Time Complaining, Title page – To the reader
TIME Complaining, giueth a moſt godly admonition, and very profitable Inſtruction to England in this our dangerous Tyme.
Whereunto is added a comfortable prayer to be vſed in this Tyme. By IOHN CARPENTER.
Eccl. 3. 1. Euerie thing hath a Tyme, yea all that is vnderunder the Heauen, hath his conuenient ſeaſon.
NON SOLO PANE VIVET HOMO: Luke 4
Verbum Dei manet in aeternum:
I W
Imprinted at London by Thomas Orwin,
To the Worſhipfull mine especiall good friends, John VVal rond of Bouy Eſquire, & to Miſtris Iane W. his wife the bleſſing of of God be multiplied and continued.
THE great deſire and godlie delight, which J knowe to be in you both, to heare, reade and meditate in the Law of GOD, with that bleſſed man, whom Dauid deſcribeth: the bringing vp of your children with Abraham in the way of the Lord, and the exerciſing of your family in godlines, with your worthie examples vntounto others, and vertues thereunto correspondent (beſides your manifolde friendſhippes towards me, your poore neighbour): hauehave often times moued me to praiſe GOD for you, and to commend your happie lot: And at this time to vnfold ſome parte of my gratefull good will, by ſending vntounto you this little token (the complaint of Tyme). I beſeech you to accept it gladly at my handes, in regarde of my good will, chiefly in respect of the thing itſelfe, which (though as briefe a Jonas Sermon to Niniue) expreſſeth greate matter for inſtruction, admonition, exhortation, commination, and conſolation, in all pietie. The Lord make vsus thankefull for his gratious benefites, and ſo to vſe the happie Time of our peace, that our great prosperitie, beyond other Nations, may rather further vsus, than hinder vsus in that good courſe of godlines which we hauehave begonne, to the attaining of eternall life in Chriſt Ieſu. And that howſoeuer all the world be affected, we may fully reſolue to ſerue the Lorde as Joſua did, with our families: and not forget to pray vntounto GOD with Heſter and her Maidens. Then ſhall wee enioy the benefite of our bleſſed time with Hezekias, and obtaine that ſafete iagainſt our enemies, which other godlie hauehave obtayned by the merciemercy and louing kindnes of our good GOD. To whoſe bleſſed protection I commend you and yours. London, this laſt of June, 1582.
Your W. Poore Neighbout and friend in Chriſt Ieſu Iohn Carpenter.
To all true Engliſh heartes: faith, peace, thankefulnes, and all godlineſſe is wiſhed in the Lord our Sauiour.
THE greater your benefites are, which ye hauehave receiued from the Lord (deere brethren) the more ſhoulde bee your thankfulnes vntounto him: and hauing much forgeuen you, ye ſhould with Mary alſo louelove much, ye hauehave enioyed a moſt bleſſed & long time of peace and proſperitie, vnderunder our moſt gratious, godlie and ſoueraigne Lady Queene Elizabeth, whom GOD long preſerue: and through her Chriſtian gouerment, ſuch excellent bleſſings, both for the bodie and the Soule, as the like no nation vnderunder Heauen at this day doeth enioy, for which the Lord expecteth your thankful heartes and faithfull louelove towards him. But alas, your long peace & proſperitie hath brought too many men into ſuch a careleſſe ſecurity & contempt of the true Religiō ſo long vſed amongſt you, that thereby the opportunitie of ſo bleſſed a time is iuſtlie occaſioned to lament, and to wiſhe rather an ende of her courſe, than that her continuance ſhould yeeld long Libertie to ſuch men, ſo to abuſe the Lord & his creatures, by their horrible ſinnes and iniquities. As the old Iſraelites recompenced their long peace with al kinde of vngodlines: ſo hauehave Engliſhe men rewarded the Lorde euill for good, to the great griefe of his Soule, the ſorow of the true Engliſhe heartes, and abuſe of his bleſſings. The benefit of their time alſo they either doe not knowe, or hauehave forgotten it: for they endeuour not to vſe her, but eueryevery way to abuſe her, and waſt out the time in their worldlie vanities, which being once let gon, is neuer recalled againe. Neyther may you thinke, that only the Lorde is greued, your ſelues are ſory, and Time lamenteth: but that alſo all the Creatures of GOD (as Paule teſtifieth) Ro. 8.which ſenie for mans vſe, feeling how monſtruouſly they are abuſed by thē which ſhoulde in godlines vſe them with thankfulnes, doe altogether in one harmony & conſent grone & ſigh for ſpeedy deliuerance, not willing, as it were, to ſerue any longer to the benefite of ingratefull men. And that, were it not, for your ſakes which truſt in your Lorde (as in Ioſua his houſe vnderunder ſo gratious a princeſſe) which praie heartely to the Lorde euen in the night when others ſleep, which performe true fidelitie and obedience to GOD and your Soueraigne: it coulde not otherwiſe bee, but that the treacheries conſpired, and horrible plagues threatned againſt vsus would take effect: which yet the vngodly conſider not, and therefore they endeuour neither repentance nor holines of life, nor vſe time, nor to take time therunto. Howbeit, I beſeech you, for the tender mercies of Chriſt, that you hold on, as ye hauehave begonne in faithfulnes and true obedience to GOD and your Queene, to liue in vnitie and louelove within your ſelues, and to fight againſt your enemies with that Spirituall Armor which Saint Paule hath appointed you. Then ſhal ye be ſtronger than your enemies, Eph. 6.be they neuer ſo manie, and be able to beate downe the verie hammer of the earth to his ſhame & confuſion. Then ſhall Goliath fall downe before Dauid, & Senacherib before Hezekias yea Siſara ſhall periſh before Deborah, Haman before Heſter, and proud Holofernes ſhalbe ſlaine by a womans hand. The Lord giuegive vsus his grace, to redeeme the time becauſe the dayes are euill, to know the time of our viſitation, and what belongeth to our peace, to ſeeke the Lord, whiles he may be found, and praie vntounto him now whiles he is neare: that wee may thereby enioy the benefite of our happie time, that the true hearted may reioyce in ſpirite, that the Creatures may be willing to ſerue for our comfort; and that the Lorde may bee moued thereby the ſooner to lead vsus to his euerlaſting peace through Chriſt Ieſus our Lord Amen.
Rather yours then mine owne in Chriſt. I. C