be the almighty that hath drawn his sword, what should we do but take sanctuary and flee to the altar? indeed exception may be taken, as not surely spoken to us, or any other nation now, which was once threatened to Egypt, Babylon or jerusalem. But that as S. Hierom moveth some by the example of the ninivites; so by the burden of Egypt, Babylon and jerusalem, we may be stirred to repentance: yet there is no evasion from the prophecy of ieremy most universally and generally sent unto al nations, where the Lord saith: If I take to root out, to destroy, or to waste any people or kingdom, if the people against whom I haue this devised, convert from their wickedness, I repent of the plague that I haue devised to bring vpon them. 
Leuit. 18.  again: When I take in hand to build or to plant a people or kingdom, if the same people do evil before me, and hear not my voice; I repent of the good that I haue devised for them. This being pronounced from the Lord, he commandeth the prophet, saying: speak unto whole judah, and to them that dwell at jerusalem: Thus saith the Lord; Behold I am devising a plague for you, and am taking a thing in hand against you; therfore let every man turn from his evil way,& take vpon you the thing that is good and right: But they said, no more of this; we will follow our own imaginations, and do every man according to the wilfulness of his own mind. Now who is there so unadvised, that sees not ourselves called vpon under the names of judah or jerusalem? what shall we say then? that our Lord takes in hand to roote out, wast and destroy us: I affirm it not, but to say that which we see: fear I do, that the Lords sword is drawn, whetted& sharpened; and wherefore not against England, as soon as against any nation or kingdom? therfore it is time that we take example, the egyptians and the assyrians, or rather the Israelits or Niniuits; it is time we repent and turn from our evil ways, that the almighty may repent and turn from the plague he hath devised against us; time it is that every one convert from his wickedness, and take vpon him the thing that is good and right. Wherefore bee it curious and above our measure, to seek whether the almighty wasteth or planteth, or rooteth out England, or any other nation; and be it observed, aswell vpon rebellions, uproars, dissensions, as other plagues, that vpon every of these every where, in the books of the prophets we are called vpon to repent, and turn from our evil ways. And therfore in the eight of ieremy, where it is said that the bones of the kings of judah, the bones of the princes, of the priests, and prophets; yea the bones of the citizens of jerusalem, should be brought out of their graues, and laid against the sun, the moon, and all the host of heaven: it followeth, Thus saith the Lord, do men fall so that they rise not again, or if Israel repent, will not God turn again to them? wherefore then is the people gone so far back, that they turn not again? they are ever the longer the more obstinate, and will not be converted, for I haue looked and considered, but there is no man that speaketh a good word, there is no man that taketh repentance for his sin, that will so much as say, what haue I done? A complant it is both personal, and universal; universally whole Israel is complained of, that they haue turned so far back, that they rise not again: then every one is visited, to see whether any would so much as say between God and himself, Quid feci? {αβγδ} What haue I done? which is none other thing, but as if any should lament by himself crying; O wretched man that I am, my sin is ever before me; mine own heart condemneth me for such or such evil; and God is greater then the heart, and knoweth all things: heu quanta de spe decidi from what hope am I fallen? how shall I do? this remorse or feeling would prevail to newness of life, for lack whereof every one is accused to run like a fierce horse headlong to the battle. 
Iere, 8.  The stork in the air knoweth his appointed time, the turtle-doue, the swallow, and the crane consider the time of their travell; but my people will not know the time of the punishment of the Lord. Our Lord leaveth here, that we as the people of God should know the time of the punishments of the Lord: To which end wee are sent to the stork, turtle-doue, swallow, and crane, for comparing with that people of God, or rather thinking ourselves as Gods people, wee haue to consider of these daies as the time of our travell, or at least as a time of travell, for though it be not the time wherein the voice of the mill, or the light of the candle shal cease: yet it is a time, wherein the voice of the bride, and bridegroom ceaseth, wherein laughter is turned into weeping, and feasting into fasting. O that our weeping were turned into repentance for sin, and our fasting into abstaining from evil, in the 5. of the 4. of Esdras, Concerning the tokens( saith he) there shall be confusion in many places, and the fire shall be oft sent out again; and the wild beasts shall change their places; and monstrous women shall bear monsters: and salt water shalbe found in the sweet; and all friends shall fight one against another; then shall all wit& understanding be hidden, and put aside in their secret places; then shal unrighteousness and voluptuousness haue the vpper hand vpon the earth; one land shall ask another, and say: is righteousness gone through thee? and it shall say, No: To show thee such tokens I haue leave, and if thou wilt pray, weep again, and fast seven daies, thou shalt hear greater things. This being spoken of the world itself, for Esdras in the 3. and 4. book, most plainly falleth in with the evangelists touching the wars, famines, and other scourges threatened to the end of the world, the preachers voice, or scribes pen, doth not prescribe to any people or kingdom; doth not pronounce that it is we or they, this or that nation, which the author prophetically threateneth, or which the Lord shall plant or build, roote out or destroy; but being so sinful men as all others, we do not amiss to gather the sense of the scriptures, to confer them with our own times, and native country, wherein we may most firmly conclude; that we ought not to excuse ourselves, our countrymen, or country, as if an English man should think that England, or an Irish man that Ireland shal be preserved, though warres, seditions, and tumults be menaced to the world, for protesting and pronouncing this to be a most detestable security, a most inexcusable folly, a most dangerous sinfulness: Tormenta quaedam adhibemus: we do as it were torment men before their time, because we tel of their dangers before they come: observing, searching, urging, asking, applying, as namely: whether any such confusion, or monstrous tokens mentioned by Esdras, whether any such fire and water, any such fighting& tumults, as wherein one friend hath been fain to fight against another: or whether as in seditions and sudden uproars, all wit and understanding hath failed, as shut up in their secret places; or whether as in warres and rebellions, unrighteousness and voluptuousness haue not had the vpper hand; or whether we haue seen any of these things, and should not take them as sparkles kindling a fire, as séeds growing up towards a harvest, and as the beginnings of sorrows, and the forerunners of the last and uttermost evils? 
4. Esdr. 16.  This Esdras would be entertained( and not altogether as a stranger) with the Prophets and the Apostles: A sword( saith he) is sent among you, and who will turn it back? A fire is sent among you, and who will quench it? plagues are sent unto you, and what is he that will drive them away? may any man drive away an hungry Lion in the wood? or may any man quench the fire in stubble, when it hath begun to burn? may one turn again the arrow that is short of a strong archer? the mighty Lord sendeth the plagues, and what is he that will drive them away? behold, hunger, and plague, trouble, and anguish, are sent as scourges for our amendment: But for all these things, they shall not turn from their wickedness, nor be alway mindful of their scourges. Who is this angry lion, or strong archer? Esdras himself interpreteth, what may drive away the sword that is drawn, the fire that is kindled, the arrow that is shot; he testifieth with all the Prophets and the Apostles, which as they all cry for our conversion, so they wonder, that plagues and scourges sent of the Lord should not either volentes or nolentes either voluntary or violently restrain us of evil, which is most strongly and most expressedly exemplified by the prophet Amos, 
Amos 4.  where it it so often upbraided, saying: I haue given you cleannesse of teeth, and deceiveableness of bread in all your cities; yet haue ye not returned to me saith the Lord, I haue withholden the rain from you, when there were yet three moneths to the harvest, and haue caused it to rain vpon one city, and haue not caused it to rain vpon another; yet haue ye not returned to me saith the Lord: I haue smitten you with blasting, and mildew; your gardens, vineyards, fig-trees, and oliues did the palm-worme devour; yet haue ye not returned to me saith the Lord: pestilence haue I sent among you after the maner of egypt; your young men haue I slain with the sword, yet haue ye not returned to me saith the Lord: I haue overthrown you as sodom and Gomorrah,& ye were as a fire-brand plucked out of the burning; yet haue ye not returned to me saith the Lord: Here as we are not so much given to the letter, as though we had fuffred all these things, yet we may marvel with the prophet, that whereas the Lord hath tried our cities, towns, and villages, with famine and deceiveableness of bread, with no rain, or much rain intempestiue; with the pestilence, though not altogether after the maner of Egypt, with the death of our young men slain with the sword; that yet we haue not returned to the Lord: there is hardly any parcel of scripture rather to be weighed, then the whole prophecy of Amos for this our age, whereunto lest the reader should be referred in vain, I haue thought good to heap those few sayings together: Thus saith the Lord for three wickednesses of judah, and for four I will not spare him, because they haue cast away the law of the Lord, and their lies caused them to err, after the which their fathers walked; Therfore I will sand a fire into judah, which shall consume the palaces of jerusalem. Thus saith the Lord, for three wickednesses of Israel, and for four I will not spare him: because they sold the righteous for silver, and the poor for a pair of shoes; they gape for breath over the head of the poor, &c. and again, hear ye this word which I lift up vpon you: the virgin Israel is fallen, and shall no more rise; shee is left vpon her land, and there is none to raise her up, for thus saith the Lord God: 
Amos 5.3.  The city which went out by a thousand shal leave an 100.& that which went forth by an hundred, shall leave ten, to the house of Israel: and again, 
Amos 6.1.  Woe to them that are at ease in zion; ye that put far away the evil day, and aproch to the seat of iniquity; they lye vpon beds of ivory; they drink wine in bowls; but no man is sorry for the affliction of joseph. and again, Behold a basket of summer fruit: 
