Out of this place we be admonished (dearly beloved,) to beware of the greatest, and abominable evil (one of them) that can be done against God: that is to say, witchcraft, and calculation by Astronomy, and such other like. Howe heinous an offence is this, when we see the heavens rain, the clouds wholly bent to storms and tempests, the winds roaring, and in such rage, as all should go a sunder, thunder and lightnings as men wonder at: and under all these plagues, tempests and soul weather, the young springing corn, the sweet ⟨p. 77⟩root of herbs, the little withered grass lye buried and covered under weather and storms, frost and snow, whilst GOD suffereth winter, and maketh cold to continue. Were it not now witchcraft and very abomination, to say and divine of these stormy and winterly tempests, that summer should not be green, parched blades of grain should not come again in the harvest to corn: bitten, and buried roots, should not at the spring bring forth sweet and pleasant flowers: that shaken and wind torn trees by tempests, should not in the calm coming of the summer, bud forth their leaves? What witch and cursed man would thus judge of earthly things, that have their times of vading and loosing of all beauty for the sin of man? If this be abomination for the bitterness and storms of winter, to condemn and curse the summer to come, because summers fruits, and the springs beauty be stained and all defiled with winters barrenness, and dim clouds: what is this, but ten times more abomination, for the bitterness and storms of persecution, to condemn and curse the life to come of Gods people, because truths fruits, and the resurrections glory be stained, and all dishonoured with worldly scarcity, and dim persecution? But as Asaph the Prophet saith, Al eyes see not these things, but such as be of a clean heart. All men have eyes, for the most part, and all men have hearts, but they be such, as the worms of the earth, and birds of the air can eat and devour: but he that will live in GOD, and see these things, must have immortal eyes, and an incorruptible heart, which cometh by grace in Gods spirit, to see by faith, and honour with reverence Gods doings, as well in the winter and cold storms of persecution, ⟨image 74⟩as in the summer of felicity and pleasure:
Out of this place we be admonished (dearely beloued,) to beware of the greatest, and abhominable euill (one of them) that can be done against God: that is to say, witchcrafte, and calculation by Astronomie, and such other like. Howe haynous an offence is this, when we sée the heauens raine, the cloudes wholy bent to stormes and tempestes, the windes roaring, and in such rage, as all should goe a sunder, thunder and lighteninges as men wonder at: and vnder all these plagues, tempestes and soule weather, the young springing corne, the swéete ⟨p. 77⟩roote of hearbes, the little withered grasse lye buried and couered vnder weather and stormes, frost and snowe, whilest GOD suffereth winter, and maketh colde to continue. Were it not now witchcraft and very abhomination, to say and diuine of these stormie and winterly tempestes, that sommer should not be gréene, parched blades of graine should not come againe in the haruest to corne: bitten, and buried rootes, should not at the spring bring foorth swéete and pleasant floures: that shaken and wind torne trées by tempestes, should not in the calme comming of the sommer, bud foorth their leaues? What witche and cursed man would thus iudge of earthly things, that haue their times of vading and loosing of all beautie for the sinne of man? If this be abhomination for the bitternesse and stormes of winter, to condemne and curse the sommer to come, bycause sommers fruites, and the springes beautie be stayned and all defiled with winters barrennesse, and dimme cloudes: what is this, but tenne times more abhomination, for the bitternesse and stormes of persequution, to condemne and curse the life to come of Gods people, bicause truthes fruites, and the resurrections glory be stained, and all dishonoured with worldly scarsitie, and dimme persequution? But as Asaph the Prophete saith, Al eyes see not these thinges, but such as be of a cleane heart. All men haue eyes, for the most part, and all men haue hearts, but they be such, as the wormes of the earth, and birdes of the ayre can eate and deuour: but he that will liue in GOD, and sée these things, must haue immortall eyes, and an incorruptible heart, which commeth by grace in Gods spirit, to sée by faith, and honour with reuerence Gods doings, as well in the winter and colde stormes of persequution, ⟨image 74⟩as in the summer of felicitie and pleasure:
