The second tome of homilies of such matters as were promised, and entitled in…The second tome of homilees of such matters as were promised, and intituled in…

Which thing may plainly appear by the notable plagues and punishments which God hath laid upon his people, especially in this, that he stirred up their adversaries, horribly to beat down, and utterly to destroy his holy temple with a perpetual desolation. Alas, how many Churches countries & kingdoms of christian people, have of late years ben plucked down, overrun, & left wast, with grievous & intolerable tyranny and cruelty of the enemy of our Lord Christ the great Turk, who hath so universally scourged the Christians, that never the like was heard & read of? Above thirty years past, the great Turk had overrun, conquered, and brought into his dominion and subjection twenty Christian kingdoms, turning away the people from the faith of Christ, poisoning them with the devilish religion of wicked Mahomet, and either destroying their Churches utterly, or filthily abusing them with their wicked and detestable errors. And now ⟨p. 270⟩this great Turk, this bitter and sharp scourge of Gods vengeance, is even at hand in this part of christendom, in Europe, at the borders of Italy, at the borders of Germany, greedily gaping to devour us, to overrun our country, to destroy our Churches also, unless we repent our sinful life, and resort more diligently to the Church to honour God, to learn his blessed will, and to fulfil the same. The Jews in their time provoked justly the vengeance of God, for that partly they abused his holy temple with the detestable idolatry of the heathen, & superstitious vanities of their own inventions, contrary to Gods commandment, partly they resorted unto it as hypocrites, spotted, imbrued, and foully defiled with all kind of wickedness and sinful life, partly many of them passed little upon the holy temple, & forced not whether they came thither, or no. And have not the Christians of late days, and even in our days also, in like manner provoked the displeasure and indignation of almighty God?

Whiche thyng maye playnely appeare by the notable plagues and punishmentes which God hath layde vpon his people, especially in this, that he stirred vp their aduersaries, horribly to beate downe, and vtterly to destroye his holy temple with a perpetuall desolation. Alas, how many Churches countreyes & kingdomes of christian people, haue of late yeres ben plucked downe, ouerrunne, & left wast, with greeuous & intollerable tyrannye and crueltie of the enemy of our Lord Christe the great Turke, who hath so vniuersally scourged the Christiās, that neuer the lyke was heard & read of? Aboue thirtie yeres past, the great Turke had ouerrun, conquered, and brought into his dominion and subiection twentie Christian kingdomes, turnyng away the people from the fayth of Christe, poysonyng them with the dyuelishe religion of wicked Mahomet, and eyther destroying their Churches vtterly, or filthily abusing them with their wicked and detestable errours. And nowe