Amos 8.2.  The end is come vpon my people: all the songs of the temple shalbe howlings in that day, saith the Lord God: many dead bodies shalbe in every place; they shall cast them forth with silence. and again, I saw the Lord standing vpon the altar, and he said: smite the door, that the posts may shake, cut them in pieces, and I will slay the last of them with the sword; 
Amos 9. ●.  he that fleeth of them shall not flee away; and he that escapeth shal not be delivered: Behold the eyes of God are vpon the sinful kingdom; and I will destroy it clean out of the earth: nevertheless, I will not utterly destroy the house of jacob, saith the Lord: but all the sinners of my people shall die with the sword, which say the evil shall not come nor hasten for vs. Here is threatened to the house of judah, fire, and that for three or four wickednesses the Lord should not spare it: again, it is threatened to the house of Israel, that for a thousand, there should be left but a hundred, and for a hundred but ten in their cities: Likewise is threatened, woe for ease; for songs, howlings; dead bodies, for living souls; for life and peace, death and destruction, which evils, if we haue partly seen with our eyes already, and partly see them as clouds boding most tempestuous weather: Let us aclowledge that we haue sinned; and say with the Prophet: Come let us turn again to the Lord, for he hath smitten us, and he shall heal us; he hath wounded us, and he shal bind us up again. We ought not to forget the smitings and wounds, which we haue suffered in these latter yeares; some live in peace yet that hear of them; some in trouble, that haue seen them; many dead, that haue felt them; it remaineth, that men should change their minds, reform their endeavours, and both inwardly and outwardly, flee to the holy one of Israel: inwardly, by speedy sobbing and sighing; outwardly, by assemblies, humble misunderstandings, compasstions extended, faith testified, the holy things of david faithfully and lowly frequented: according to that good speech and act of chrysostom to the people of Antioch; Vt mari aestuante, As when the sea is troublesone, fear doth compel all men to flee to the haven; so the storm( saith he) of our public place, hath driven all men to take the church: Let us thank God therfore for these things, insomuch as we haue gathered so great fruit of our troubles. S. chrysostom and the people of Antioch show what ought to be done in a public vexation or trouble; as to flee to the temple as Gods house, or house of prayer: that as Adoniah took hold of the horns of the altar being persecuted by king Solomon; and as in the old time the fathers had cities of refuge, or sanctuaries to be rescued from their aduersaries; so we both publicly and personally resort every where, as to our very church or churches, as our surest havens and best defences most oportunely fled too, and frequented in public troubles and dangers; wherein whosoever shall seek mens well doing with sincere affection, may doubt, whether he should resort to the minister or to the magistrate, to know, whether men living in peace( be there bless or curse, good or bad) will do still as they did before? as namely in such great troubles as many haue suffered, and they belike haue heard of of late; wherein we ought to say with the prophet: Thou hast given us tears to drink, and hast mingled our bread with weeping; al but fierce young men& souldiers, shalbe suffered to lye as secure and careless; al which I could wish should live at church for the time; leaving their houses to eat and drink in, till they learn that the sword of the spirit, and the shield of faith, are also weapons for christian souldiers; and till they may see themselves unworthiest and most unadvised of all others: if they, until their houses be set on fire, or till the evils whatsoever light vpon their own heads, are not moved with any thing; I demand of these men whether they mind to sit still, as well at one time as at another, and that with gold rings, gay clothing, in good places, as though, when poor men are in poor raiment, and in penury; ye say not to one sit thou here, stand thou there: for do not the rich find themselves touched by the Apostle, saying: If a brother or sister be naked& destitute of daily food, and one of you say to them, depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled: notwithstanding, ye give them not the things which are needful for the body, what shall it profit? For what if men say not this according to the letter or the hand writing of S. james: yet as long as you can see poor men in vile raiment, your sisters and brothers naked and destitute of daily food, and give them not: both the Apostle pronounceth, that your faith starves for lack of works, and the time doth require to put off gold rings, gay clothing, forbearing high places at feasts, and good seats in in churches, being no time to feast or enjoy at all, much less to be lifted up, advanced above your brethren, as also inwald, impald, inhedgd, to the intent ye may see few or none of the people, but even yourselves and yours; by the which advancing or enclosing, not only Nabuchadnezzar, but david also was brought into asound and most unmerciful inflation: but that as men whose hearts are not advanced above their brethren, ye refuse not to come into the light; and not onely to frequent public assemblies as well as others; but also to visit the orphan, fatherless and widow in their adversity; and seeing the poor in their vile raimentye may cloth them; your brothers and sisters destitute of daily food, ye may feed them; that whereas ye haue not done it hitherto, it may be thought ye did it not for lack of opportunity; and that ye weighed the time wherein ye might show yourselves, as well fruitful, as faithful: for as Nabuchadnezzar became proud, david too secure by resting in their palaces; so what may come of such fruition of parlors and séeld houses, but pride, laciuiousnesse, covetousness, oblectation of children and women, oblivion of God and his seruants? whereby little or nothing procéeds from them, but cruelty as lust and uncharitable doings; as though the link of our common faith, the same calling, the equal inheritance, doth not exact a mutual consolation between Christs seruants: which the apostle seeing more deeply advertiseth; That the brother of low degree, should rejoice in that he is exalted, again, the rich in that he is made low. charity, fraternity, the unity of the spirit, the bond of peace, makes all the same, and but one in Christ Iesus; according to that prophecy of isaiah: 
isaiah 11.  The wolf and the lamb, the Leopard and the goat, lions and cattle company together; the cow and the bear shal feed together; the lion shall eat straw with the ox, and the child while he sucketh, shall haue a desire to the serpents nest, and when he is weaned, he shall put his hand into the cokatrice den. For this may well be imputed to the force of christianity, to the same hope and faith, whereby as well the highest as the lowest, the richest as the poorest, men, women, and children of all sorts, states,& affects, as the valiantest, strongest, severest, may with the lowliest, childishest, and womanishest, well join together. All which when they may meet in the unity of the spirit, and the bond of peace, actually and zealously together, they do as the ancient writer Tertullian testifieth, Deum ambire, haec vis deo grata est. They do( gathering a band as it were) compass the almighty by violence; this violence( saith he) is acceptable unto God, in the 65. of isaiah: where it is promised, that or ever his seruants call, he shall answer: while they are yet yet but thinking how to speak, he shall hear them.  
It likewise followeth, that the wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat hay with the bullock: but earth shall be the serpents meat; they shall no more hurt or slay one another, in all mine holy hill, saith the Lord: Great blessings they are, that are there promised to Gods people. Howbeit, as a mixed Scripture as are sundry others, it mingleth everlasting joys with such consolations as are attained to in this life, which to omit as impertinent, we fear not to conclude: that if the wolf and the lamb, the lion and the bullock, that is if the highest and the lowest, the richest and the poorest, might in the participation of prayer, in the administration of the word and sacraments, in the zeal of the holy and heavenly mysteries unite themselves: it were the strongest hand or band we could make, either to reconcile us unto God, or to bring to pass that one man should not sight against another; or to drive away the wrathful indignation of the almighty conceived against the world of wickedness. For when will men go about to muster this army, wherein men, women and children, even as many as are able to lift up their hands and hearts to God, are able persons to fight against their enemies; to weaken the Israelits: the children born about the birth of Moses, of Phoraohs cruelty suffered martyrdom: And what shall our children suffer Cum proximus urbi Hannibal? When Hanniball or Vlissis soldier is come vpon us? when Holifernus doth besiedg our city? but most extreme cruelty; what should we do but fight or pray for them? what may make men or women more zealous& fervent? for as we know, or believe that the blood of Abell,  shed by Cain cried to the Lord for vengeance: so let us know or believe, that the crying of the blood of little children and our cries for them, may stir the Lord of heaven to compassion, even lest their blood be  shed vpon the earth. Mention it therefore I do, or motion it to parents, that not onely when they are baptized or catechised: but even because of a siege, because of the invasion of the foreign enemy, when men are within gun-shott, they vouchsafe them a part of our Lords army and people. Let zachary and Elizabeth, joseph and mary carry them in their arms, bring their sucking children to the church, and present them before the Lord in the Gospel; 
Mar, 2.  Iesus seeing their faith that laid down before him the sick of the palsy by uncovering the house, we read that he had compassion on them, and healed the sick. niniveh that great city, over which it was proclaimed that within forty daies it should bee destroyed, was defended by their children. jonas was offended for the gourd which was eaten with worms: the Lords answer to jonas was this: dost thou well to be angry with thyself for the gourd? and he said I do well to bee angry even unto death: Then said the Lord thou hast had compassion on the gourd about the which thou bestowedst no labour, neither madest it grow, which came up in a night,& perished in a night: And shal I not spare niniveh that great city, in the which are more then sixscore thousand persons that know not their right hand& their left, and also much cattle? Behold an army enough to deliver a city, even a greater city then is vpon the earth, even 120000. children that know not the difference between the right hand and the left. Here the number which in the Lords behalf we reject, are rebellious to his mighty hand: to whom it is as easy to overcome by few as by many, in the slaughtering of children is left as weighed, and found most heavy: we as sinful men, are weighed in Gods balance, and be we few or many are found too light. 
Gen. 18.  But were there fifty just men in a city? if thirty; if ten; would not our God spare that city? Shall we speak after the example of Abraham, and comune with the highest, being but dust and ashes: If there be ten sucking children in a city or town; if thirty; if fifty; shall not our Lord God spare a village, town, or city, for ten; thirty; or fifty sucking children which shal be found in it? the children with the number of impotent men and women, in stead of just and righteous men, is all we can say or do in this sinful generation? Shall the righteous be slain? shall women great with child? shall the aged and the gray-headed? shall not the poor be left in the land to till the ground? shall fire and sword devour assoon the sick and maimed, as the rest? doth not wars drink blood in stead of wine or water; even the blood of souldiers, armies, captains, men, women, and children? Quis talia fando Mirmidonum Dolopumue autdiri miles Vlissis, temperet a lachrimis? Who can pity or ponder of these things without tears? Venit summa dies,& ineuitabile tempus Dardanidis: Is there but one city that may say, our last day and not able to be lamented enough is come vpon us? it is not the righteousness or wisdom of man; it is not our bow or shield, that may deliver us; a horse is but a vain thing to save a man; our arm is but flesh, our gold is but day; may we allege with Ezechias, all our burnt offerings and sacrifices? let us allege our sucking children, women with child, the aged, the impotent, the innocent. Palamides when ulysses feigned that he was besides himself, that he might not be pressed to the wars, set his child before his ploughshare, to see whether there was nature or pity left in him towards his own child; whereby he prevailed and overcame him. In like maner, whereas through our great and manifold transgressions, as also, through sundry and condign coertions for the same, we see not but that the heavy wrath of the almighty, against our nation, cities, towns, is enkindled to their utter extirpation and ruin. Let us not onely set Christ Iesus our onely mediator and advocate; his onely begotten son, between our sins and his wrathful displeasure: but also as his creatures clouded and cladded with flesh and blood, butted and darkened with earth and ashes, offer our babes and sucklings, as living sacrifices to our almigtie& most merciful father, not like our fathers in the old time, which killed lambs, goats and heiffors; nor the heathenish idolaters, which offered their children to Moloch, as otherwise, so vpon the approaching of their warlike enemies: but as sinful men redeemed by thy dear son, esteeming babes and children more righteous then ourselves; we beseech thee, that as thou once sparedst niniveh that great city, for the thousands of children which were in it: so for the sparing of children, be they few or many that are in cities towns and villages, it may please thee of thy fatherly goodness, to stay the rage of tyrants, to still the furiousness of souldiers, to assuage the madness of people: that the young ones with the dams may not be choked together; that the kidd be not sodde in her mothers milk; that hearts hardened like the adamant may be softened, not by the blood of goats, but by the blood, though vnshed, of sucking children; that young and old, the children with the parents, if it be thy holy will, may enjoy to praise and magnify thy holy name together. The dead praise not thee, nor all they that go into silence; I will not die but live( saith the prophet) and declare the works of the Lord. nevertheless, we as groaning to the augmentation of sinfulness, and heaping to ourselves daily the wrath of God for a treasure, understand not, whether we shal do better, to live or to die, only be it doubtful, whether the sufficient number set out for an army, able men, worthy captaines, with competent strength and counsel,( for gold may not be counted able to deliver us from the hands of our enemies) rather than an army mustered of women and children, of the feeble, silly, halt, blind, maimed, aged, impotent, frequenting the church or churches, giuing themselves over to all holiness, fighting by prayer, and both inwardly and outwardly uniting, and gathering together in Christ Iesus our saviour. Leonidas said it was better to go into the field with an army of harts, a lion being their captain, then having but a hart to be their captain, though all the army were of lions. again the same Leonidas against the Persians, seeing his souldiers enjoying their dinners overmuch: Sic inquit prandete milites, tanquam apud inferos coenaturi. I pray my souldiers,( saith he) so take your dinners, as they which are to sup in their graues. For let not any think it a frivolous comparison; between this feeble host gathering to prayer at home, and a mighty army even lawfully set out against foreign enemies. For if Leonidas iudgment be allowed, that the hope of the victory resteth in the captain, and that souldiers should eat and drink as beholding death before the eyes: Let us protect ourselves, 
Apoc. 19.  with that captain that goeth out conquering, and to overcome, whose eyes are as a flamme of fire, on whose head are many crownes; whose vesture is dipped in blood; whose name is called the word of God; out of whose mouth goeth a sharp sword, who treadeth the wine fat of the fierceness and wrath of almighty God; who hath on his vesture, and on his thigh a name written, King of kings, and Lord of Lords; under this captain we shall obtain a corruptible crown or incorruptible; if after Leonidas counsel we dine and sup: that is, if we live as men still subject to death: according to that saying of the Apostle: 
1. Cor. 15.10.  Why stand wee in jeopardy every hour? by our rejoicing which I haue in Christ Iesus our Lord, I die daily: If I haue fought with beasts at Ephesus after the manner of men, what aduantageth it me if the dead rise not? let us eat and drink, for to morrow we shall die. In these words by the way, all atheism and epicurism are condemned: in the mean season see in S. Paul a pattern of a good seruant and soldier of Iesus Christ, he standeth in jeopardy every hour; he dieth daily; he fighteth with the beasts, either in deed by way of punishment, or spiritually with unreasonable men, quorum non est fides: for so he calleth such as had no faith in them. Our very life is a warfare vpon the earth, our christian life a double warfarre and extreme danger: A threefold knot is not easily broken; the Persians,( that is our deadliest enemies) are coming vpon us: it is not Cales or Callis, or some few towns in England, spain, or Ireland, sacked or ruinated, that are all the miseries we haue to expect in these bitter wars, threatened to all the world. If it be too much to be entangled with the affairs of this life at any time? if we be not crwoned at any time unless we strive lawfully? if we may at no time eat or drink without measure? if always we must look to our meats and drinks, that they be within measure of health and abstinent behaviour? How much rather should men beware of scandalous implications, unlawful striuings, inordinate diets, and become most temperate in our meats, most modest in our behaviour; but above all things most innocent in our doings, most penitent for our offences, and most ready for amendment of life; when seeing death approacheth, if not to night or to morrow,( yet as it is commonly said) within a day or two, or( as it may be truly said,( within a month or two, or a year or two: Because deaths that are sudden, are in wars most dreadfully, and most inevitably to be looked for; if this iudgement of death were according to the wisdom of christian men received, I might seek to arm our souldiers,( fighting only under the banner of Christ Iesus) against the fear of death; as also against sin and satan, with all other ghostly and invisible temptations: but now I haue, only with the bitter remembrance of death, to bring if I could, men seeking rest and comfort in their substance and riches, having nothing to vex them, having prosperity, and which are well able to receive their meats, and to think better of their mortallitie and sinful natures, and thereby to join with the godly and poor saints, striving in all supplications and prayers against sin, death, and satan; knowing themselves to bee subject to death, with all other temptations as well as all others. Death is the iudgement over all flesh,& as it asketh not how long one hath lived, 
Eccle. 41.  as whether 10. or a 100. or a 1000. years: so it asketh not whether one haue hundreds or thousands of riches, or how much he hath? I do not see but this time is more dreadful to such, then to the poor and needy, and therefore they might be armed the rather against the loss of this life, but that they neither think of death, neither can they see that their dayes are short and evil; wherein they are found not onely unarmed, but also unclothed of all holy wisdom; some nice or curious armor, as themselves, so other men wish to them, not unlike Vulcanes harness which Homer feigneth to be devised for Achilles: For touching his own harness, Patroclus lost it when he fought with Hector: for even so the first or second time they fought in flesh and blood, sin and the world, they lost their harness. Qui non potuit primas partes prudentiae, recipiat secundas poenitentiae. saith S. Augustine. he that could not withstand at first by wisdom, let him stand at last by repentance. We call you from fleshly and worldly wisdom, to godly wisdom, repentance, prayer, with all other holinesse, as well as your poor brethren: for wee haue no other wedding garment, no other clothing, no other armor for you, but the same which we name. seek not with Alexander for Aristotle; with Caesar for Seneca; with Pausanias for Simonides. Remember that Abraham saith to the rich man in the parable: They haue Moses and the Prophets. If they hear not them, though one came from dead, they would not beleeue. Be humble and meek with david; appear not still with Saul, as though ye were by the head and shoulders higher then all your brethren. S. Paul doth arm a christian soldier, Ephesians 6. read the place, consider it, put on the armor with your brethren, they are your fellow souldiers and fellow seruants in Christ Iesus. S. Augustine writing to S. jerome, allegeth this place of scripture, and layeth to him some others out of the books of the Kings, psalms, and Chronicles which are material and incident to the thing we seek for, which I thought good to city at large, his words bee these: Nostra armatura Christi est,& Apostoli Pauli institutio. Assumite armaturam Dei, vt possitis resistere in die malo;& rursus state succincti lumbos vestros in veritate,& induti loricam justitiae,& calceati pedes in praeparationem Junii pacis; supper omnia accipientes scutum fidei, in quo possitis vniuersa tela maligni ignita extinguere;& galeam salutis accipite,& gladium spiritus, quod est verbum Dei: His quondam telis, Rex david armatus procedebat ad praelium,& quinque lapides de torrente accipiens leuigatos, nihil asperitatis,& sordium inter huius saeculi turbines in sensibus suis esse