The Brutish Thunderbolt, Title page – Dedication
THE BRVTISH THVNDERBOLT: or rather FEEBLE FIER-FLASH of Pope SIXTVS the fift, againſt HENRIE the moſt excellent King of Nauarre, and the most noble HENRIE BORBON, Prince of CONDIE.
Togither with a declaration of the manifold inſufficiencie of the ſame.
Tranſlated out of Latin into Engliſh by CHRISTOPHER FETHERSTONE Miniſter of Gods word.
Nahum. 3.
I wil reueale thy filthines vponupon thy face, and wil ſhew thy nakednes amongst the nations, and thy ſhame in the kingdoms.
Imprinted at London, by Arnold Hatfield, for G. B. and R. Newbery. 1586
TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE, THE LORD ROBERT DVDLEY, Earle of Leiceſter, Baron of Denbigh, Knight of the most noble orders of the Garter, and of S. Michael, Maiſter of the Queenes horſe, one of hir Highneſſe most honourable priuie Councel; and Lord Lieutenant and Captaine general of hir Maieſties forces in the Low countries.
THE EXPERIence of your honorable acceptation of my last ſimple trauell in tranſlating Maister Caluins Commentaries vponupon Saint Iohns Goſpell, hath imboldened me further to preſent your Honor with another ſlender fruit of the ſame. Which, though it be not of like qualitie with the former, yet I doubt not, but it ſhal prooue profitable to as manie, as with diligence and indifferencie ſhall vouchſafe it the pervſing. The Author (albeit not ſpecified heerin by name) ſeemeth to be a man of great reading, ſingular iudgement, and excellent dexteritie, in handling the matter which he vndertooke. The worke a notable diſcouery of that Abaddon, or deſtroieng enimie, the ſonne of perdition, that ſitteth in the temple of God, as God; wherein both his defacing of the glorie of the ſonne of God in heauen, whoſe vicegerent he would be counted, and his trampling vnderunder feete whatſoeuer is called God amongst men, beſides his manifold violences committed against the Church and Saints of God, are most liuelie depainted and ſet before our eies. Many woorthie wits of rare gifts hauehave trauelled in laieng open his vſurpations, villanies, and outrages, with the originall and proceſſe, cauſes and effects, precedents and conſequents of the ſame, acording as they were occaſioned. But this man hath drawen into one entire bodie a great manie memorable points, which are diſperſedly found in others; ſo that he that listeth may at once take a view, as it were, of ſuch an vglie monster, as would trouble the ſtrongest fantaſie in the world to imagine, and the most curious hand to pourtray the like. Howbeit, it is not much to be hoped for, that the Italianate atheists and diſcontented Papists (of which there are ſuch ſwarmes amongst vsus) will any thing at all be mooued with the cleere light of theſe moſt euident demonstrations, to reforme their iudgements and preiudicate opinions alreadie conceiued and rooted within them touching his pretended ſupremacie ouer Gods Church. For it is greatly to be feared, least, by a iust iudgement of the almightie, they are become past feeling, ſo that they grope as the blind at noone day, giuen ouer to all deceiueablenes of vnrighteouſnes through a ſtrong ſpirit of deluſion, bicauſe they would not receiue the louelove of the truth that they might be ſaued. But howſoeuer their harts be as hard as the adamant, and their eies couered with the mist of palpable darknes euen to this day: yet wiſedom ſhal be iuſtified of hir children. Whom God hath foreappointed to be beholders of his glorie, they ſhall in their due time be inlightened with the knowledge of his ſauing truth, and come out of Babylon with as great ſpeede, as euer the Iſraelites posted out of Egypt. Yea, they ſhall clap their hands at the ruine of that Antichristian ſynagog, which being now tottering and readie to fall to the ground, laboreth with might and maine, by force and fraud, by treacherous attempts, by cruell practiſes, and open inuaſions, as it were by mingling heauen and earth togither, to vphold it ſelfe: as may be ſeene in most places of Europe at this day. But he that ſitteth in heauen, laugheth them to ſcorne, the Lord ſhall hauehave them in deriſion. Whoſe words touching the ouerthrow of Babylon, cannot fall to the ground, but must be fulfilled in their time. For doubtles Babylon muſt fal, & be rewarded according to hir works: the kings of the earth ſhall loath and perſecute this vniuerſall ſtrumpet, to make hir deſolate & naked, to eate hir fleſh & conſume hir with fire. Thriſe bleſſed are they, that band themſelues togither, & bend their whole forces to execute theſe iudgements of the Lord, which he hath decreed vponupon hir. In which reſpect your H. hath great cauſe to magnifie the Lord for his gratious mercies toward you, in that he hath vouchſafed you this honor, to ſtand in armes against one of hir principall louers, in ſo iust and holie a quarell, as is the maintenance of his ſacred religion, and the deliuering of the helpleſſe out of the hands of the oppreſſor, ſo aduiſedly and neceſſarily vndertaken by hir excellent maiestie. A thing iustifiable by the lawes of God and man, of nature and nations, yea warranted by the like practiſe of most Christian Emperors in former ages, and ſundrie other good preſidents of antiquitie. Now, ſeeing God hath dealt ſo mercifully with you, it is your H. part, to behaue your ſelfe valiantly, and to fight the Lords battels with courage. He is on your ſide: therefore you are on the mountaines, and your enimies in the vallies: he ſhall be a braſen wall to defend you on euerie ſide, if you ſet his feare before you, and repoſe your trust in him. The garde of his holie Angels ſhall be a ſurer protection vntounto you, than any trench, bulwarke, or fortreſſe you can deuiſe. The praiers of all the godlie in the land being deeply touched with an inward ſympathie and fellow-feeling of their neighbors calamities, are powred out continually for your ſafetie and happie ſucceſſe in this noble enterpiſe: and your H. may be well aſſured, that they ſhall procure more fauour to you at the hands of the Lord, than any either aduerſarie forces, or aſſociations of the holy Tridentine league ſhal be able to preuaile to the contrarie. Wherfore, my Lord, arme your ſelfe with Christian courage, policie and warines against theſe vncircumciſed Philistins: remember that they with whom you fight are deuowed vaſſals to that beast, which is deſcribed in this booke: whoſe power (God be thanked) hath been found too weake to ſhake the throne of our gratious Souereigne, notwithſtanding his often aſſaults. His thunderbolts of excommunications and bannings hauehave beene esteemed as paper-ſhot by thoſe noble Princes of the houſe of Borbon and Vendoſme in France. He ſitteth in his Vaticane as one at his wits end, deſtitute of counſel, knowing that the aſſurance of his kingdom ſtandeth but vponupon one or two ſuch Egyptian reedes, as are mentioned by the prophet, of no great ſafetie or ſuretie to be leaned vponupon. Should not the conſideration of theſe things increaſe your fortitude and magnanimitie, that you neuer faint nor giuegive ouer before you ſee a bleſſed end of your labors? Which the Lord of heauen in a tender regard of his poore Church in this corner of the world, grant vntounto you, that in the end returning home, you may be receiued with ſuch ioifull acclamations and ſongs of triumph, as Dauid was by the daughters of Iſrael after his victorious ſubduing of the Lords enimies; and in the life to come may be crowned with thoſe pretious bleſſings, which are reſerued for them that to the vttermost of their power helpe the Lord against the mightie.
Your Honors moſt bounden and at commandement in the Lord, CHR. FETHERSTONE. London. The third of October. 1586.