ACCOUNT OF BOOKS. 
then subiects, and are enly served 
for feare, but not forlove ; where- 
as this people have ever bene as 
afectionate to good as unpliable to 
bad severaignes. 
*¢ Nor is it only vallour and ge- 
nerosity that renowne this nation; 
in arts wee have advanc’d equall to 
our neighbors, and in those that are 
most excellent, exceeded them. 
The world hath not yeilded men 
more famous in navigation, nor 
ships better built or furnisht. 
Agriculture is as ingeniously prac- 
tised : the English archery were 
the terror of Christendome, and 
their clothes the ornament: but 
these low things bounded not their 
greate spiritts, in all ages it hath 
yeilded men as famous in all kinds 
of learning, as Greece or Italy can 
boast of. 
“¢ And to compleate the crowne 
of all their glorie, reflected from 
the lustre of their ingenuity, val- 
lour, witt, learning, iustice, wealth, 
and bounty, their pietie and devo- 
tion to God, and his worship, hath 
made them one of the most truly 
noble nations in the christian 
‘world. God having as it were en- 
closed a people here, out of the 
wast common of the world, to serve 
him with a pure and undefiled 
worship. Lucius the Brittish king 
was one of the first monarchs of 
the earth that received the faith of 
Christ into his heart and king- 
dome: Henrie the eighth, the first 
prince that broke the antichristian 
yoake of from his owne and his sub- 
iects necks. Here it was that the 
first christian emperor received his 
crowne: here began the early 
dawne of gospell light, by Wick- 
liffe and other faithful wittnesses, 
whom God rays’d up after the 
black and horrid midnight of anti- 
1103 
christianisme, and a more plentifull 
harvest of devout confessors, con- 
stant martirs, and holy worshippers 
of God, hath not growne in any field 
of the church, throughout all ages, 
then those whom God hath here 
glorified his name and gospell by. 
Yett hath not this wheate bene 
without its tares,God in comparison 
with other countries hath made 
this as a paradice, so, to compleate 
the parallell, the serpent hath in 
all times, bene busy toseduce, and 
not unsuccessfull, ever stirring up 
opposers to the infant truths of 
Christ. 
‘¢ No sooner was the faith of 
Christ embrac’d in this nation, but 
the neighbouring heathens invaded 
the innocent christians, and slaugh- 
tered multitudes of them; and 
when, by the mercy of God, the 
conquering Pagans were afterwards 
converted, and that there were 
none left to opose the name of 
Christ with open hestillity ; then the 
subtile serpent putt of his owne 
horrid appearance, and comes out 
in achristian dresse, to persecute 
Christ in his poore prophetts, ‘that 
bore wittnesse against the corrup- 
tion of the times. This intestine 
quarrell hath bene more successe- 
full to the devill, and more aflic- 
tive to the church then all open 
warres, and, I feare, will never hap- 
pily be decided, till the prince of 
peace come to conclude the con- 
troversie, which att the time of my 
birth was working up into that tem. 
pest, wherin I have shar’d many 
perills, many feares, and many sor- 
rows, and many more mercies, con- 
solations and preservations, which I 
shall have occasion to mention in 
other places. 
‘¢ From the place of my birth 
shall only desire to remember the 
good. 