monstrabat; bibens de torrente in via,& ideirco exaltatus caput, superbissimum goliath suo potissimum mucrone truncauit: percutiens in front blasphemum& in ea parte corporis vulneratus, in qua,& presumptor sacerdotij Ozias lepra percutitur,& sanctus gloriatur in domino, dicens; signatum est supper nos lumen vultus tui domine. Dicamus igitur& nos, Paratum est cor meum, Deus paratum cor meum, cantabo,& psallam in gloria mea; exurge Psalterium,& cithara, exurgam diluculo: vt in nobis posset impleri: Aperi as tuum,& ego adimplebo illud,& dominus dabit verbum Euangelizantibus virtute multa: and again after a few sentences, containing familiar matter between S. jerome and himself, he addeth: Et in Paralipomenon libro legimus quod filii Israel, ad pugnandum processerint mente pacifica, inter ipsos quoque gladios,& effusiones sanguinis,& cadauera prostratorum, non suam said pacis victoriam cogitantes. Our armor is Christ saith S. Augustine, and the Apostles information in the sixth of the Ephesians: Take unto you the armor of God, that ye may be able to resist in the evil day; and again, stand therefore, having your loins gird about with the truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness, and your feet shod to the preparation of the Gospel of peace: above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye may quench al the fiery darts of the wicked;& take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit which is the word of God. With these weapons king david being armed went to the battle, and taking smooth stones out of the river, shewed there was no roughness, or mire of this world in his senses; drinking of the river in the way, and therefore having lift up his head, slay the most proud goliath with his own sword, striking the blasphemer in the brow, and wounding him in that part of the body, in the which Ozias presuming the Priests office, was strike with a leprosy, and the holy one glorieth in the Lord, saying: The light of thy countenance is sealed vpon vs. Let us therefore say also, my heart is fixed O God, my heart is fixed, I will sing and give praise; Awake lute and harp, I myself will awake right early; that it may be fulfilled in us,( open thy mouth, and I will fill it:) God gave the word, great was the number of preachers. And also we read in the Chronicles, that the children went out to fight with a peaceable mind, in the midst of swords, and effusions of blood, and carcases of men lying on the ground, not minding their own, but the victory of peace. These scriptures S. Augustin writeth to Saint jerome, to no other intent, but that their contention about certain questions, and writings might proceed without bitterness: This armor alleged by S. Augustine out of the 6. of the Ephesians is well known, as also the history of goliath in the first and seuentéene of samuel: likewise the leprosy of Ozias the king for usurping the priests office, 2. Chr, 26. Now whereas S. Augustine vpon this, that the leprosy sprung in the kings forehead, compares it with Dauids ston, which sunk into Goliahs forehead, alleging also out of the psalms. Signatum lumen vultus tui. &c. As the conceit is both from his matter and ours: so wee may observe his superstitious observation of the letter, as though the brow were any piece of the matter, either in Ozias or goliath, more then that their fall was more shameful and apparent. We need not fear to affirm that there were many superstitions, defects and errors in the ancient fathers, which as we reverence notwithstanding, so we haue good cause to marvel that the weakness of godly preachers, and writers is not better born in this age: Errare possum, haereticus esse nolo. So long as men are found neither erroneous or heretical, wherefore should not our truth ouerpoyse our defects: whereas they, notwithstanding their superstitions( for I will not say heresies) are allowed, and honoured. But lest I should enter vpon new matter: S. Augustine citing the whole book of the Chronicles, for the victory of peace, sought for in the time of wars; allegeth as though at sometime the children of Israel went into the field with a mind, minding peace, which peace among the carcases of dead men and effusion of blood, they retained; within that sense so much to his purpose and ours, to say the truth, I find not in all the book of Chronicles: in steed whereof, we may allege for our examples, the histories of king Asa, josaphat, Ezekias, which by prayers rather than by arms, prevailed against their enemies. So were the Egyptians, the Moabites, and Amonites, Zenacherib and the assyrians delivered into the hands of the king of judah, the manner of which kings, in their going out to battle, the form of their prayers, with the rest that belonged to the sanctifying of the warres would not be omitted: But that for the instruction of godly captaines, armies, and souldiers, the whole books of the Kings, should rather with S. Augustine be alleged, then an act or two. As though they exceeded that should do it; or as though it were less then dutiful, to perform the like fear of God; or as though it were most shameful and perilous to adventure kingdoms, peoples, armies, cities, towns, villages, and the lives of men, vpon mens wits or stratagems. As one therfore who may not doubt, but our captaines, with their armies perform this piety and fear of God, in their attempts and enterprises, I must call vpon persons addicted to their home and peace, to join in prayer with their brethren, that are in the field. think not( dearly beloved in our saviour Iesus Christ) but that faith with prayer, and true holinesse, is of greatest strength to subdue all our visible or invisible, our ghostly or mortal enemies. give me leave to borrow word for word, that famous saying of the author to the Hebrewes, speaking in this wise: 
Heb. 11.  What shall I say more? For the time would fail me to rehearse of Gideon, Baruch and of samson, and of jephtah, of david also, and Samuel, and of the prophets, which through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained the promises, stopped the mouths of lions quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. Hereof we see, that faith whereunto wee are recommended by the Apostle, as it is never intempestiue, so is it as I had almost alleged, best in season, when kings or aliaunts offer violence by warres: for is it not faith which maketh us to approach and draw near to our Lord God: who maketh warres to cease in all the world? is it not he that breaketh the bow and knappeth the spear in sunder? Is there any king that can be saved by the multitude of an host; or is there any man delivered, by much strength? shall it bee doubted to whom it is said at this day; I am the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, 
Psal. 33.  Open thy mouth wide, and I shall fill it: and, Oh that my people would haue harkened unto me; for if Israel had walked in my ways I should soon haue put down their enemies, 
Psal. 81.  and turned my hand against their aduersaries; the haters of the Lord should haue been found liars, but their time should haue endured for ever: he should haue fed them also with the finest wheat flower, and with honey out of the stony rock should I haue satisfied thee. But in stead of al that might show the Lord to give victory to whom it pleaseth him, and that which is not denied in deed, but would bee better weighed, before menns stratagems be intended or achieved, that the Lord of hosts is the mightiest captain, of greatest counsel and strength; let the godly often meditate in the 28. of deuteronomy, the comminations and consolations by Moses contemplating, to whom with all the rest, this is threatened. If thou harken not unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to keep and do all his commandements and his ordinances which I command thee: cursed shalt thou bee, when thou goest out, and cursed when thou comest in: the Lord shall cause thee to fall before thine enemies; thou shalt come out one way against them, and flee seven ways before them, and shalt be scattered among all kingdoms of the earth; thy carcases shal be meat, &c. again, If thou shalt harken diligently unto the voice of the Lord thy God, and observe and do all his commandments which I command thee this day: blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed in the field; the Lord shall give over thine enemies that rise against thee, that they may fall before thy face, they shall come out against thee one way, and flee before thee seven ways. These promises and punishments being outwardly conceived; are to be red consolabilitèr, not certitudinalitèr: that is, not as certain, but by way of consolation: for the state of christianite, and the very age of the world, doth promise rather ruins and troubles, then victories or other glory to the children of God. For shall we put you in hope, that( if in a city or town ready to be sacked and besieged, men hearken at that instant more diligently to the voice of God, and observe his commandments, and resort to public prayer, namely on the sabbath dayes, wednesdaies, and Fridaies; than at al other times, with better mind, and deuotions) God shal spare that town or city? No, but protesting that conquests and ruins, felicities and miseries, depend of the Lord of hostes: wee will that his angel should find some blood sprinkled, either vpon the posts of our houses, or the messenger having on linen raiment, and( as it is in the eight of Ezekiel) a writers horn by his side, going through our cities, should set a mark in our foreheads, lest not being found to bee of those which mourn and are sorry, for all the abominations that are done in that city, the heaviest wrath light vpon vs. be not like the Israelits, which esteemed Mannah too little, and the quails too much: For it is written: that while the quails were in their mouths, the Lord slay the wealthiest of them. Be not like Esau, who esteemed his porridg and hunting too much, and his birthright too little: For it is left written, that by hunting, and for a mess of porridge, he lost his birthright: It is well known, that faith, prayers, with other holy exercises, are loathed as light bread. Are ye not in this like Naaman, that great man and captain of the host of the king of Syria, who when Elizeus had said: Wash thee seven times in jordan, and thou shalt be cleansed: he became wrath, and said: Behold, I thought he will surely come out, and stand and call upon the name of the Lord his God, and put his hands on the place, that he may heal the leprosy. Are not Abana and Pharphar, riuers of Damasco, better than all the waters of Israel: If I wash me also in them, shall I not be cleansed? And is not this the arrogant and presumptuous mindes of the worldly, which prefereth Abanah and Pharphar, that is, the riuers of Damasco, even the counsels, and the strengths of the world, before the waters of jordan; that is, before the counsels and strength of the Lord. And where is it that Naaman thinks, that the Prophet should stand forth and pray to his God for him? whence had Pharaoh to wish Moses and Aaron to pray, that such and such things should not light vpon him? 
3. Reg. 12.  whence had jeroboam to say to the man of God: pray that my hand may be restored: For though it may do well, and there is some difference; yet the delight is not good. Ought ye not to pray for yourselves? no altars, no sacrifices of your own? understand ye not that year a royal priesthood, a chosen generation? or vndestand it we fear ye do, but doctrinaliter not disciplinaliter: by way of doctrine, to improve an heresy; but not by way of discipline to inform yourselves: ye say we are no priests; we say ye are no kings; yet joining both together we say, both by way of doctrine, as also by way of discipline, that ye are both kings and priests. unusquisque regem gerit in pectore, every man is a king in his own conceit. In this sense they are kings, 
1. Pet. 2.  or as S. Peter speaketh. Presumptuous they are, and stand in their own conceit, and being lead with sensuality, speak out swelling words of vanity, making up their kingdoms with raging and swelling: 
isaiah 57.  foaming out as S. Iude speaketh their own shane. The wicked haue no peace, saith the prophet, but are like the raging sea that cannot rest, whose water foameth with mire and gravel. It is in the eight of Esay: Forasmuch as this people refuseth the still running water of Silo, and put their delight in Razin and Romelias son: Behold the Lord shall bring mighty& great floods of water vpon thē, namely the king of the Assyrians with all his power, which shall climb up vpon all his floods, and run over all his banks; and shall break in vpon judah, he shal flow& pass through, till he come up to the neck; he shal fill also the wideness of thy land with his wings. If it be lawful to compare England with judah, and our enemies with the assyrians? Are there not two or three smoking firebrands:( for so are the two kings of Ephraim and Assyria, name in the seventh of isaiah) at whose rage and furiousnes our hearts may quake, yea and the hearts of all the people; like as the trees of the wood are moved with the wind? may we not to such end, city that mystical birth and name of isaiah the Prophets son, who was commanded of the Lord at his conception to call him {αβγδ} which word for word is as much as, Make speed to the pray, make hast to the spoil. And wherefore this name should bee given to the child, it followeth. Or ever the child shall haue knowledge to cry my father and mother, shall the riches of Damascus, and the spoil of Samaria be taken away, or as we may otherwise read: The soldier shall take away the riches of Damascus, and the people of Samaria, from the face of the king of the assyrians. Indented therefore it was and registered, in the name of the child, that Damascus, Samaria and judah which followeth, were within a short time, as within a year or two, to expect the greatest invasion from Rezin king of Ashur, which invasion or invasions, are compared to great floods of water: according to the interpretation in the apocalypse, Aquae multae; tribulationes multae: Many waters, many troubles. now should England say with the prophet, Indica nos domine, de terra non sancta. judge O Lord between us and an unholy nation: for wee may not still, either compare ourselves with Israel or judah or foreign enemies, with the egyptians, or the assyrians; but onely that this most prophetical and mystical name of the child, may remember us, in what state or danger we are in, from our enemies, who are so near to England, especially some of them, that they are to say one to another; Make hast to the pray, make speed to the spoil. And as Cato that ancient roman, shewed a green fig from Carthage in the Senat of Rome; showing that the city of Carthage was too near Rome for the Romaines to bee secure of them: So England is to be remembered, how near our enemies are, howe ready lacking but opportunity, to offer both Bellum & latrocinium, or( if it hath been presumed, for it is too late to presume it now) that they are not able to offer just wars: yet wherefore should not wasting and spoiling be feared, as menacing detriment and destruction to the innocent subject, in so much as that or ever the child that is new born, haue knowledge to cry: My father, and my mother, the riches of our regions, or spoil of our cities, or at least our villages, and even the houses, wives, children, with other goods and cattels, of our fellow subiects, lye open to extreme ruin and danger. Here I haue nothing to do with Verres and Lucullus, two Roman captaines, of whom complaint was made; that their coming into the Roman provinces, were so burdenous to their confederates, that the detriments from them, differed not much from the depopulations or extortions of true enemies: according to that saying. Cur hostis Hannibal, si tu civis? Wherefore should Hannibal be counted an adversary? if he be a true citizen that extorteth, oppresseth, or wasteth, either the subject or confederate. Whereof our Lord doth protest and testify by ieremy, saying: Amend your ways and your counsels; oppress not the stranger, the fatherless,& widow, and then will I let you dwell in this place. But take heed ye trust not in lying tales, that beguile you, and do you no good; for when ye haue stolen, murdered, committed adultery and perjury, shall ye be unpunished? yet then come ye& stand before me in this house, which hath my name given unto it, and say: tush, we are absolved quiter, although we haue committed all these abominations. go to my place in Siloe; and seeing ye haue done all these deeds,( saith the Lord) therefore as I haue done unto Siloe, so will I do with this house, and I shall thrust you out of my sight. In this place the Prophet testifieth, that it is vain to hold of the temple of the Lord, to offer sacrifices, to keep his sabboths, unless the oppressor cease from his tyranny, the swearer from perjury, the murderer from blood, the thief from stealing, the adulterer from fornication; by the which wee may understand( as well as if they were specified) all other evils and abominations. I haue not chosen to cry out of these things, but vpon the careless and secure, though guiltless of these notorious abominations; to these notwithstanding, because charity hopeth all things, and endureth all things. 
Cor. 13.  I sand two or three Scriptures wherein they may examine themselves, whether such enormities as are registered there, be found within themselves. In the 58. of Esay: They seek me daily, and will know my ways, even as it were a people that did right. Of whom it is demanded in the 58. psalm: Are your mindes set vpon righteousness O ye congregation, or do ye judge the thing that is right, O ye sons of men? Yea, ye imagine mischief in your hearts vpon the earth, and your hands deal with wickedness. In the fift of ieremy, This people( saith he) hath a false and obstinate heart, they are departed and gone away from me, they think not in their hearts: Oh let us fear the Lord our God, that giveth us rain early and late, which keepeth still the harvest yearly: nevertheless your misdeeds haue turned these things from you, from among my people are found wicked persons, that privily lay snares and wait for men to take them, and destroy them; and like as a net is full of birds, so are their houses full of that which they haue gotten, with falsehood and deceit. Hereof cometh their great substance and riches; hereof are they fat and wealthy, and run away from me with shameful blasphemies; they minister not the law, they make no end of the fatherless cause, they judge not the poor according to equity. Should I not punish for these things saith the Lord, or should not my soul be avenged of such a nation as this?  
A very glass it is, as well for private persons, as also for whole congregations, towns, cities and countries, which is left in the 22. of Ezechiel concerning jerusalem: Thus saith the Lord: O thou city that shedst blood in the midst of thee, that thy time may come also when thou hast caused thy day to draw nigh, and made the time of thy yeares to come, therefore the Lord will make thee to be confounded among the heathen, and to be despised in all the lands. In thee haue they oppressed the stranger; in thee haue they vexed the widow, and fatherless; in thee haue they despised father and mother; thou hast despised my holy things, and defiled my sabboths; tale-tellers are there in thee to  shed blood; in thee are such as eat upon the hills, and in thee they commit fornication; in thee they discover their fathers shane; in thee they haue humbled her that was set a part for pollution: every man hath dealt shamefully with his neighbours wife, and abominable defiled his daughter in lawe; in thee hath every man forced his own sister, even his fathers daughter: thou hast taken usury and increase, thou hast oppressed thy neighbours by extortion, and forgotten me( saith the Lord God) Behold I haue smitten my hands, vpon thy covetousness that thou hast used, and vpon the blood which hath been shed in thee: Is thine heart able to endure? or may thy hands be strengthened, in the daies that I shall haue to do with thee? To these two scriptures I refer thee; the one in the 22. of Ezekiel, the other in the seventh of ieremy, for exhorting all sorts to zealous prayer, to the keeping of the Lords Sabboths, to hearty and true repentance, and( to speak all at once) to awake men out of that deadly sleep of security, because of these most perilous times; I should but flatter, and men should but flatter themselves, if they should think by fasting or prayer, weeping and mourning, or any other oblation or sacrifice, they might either turn the wrath of God from them to cease from punishing, or become reconciled unto his merciful favour and kindness: unless where there is a fire of evil, as of envy and maliciousness, wee seek to extinguish it; where there is a sink of evil, as of uncharitableness and covetousness, wee seek to exhaust it; where there is a roote of evil, as of pride and ambition, we seek to extirpate it; where there is a storm of evil, as of cruelty and tyranny, wee seek to aswadge it; where there is a bush-downe of evil, full of brambles and briars, as of frowardness, wilfulness, wrong and vngratiousnesse, we seek to grub it up, weed it out, and utterly to exile it. Of these things the pen of the writer, as well as the voice of the prophet, hath exclaimed in all ages: But as water is poured out vpon the outside of a vessel; as a fire is kindled when no man warms himself at it; as a dinner ordained, when all invited refuse to come; as when a deaf man is taught,& a dead man is cured: so we are offended: and as Saint Paul speaketh, we burn, and are scandalised, seeing the indignation and heavy wrath of the almighty, and thereby beseeching your escape, or amendment: for as the prophet saith: Are your hearts able to endure? are your hands able to strengthen you, in the time which the Lord shall bring vpon you. Our words or hand-writings whatsoever, take no place in you; should we therefore cease to exclaim, that sin and wickedness is the extirpation of cities, towns, armies, realms, peoples, and kingdoms? shall men, women and children say; in cinere urbis; that is, when the city is become towards dust and ashes- Nonne praescisse oportuit nos antea? Nonne communicatos oportuit? Should not we haue been  told of these things before? should not wee haue been participated in these things before? wee are ready therefore to pronounce with jonas: Adhuc 40. dies& destruetur niniveh: yet forty dayes and niniveh shall be destroyed; wee are ready to upbraid towns, and cities with our saviour, vae tibi Corazin; vae tibi Bethsaida: 
mat. 11.  woe to thee Corazin; wo to thee Bethsaida: And thou Capernaum which art lifted up to heaven, shalt bee thrown down to hell. But wee challenge the hearers and readers patience and kindness; for must wee needs name the cities or towns of our own native country? How? for we know not which, or which; whether it be this or that town, city or village, which the Lord shall visit; onely let not the day of the Lords visitation come vpon thee unawares: we turn therefore from multitudes, incorporations, and all dumb things to such as haue ears to hear, or eyes to see, or hearts to understand, to all which, we say with our saviour: walk while ye haue light, the night will come, when no man can walk. There are but twelve houres of the day: it is almost night, if the best Astronomers be not deceived: whether it be so or not; as every man hath a day, so every mans night cometh vpon him: be it, that the day of our life be twelve houres, or twelve years of continuance; what man, woman, or child, may expect twelve yeares of life, where the sword devoureth? do we look for Ahaz his dial, that the degrees may go backward? or many such daies as Ioshua had? For wee read that one was as long as two, till he might bee avenged of his enemies: or for Hezechias, that fifteen yeers should be added to our ages, because of all our burnt offerings and sacrifices; I know not, but this is all that may be found of the prorogation of mens daies in the scriptures: but touching the shortening of the daies of the world in the Gospel; of shortening our own dayes in the Psalms; should the scriptures be alleged? praxim mundi allegamus: mens lives are shortened at all times, and in all places. Who would ever haue thought, that they should not haue had eagles dayes, whose daies notwithstanding haue been shortened in our eyes. Death coming, never asketh how long we haue lived, or how long we shall live; but cuts off the thread. The iudgment likewise of death is all one to few& to many; for who would ever haue thought that our hundreds and thousands, which haue perished by shipwrecks, wars, strange sicknesses, should to so great a number haue been shortened of their daies? what is to be thought of houses, towns, and cities that are yet standing? Moenia stant vt solebant, plusque re iam ipsa, extremam ruinam metuentia. The walls stand yet as they did before, looking when they shall be beaten to the ground. Neither the kings of the earth, nor all the inhabitants of the world,( saith ieremy) would haue believed, that the enemy and adversary, should haue come in at the gates of the city of jerusalem; which nevertheless is come to pass for the sin of her prophets, and for the wickedness of the priests. Here, by example of jerusalem, the prophet sheweth that there is no kingdom, city or state, though the kings of the earth, and all the inhabitants of the world, would never believe, that it should be besieged, vanquished or subdued: yet that it is subject to excision, extinction and utter ruin; which drownfall( touching the states yet permanent) were better wisdom to doubt of, then fortitude to live without fear casting no peril; for the shaking off of such security, I appeal now to the ministery: for even ieremy in this place doth impute it to the sin of her prophets, and to the wickedness of her priests, that the enemies and aduersaries entred the gates of the city of jerusalem; then are priests also& prophets as sinners a part, matter, and cause of invasions, extinctions, and extirpations by warres, or other iudgments of the Lord. The prophet joining priests, prophets, and people together, findeth, that horrible and grievous things were done in the land: whereof he crieth out as he doth often: Should I not punish for these things( saith the Lord?) or should not my soul be avenged of such a nation as this? nevertheless, I complain not of horrible things done, but of holy things left undone, as well of the priest as of the people. Yea I complain that there hath been nothing done of you in most tempestuous storms, by reason of warres, rebellions, and other troubles, more than at all other times; for wherefore do not the priests mourn between the temple and the altar? accusing our doomb and senseless incredulity, taking cause of these pitiful times, that they, with the people haue done nothing worthy, of the gospel which hath been so many years preached among vs. Hath the people been excited and brought to walk worthy of so heavenly a calling? hath the priests resembled the lives of the prophets, levites or Nazarits? haue they born {αβγδ}, that is light and integriie in their breasts? You haue heard of the patience of job( saith the Apostle) in imitation whereof; I say ye haue heard, seen, and red of the faith, patience, piety, and holinesse of all the patriarkes and prophets, whereunto yourselves and we all are prescribed; and what good hath come of it? haue we repented with the Niniuits? haue we fasted with josaphat? haue we kept our passeouer like josias? is there any that hath humbled himself with Manasses? To conclude, is there any that hath stepped forth like Zacheus, saying: Behold I give half that I haue to the poor; and if I haue taken any thing from any man by forged cavillation, I restore him four fold. These are the fruits of storms and tempests in a common-wealth, or church reformed, or reformable; howbeit, men oblivious through wealthiness, careless by custom, void of fear through their long peace and safety, are not ware of their very duty to God-ward; neither do they feel the thirst of the soul, whereof the priests of God may not be silent; as if the soul were no theme, whereas it behoveth all Christians to contemplate rather the souls, than the bodies of a thousand or a hundred, which haue been slain in the field, or haue been butted in the sea; or haue suffered unprovided death at a skirmish, siege, uproar, tumult, or violence whatsoever. I would not haue you ignorant brethren( saith saint Paul) concerning them which sleep, &c. the whole place of Scripture condemneth, as utter infidelity; so our incredulity which see, hear, and make report, of sacking, razing, shipwreck, and loss of men: as how three or four hundreth men( skilful of navigation) were drowned at such a time, that four or five thousand very good souldiers were flaine at that siege, or at such a skirmish; that flos& robur Italiae, the slower and strength of England is decayed, without remorse, sight, or mention made of the soul. Although the soul whereof we should haue blessed remembrance, felt no detriment; I say not in catholic slaughters, but even when the christian is fain to put off his gown,& put on the harness; in stead of the church, to enter a castle; in stead of praying, to fall a fighting: must not the soul be still silent and laid up for the time, invisible in the body? do not men go forth to warres with their bodies, as though they had no souls? as though in the effusions of blood, we are not( as it were) taught of the prophet, 
Amos 6.  to say one to another: Hold thy tongue for we may not remember the name of the Lord. Therefore among all other calamities; what may be compared, with wars, vproars and tumults? which with most certain damage to mens bodies, goods, and lives, infereth most horrible corruptions to the soul? for what place or time may there be for the priest or prophet? for the statutes, ceremonies, or the usual sacraments, which with all reverence ought to be always administered and solemnized; and therefore how long will it be, or we which are yet in peace, shall fight after the example of Iudas Machabeus and his people; rather for the holy city, sanctuary and temple, then for our kinsfolks, wives, and children? wherein as I refer the Reader to the last chapter of the maccabees: 
2. Machab. 15  so in this holiness assigned to Iudas Machabeus I wish observed, the coniunction sought for in this treatise, between the souldiers abroad, and the people at home, for so it followeth in the same place: again, they that were in the city, were most careful for those which were to fight. They( saith he) that were in the city( that is) in peace to us, but I follow not this as mentioned before. Shortly therefore drawing to an end, universities, schools, the spiritualtie or clergy, as also citizens, as not the best souldiers, I recommend to their gowns or cloaks,& to fall to prayer. As for the clergy, of whom I haue begun to speak, though persuaded of them that they are as saint Paul saith of the romans, 
Rom. 15.  filled with knowledge, able also to exhort one another: yet I haue somewhat more boldly to writ unto them in these words following; as putting them in remembrance, through the grace that is given me of God, to what desolation, death and darkness, the fear of God, true holiness and godly knowledge is subject: unless if not with Atlas they carry heaven; yet unless with the levites they carry the ark of God as it were on their shoulders into the land of Canaan. And first, to give thē the quicker taste of the state, which warres bringeth vpon learned men and churchmen: Let it be accepted from saint Hierom, who writing to saint Augustin in these words, saith: Ezechielis volumen, olim ne gredi volui,& sponsionem creberrimam studiosis lectoribus reddere, said in ipso dictandi exordio, ita animus meus, occidentalium provinciarum,& maxim urbis Romanae vastasione confusus est, vt iuxta vulgar proverbium, proprium quoque ignorare vocabulum, diuque tacui, sciens tempus esse lachrimarum: hoc autem animo, cum trees explicassem libros, subitus impetus Barbarorum, de quibus tuus dicit Virgilius: lateque vagantes Barb.& sancta scriptura de Ismahel: contra faciem omnium fratrum svorum habitabit, sic Egypti limitem, Palaestinae Phaenices, Syriae praecurrit instar torrentis, cuncta secum trahens, vt vix manus eorum, misericordia Christi potuerimus euadere. Quod si iuxta inclytum oratorem, silent inter arma leges, quanto magis studium scripturarum, quod, &c. which may be this Englished. I would once haue set down the volume of Ezechiel, and pay that which I had often promised to studious Readers: but even in the beginning when it should be set down, my mind was so confounded with the wasting of the west provinces, and especially of the city of Rome, that after the common proverb, I also forget mine own name,& long I held my peace knowing it to be a time of tears. But this year when I had explaind 3. books, the sudden invasion of the Barbarians( of whom your Virgil saith: the Barbarians dispersing themselves far& wide:& the holy Scripture, of ishmael: He shal dwell against the face of all his brethren) hath so run over the bound of Egypt, of Palestine, of Phaenices, of Syria, like a full stream drawing all with it, that we were scarce able by the mercy of Christ, to escape their hands. And if it be so, that laws haue no place in the time of wars: according to that entire orator, how much more the studies of the Scriptures? which &c. In vain it were though I writ to the learned, to ripp up histories concerning Rome or other occidental provinces, or to show a resemblance between this time, and the state of the egyptians, Phaenicians, Palaestines, Syrians intended by saint Hierom: we may not fall to our books when we shall fall a weeping, first for our own sins, then for the sins of the people: scientes esse tempus lachrimarum. This I intimate, considering which I learn of the Apostle: chiefly the season, the daies are evil: 
Rom. 13.  the day of the Lord or the day of our visitation is at hand: it is time that we should now awake out of sleep: every day is an expense of our life towards death; the hourglass doth run still; our clock doth strike still; the figge-trée with all other trees doth bud more and more; the world is sick and like to die: Aegritudo mundi est fames, 
Amb. in luke. 21. ho. 10  aegritudo mundi est pestilentia, aegritudo mundi est persequutio. The sickness of the world( saith saint Ambrose) is famine; the sickness of the world is the disease commonly called, the plague or pestilence; the sickness of the world, is persequution of warres; which our time hath given me for a theme. S. Ambrose had spoken before more at large, and thereby layeth to this, the spiritual fight, which I sand to my brethren of the clergy: not as a new, but as their own battle in time of foreign warres: his words be these: Sunt& alia bella, quae vir sustinet Christianus: diuersarum quoque proelia cupiditatum, studiorumque conflictus, multoque grauiores domestici hostes, quam extranei. Nunc auaritia stimulat, nunc accendit libido, nunc metus terret, nunc iracundia exagitat, nunc ambitio movet, nunc terrere tentant spiritualia nequitiae, quae sunt in coelestibus, itaque quasi quibusdam urget proelijs,& quibusdam terrae motibus, quatitur mobilis mutantis animi affectus, said fortior dicit: si constant adversum me castra, non timebit, cor meum: si exurget adversum me proelium, in hoc ego sperabo: In English. There are also other warres, which the Christian man sustaineth; the battels also of sundry affections and conflicts of endeavours and inward enemies, much more grievous than outward. Now covetousness spurreth, now lust kindleth, now fear terrifieth, now anger vexeth, now ambition moveth, now spiritual craftiness in heavenly things tempteth: therefore the affect of the mind declining and movable, is forced( as it were) from certain battle, and as it were from earthquakes, shaketh for fear: but the valiant saith: though an host of men rise against me, my heart shall not be afraid: though war rise up against me, I will put my trust in him: this warfare, though it be at all times, and of all Christians to be endured: yet seeing your several flocks and people are actually,& not you, mustered, and prest indeed against the foreign enemy: it is yours, both as men, and as ministers, most vigilantly to look to it for yourselves and others. But to exemplify as from saint Ambrose, as also from Chrisostom we read: when the people of Antioch were in great fear of vexation, confiscation, depopulation, for defacing the image of the Emperour Theodosius, how zealous, or rather how sedulous, he was as under his bishop, which is mentioned by me, intending this to the popular ministers, not to all, how industrious I say saint Chrisostom was to perform saint Pauls illation in the 11.& 5. Thess. warn them that are unruly; comfort the feeble minded; lift up the weak; be patient towards al men; there followed after a great tempest, a great calm: for by the clemency of the Emperour Theodosius, the city was pardonned. Now we red also of saint Augustine in Hipponensi obsidione that he cried unto God the Lord: aut vt civitatem ab hostibus circumdatam liberaret: aut vt servos suos, ad perferendam suam voluntatem forts faceret, aut se de hoc saeculo, acciperet: That it might either please him to deliver the city of Hippo, being compassed of enemies; or to make strong his seruams, to suffer his good pleasure; or to take him out of this world. S. Augustine lay in his death bed when the city of Hippo whereof he was bishop was besieged; 
Possido. de vita Aug.  and died about the third month of the siege. Doth not these fathers, and especially saint Hierom, and saint Augustine teach us at such a time, to water our couches with tears, and to think vpon our God when we are waking? shall it be thought so wonderful, as though it were saint Augustines horizon, that he onely in so extreme a siege should think of the souls of men, as well as of their bodies? for thus it is written of him: hanc ferocissimam grassationem, ille homo Dei& factam fuisse& fieri, non vt caeteri homines sentiebat,& cogitabat: said altius& profundius, ea considerans,& in his animarum praecipue, vel pericula, vel mortes praeuidens: fuerunt ei lachrimae panis, die, ac nocte. This most fierce robbing& slaying, that man of God did not think, or take to be done, like other men; but considering of these things more profoundly and deeply, and foreseeing in these, either perils or deaths, chiefly of souls, his bread was mingled with weeping night and day: what is it then? should we do well to take our beds and fall a weeping: No my brethren; for as saint Hierom admonisheth: that it is Tempus lachrimarum; so saint Ambrose, that it is Tempus pugnarum: And as saint Augustin took his bed, as one that was to die: So saint Chrisostom became most busy and stirring in the city, as one that was to live. Howbeit all these fathers do show, and the thing itself is most evident, that in time of seditions, vproars, tumults, warres, men should not onely put on their harness; but that Christians, and especially the anointed of the Lord, should fall a weeping or working, studying or striving wrestling or fighting; not so extraordinarily, as more spiritually, more fervently and zealously, than at all other times. Be not discomfited though ye be blamed, for violent or importunate, for intempestiue works are well allowed. You know what our saviour saith of John Baptists time: The kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent plucked it unto them. ye are derided for standing so much vpon comeliness in profession: learn of souldiers, mariners, physicians, and all other good members of the commonwealth, and you shall find that they all use extreme remedies, in extreme dangers. Be there no other circumstance even for the weal of the soul; how oft are ye called vpon, to plant, to water, to build, to run, to strive, to wrestle, to fight, in stead of the rest: harken( though not onely spoken to you) our saviour, saying: strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many I say unto you will seek to enter in and shall not be able. see my brethren, he saith not enter in, but strive to enter in: contendite intrare: he saith not in the gate; but the strait gate, arctam portam: he saith not many shall not enter in, but many shall seek to enter in, and shall not be able: quaerent intrare multi,& non intrabunt. Incident to this, is that we haue in the third of ieremy: I will take one out of the city, and two out of one generation from among you, and bring you into Sion. That fiction also of the poet serving better for this end, than for his own imagination: de tot modo millibus vnum; de tot modo millibus unam: for I may not to such end, allege that saying of Ecclesiastes: Among a thousand men, I haue found one: but not one woman among all. But to draw to an end: poetry and all other learning, our own collections and reasons, our applies and replies, may fail us, and will fail us; the gospel cannot fail for ever. Ego quidem vellem,& haec quae scribo,& illa quae antea in senatu quaestus sum, vana forent potius, quam miseria mea, fidem verbis faceret. Adherbal king of Numidia, in a letter to the Senate of Rome, against jugurth, saith, or rather as it is in the history: I verily had giver the things which I now writ, and which before I complained of in the Senate, were found untrue, rather than that my misery should give credit to the words which I haue spoken: even so it is not thankworthy, that we wish the severe& mortal matters we writ, or complain of, were found untrue. For was niniveh destroyed, after that jonas had proclaimed: that within forty dayes niniveh should be destroyed? jonas the priest, the Prophet, the minister, al that writ or preach better things are put to shane and silence, if ye harken unto them, repent and amend your evil ways: but if ye repent not, if ye will not harken to the wholesome words of exhortation; if ye will not amend your lives, it is the Lord that saith. Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle of the law shall not scape till all be fulfilled.  
Jod is an hebrew letter, and the least of the alphabet; a tittle is less then a letter; not the least letter therefore, or tittle of the lawe shall perish: and yet latin, greek, and Hebrew, with all other knowledges shall vanish away, scientia abolebitur: 1. Cor. 13. Wherefore that opposite or aduersatiue difference, left by our saviour between heaven and earth, and the lawe, or word, is, that heaven and earth, with the elements shall melt with heat, utterly consume, and come to nothing: 
Not an annihilation: but a dissolution of former frame and form.  but the law and the prophets, to the which may be added the evangelists: and the Apostles shall by privation, make but a way to their perfection: in so much as every thing written in that book, shall not haue their consumption, but their consummation. And therefore our saviour addeth in the 24. of Matthew: Till all these things be fulfilled: and in the 5. of Matthew: Till all be fulfilled; seeing therefore all must be fulfilled: that is, seeing all the curses and blesses of the holy scriptures must be accomplished; the question not being whether they shall be; but when they shall be. No hesitation of the thing, but if there be any of the time; after lightning come thunder, after smoke fire; after a cloud a tempest; it remaineth, that as christian men, blessed as well with faith, as with reason itself: and thereby finding the mystery of fearful troubles working already, and the morning of evil gone forth: we wait, if not for the streams, the flames, and uttermost indignations of the Lord: yet according to the scriptures, for the beginning of sorrows, for the preparatives, the temptations, anxieties, perplexities, perils, and dangers, as continual lights, and lightnings, foreshowing the thunder, which if we repent not, must needs light vpon vs. It is written, 
Psal. 18.  that the earth trembled and quaked, because he was wrath: that there went a smoke out of his presence, and a consuming fire out of his mouth, that at the brightness of his presence, the clouds rained hailstones, and coals of fire; that the foundations of the world were discovered at his chiding at the blasting of the breath of his displeasure. What flesh, what wit, what reason is able to hear these things? what heart shall not fail to consider them? And yet whereas they sound continually from Gods house in the ears of his people, there is none that repenteth of his evil. Repentance, repentance is the thing that we cry for; which is the onely remedy whereby these horrible threatenings may be prevented& avoyded. If we compare the wonderful iudgments of God, as namely in the 18. psalm, 
Apoc. 16.  with the most terrible temptations, as in sundry places; so in the 16. of the Apoc. with that great observation, what might be the force of repentance, that if ye repent, or if ye do not repent. I would think, that more then josias, Manasses, and Hezechias should shrink, and humble themselves, or melt at it. In the 16. of the Apoc. when the vials of the wrath of God are powred vpon the earth, when the fourth angel poureth his vial vpon the sun: it is said, That power was given unto him, to vex men with fervent heat of fire: in so much as men boiled in great heat,& blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues,& they repented not to give him glory. As likewise when the fift Angel poureth out his vial, upon the seat of the beast: it is written, That his kingdom waxed dark, and that they gnawed their tongues for sorrow, and blasphemed the God of heaven, for their sorrows, and their sores, and repented not of their deeds. Who seeth not this fire and darkness, this boiling and blaspheming, this gnawing of tongues, very forerunners and preambles, of that fervent heat, utter darkness, boiling, blaspheming, gnawing of tongues, as also weeping and gnashing of teeth for ever? And shall we not see howe repentance is inserted and graft in this crabstock, to ouergrow and overcome all these unwonted sorrows; And they saith John, Repented not to give him glory, and again, they blasphemed the God of heaven for their sores, and repented not of their deeds: for it may not bee conceived, that the foresight of visible and invisible horrors; as also of hell itself, should cause the prevention and fruit of repentance, for though the difference between love and fear, be conceived for an evident truth; in so much as both Saint Augustine, and S. gregory are of iudgement: that they are but the enemies of righteousness, which for fear, refrain from evil, according to that worthy saying, Qui Gehennam metuit, 
August. ad Anasta. ep.  non peccare metuit, said ardere: ille autem peccare metuit, qui peccatum ipsum, sicut Gehennam odit. He that is afraid of hell is not afraid to sin, but to burn: And he it is that is afraid of sin, that hates it, as if it were hell itself, Qui peccatum, sicut Gehennam odit. yet unless the world were better, and seeing horrible and fearful things breed anxiety, and perplexity in the mind of man, according to the saying of our saviour, ( mens hearts shall faint them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the world,) wee may not expect till the penitent( as the logicians oppose) observe omnes leges bonae definitionis, verae poenitentiae. till we observe all the laws of a good definition, of true repentance; but wee must cry out with all the prophets, our saviour& the apostles, that unless we repent, all the plagues which are written in the book of of God shall come vpon vs. here wishing these plagues to be thought vpon better, believed and contemplated, I may cease to speak any more of wars, only referrring the Reader to the 16. and the 20. of the Apoc. for what can be more terrible, than that the way of the kings of the East should be prepared by the drought of the river Euphrates, 
Apoc. 16.  and that three unclean spirits like frogs should come out of the mouth of the dragon, the beast and the false prophet, to gather into a place, called Armagedon, the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to the battle of that great day of God almighty? Or that satan being loosed out of prison, should deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth? 
Apoc. 20.  Gog and Magog whose number is as the sand of the sea, to gather them to battle, to compass the tents of the saints about, and the beloved city, till fire come down from God out of heaven, to devour them: wherein observe these two things: first that satan is the author and sour of warres in the latter daies: then that enormous tumults, and other most extraordinary crimes, strange from them that do them, and unexpected of all men, are much to be imputed to satan satan deceived Gog and Magog, and what are wee, that we may not be deceived of satan? And do we not live in that part of the time wherein these prophesies must be fulfilled? Saint John mentioneth a time, wherein satan shall be loosed out of prison: besides our state whereby saint Paul testifieth: That we wrestle not with flesh and blood, but with spiritual craftiness in heavenly things. And how should men professing nothing, but honour, dignity, worship, or flesh and blood, be able to withstand the craftiness of satan, whereas the best wrestlers,& most vigilant watchmen of the Lord cannot do it. Is not satan busy still? doth he not seek as well to deceive, as to devour? Should we not fear with S. Paul, 
1. Cor. 11.  lest the same serpent beguile women stil, as well as eve: men stil, as well as the incestuous person swallowed up with over much sorrow, or other Corinthians? Non enim cogitationes eius ignoramus cogitationes {αβγδ} astuta consilia, vel machinationes: we are not ignorant of his subtleties, 
2. Cor. 2.  deceits, or devices, saith the Apostle: let us therefore according to that short and resolute admonition, give no place to satan; let us not be found secure or unprovided, lest we also be tempted; but always, as it were in complete harness, against so sore an enemy. Not unlike a ship in the midst of the sea, or even as Noes ark was commanded to be made of pine-trées: and to be pitched within and without, against the the flood should come vpon the world, and as it is feigned of Achylles flesh, that it was invulnerable, that is, such as might not be wounded: So against the lionish roaring, the serpentish subtlety, the draconish tyranny of the divell, our spirits may be full of strength and resistance, as pitched within and without, established, harnessed, shut up, that neither any door, window nor think of this ship, or ark lying open, may endanger us of drowning in a sea, where there is no water, of our down fall into a pit where there is no bottom, finally of our passage into that valley or shadow of death, where there is not any life or light for ever. How long will it bee ere these things sink into our hearts? How long will men dally and delay: Shall we think that all other men, must use the means and take the ways, which belong to their good and lucre? and that we should not likewise use the means,& take the ways that belong to our heavenly good and lucre? for wherefore should we not be more busy, than secular men to take every advantage, all opportunity, the time, the place, the person, the thing whereby we may attain heaven or escape hell? they that fear the Lord, saith Ecclesiasticus, will seek out the things, 
Eccles. 2.  that bee pleasant unto him: they that fear the Lord, will prepare and humble their souls in his sight: they that fear the Lord keep his commandements, and will be patient till they see himself. The same Eccles. in the same place pronounceth, that his mercy is as great as himself. And should not the mercy of God make us resemble more rather the prodigal son, repenting, returning and saying to his father:( Father I haue sinned against heaven and against thee: and am no more worthy to be called thy son. For was he not received with a ring, a robe, with killing, eating, and rejoicing?) than the rich man in the gospel, who saith to his soul: take thine ease, eat, drink and be merry: for it is received with this answer: 
luke. 12.  thou fool this night do they require again thy soul from thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? Behold in this rich man, the very state and person of this age. For this careless, secure,& faithless mind, is my offence in this cause: with whom if it were not denied, that I am more offended, than with malefactors& evil doers; how should it be received? And yet having not to do to judge them which are without, and fearing that this gluttons dialogue, between the soul, tongue or heart, is found in the house of jacob, and even in learned and godly men, I can esteem no less of them: and weighing, that Elias sin might not be purged, with all burnt offerings and sacrifices: that it was Dauids offence, and not the vulgar peoples, which called for warres, famine, or pestilence: and that it was jonas trespass that troubled the sea: which could not bee calmed until jonas was cast into the whales belly: and hoping that as our saviour saith to Saint Peter: tu conversus confirma fratres: So the learned with the most virtuous and godly might inform the rest of so dangerous a disease in so dangerous a time; I thought it not best to commune too long with flesh& blood, and differ, as also be secure from day to day; but to publish a testimony of godly iealousy, whereunto I am rather incited, than the rest of our brethren: because were it not for avoiding the arogancy of an affirmation, I were ready to protest& testify, not only that great wars, but also the same with our saviour prophesieth in the gospel, are coming vpon the whole world. As where he saith: 
luke. 21.  when ye shall hear of warres and seditions, be not afraid, for these things must needs come to pass, but the end followeth not by and by: Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And great earth-quakes shall be in diuers places, and hungers, and pestilences, and fearful things. Now annexing, 
Amos 7.  to this the saying of the prophet Amos shall I say? I was no prophet, neither was I a prophets son: and the Lord said unto me go, and prophesy, that such wars and seditions shall be in England and Ireland. I affirm no more but the same, which we all hear, say and see, the wars, seditions, and vproars, which haue been and are in England& Ireland, are enough to awake men out of the dead sleep of security. 
Heb. 3.  Take heed brethren, saith the Apostle: lest at any time, there bee in any of you an evil heart of unbelief to depart from the living God: but exhort ye one another daily, while it is called to day, lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. It is called to day yet, and will bee every day while the world standeth: therefore we ought to remember and excite one another, lest any depart from the living God, or lest any should be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. Now if it be enough, while it is called to day to call one vpon another: because the night cometh when no man can work: and now Christ knocketh at the door, and when there shall be no more time, it will be too late to knock, because the door will be shut. Then it is more than cause enough, and more than high time in this time of danger and trouble, not onely for such as haue received five, two or three talents; but for all who haue received two, one, or any, to give them forth to the exchangers: that both ourselves may be the better discharged; our brethren the better preserved from all evil; and lastly, our heavenly Lord and king at his coming, may receive his own with advantage; which also we shall perform by the example of our saviour, who after he had pronounced the ensuing of warres, rumours of warres, and fearful troubles; armeth the Apostle with faith, patience, godly wisdom, watchfulness, holiness, prayer, &c. as appeareth in these short, and quick sayings: Ne terreamini: possidete per patientiam, ammas vestras: Attollite capita vestra: appropinquat enim redemptio vestra: cavete vos, vobisipsis: ne grauentur corda vestra ebritate,& crapula: cavete, vigilate, orate, parati estote: they are as short and quick in English, as in Latin: See that ye be not troubled: possess your souls through patience: lift up your heads, for your redemption draweth near: take heed to yourselves: let not your hearts be made heavy, with surfeiting and drunknes: bee ready, beware, watch and pray: And this shall be the end. To the everlasting& everliving trinity, the Father, the son, and the holy Ghost, three persons, and one God, be all honor, glory, praise and dominion, now and ever.  
FINIS.