Wonderfull Deliverances of England from the Sword ſince the memory of Man.By the Power of GOD onely, to whom be Praiſe.
THe firſt was in the yeare of our Lord Chriſt 1588. When the Pope & the King of Spaine with his in vinſible Navie (ſo called by them) conſiſting of 160. great ſhipps of Warre, with Men and Ammunition for 40000. land Souldiers, did attempt to invade this Land: with whom our Navie conſiſting of but 50. Engliſh ſhipps and 30 Dutch under conduct of Charles Earle of Notingham, Sir Francis Drake, and ſir Martine Furbiſher, did meete (not farre from the Coaſt of Plymouth) & fought with them valiantly (although they were much inferiour in Number and ſtrength unto them) for the ſpace of two dayes and more, untill they came over againſt Callis, where the Spaniard expected to meet an other fleet with 30000. more land forces from the Duke of Parma the Generall for the King of Spaine in the Low-Countries, where at Callis the Spaniſh Fleet remained at Ancor, untill it pleaſed God to put into the minde of Sir Frances Drake to ſet 3 old ſhips or Hoyes ſtuffed with combuſtible matter, and ſet them on Sea in the Tide way, and they drave with the tyde upon the Spaniſh Navie being at Ancor in forme of a halfe Moone, upon the ſuddaine view whereof, every Spaniſh ſhip did thinke himſelfe in danger, and every one cut their Cables to give roome to the burning ſhippes, whereat the Engliſh ſhips taking advantage of the Southerly windes, did joyne moſt corragiouſly, and followed them Northwards two dayes, when and where the LORD OF HOSTS by a ſtormie winde ſent them beyond & among the Iſles Orcades, where they periſhed to their great confuſion, in ſo much as ſcarce 20. of 160. returned home to Spaine: And thus by the mighty hand of the Lord England was delivered under the conduct of the aforeſaid Commanders, and aſſiſtance of the Noble Sea-men of England and Holland, ſuch as is the Honorable Lord Seſſcild Earle of Moltgrave, William Lord Harvie, and poore Mathew Dale now one of Suttons Hoſpitall being yet living eye witneſſes of that great deliverance of God, to whom be everlaſting praiſe.
The ſecond was in the yeare of our Lord 1597. being the yeare after Cales voyage: at what time Robert Earle of Eſſex, Thomas Lord Howard, and Sir Walter Raghly had the command of 100. Shipps Engliſh and D•tch, with all the valiant active Gentrie of England, being put to Sea, for ſome great deſigne againſt the profeſſed enemie of Spaine, in the Bay of Portugall meeting with a croſſe winde were driven backe to Plymouth (as it were ſent to ſecure Home) where being repaired of the Sea loſſes, they put to ſea againe; and caſting by the land of Portugall, taking ſome Orange Carvills were advertiſed by them that there was an Hundred ſaile of great ſhippes of warre Spaniſh and Eaſterlings prepared at the Groynd, and lay cloſe moored up under the Caſtle thereof, which the Engliſh Gentrie hearing, they conceived that it was for feare of them, but it proved otherwiſe, for when the Engliſh were departed from the Coaſt of Spaine weſtward to the Iſle of Terceres, to waite for the Weſt Indie fleete. Then did the King of Spaine intend with the helpe of the Popiſh faction to invade and conquer England, and even at the tyme when the Engliſh Fleet was returning homeward, God Almightie ſent a verie great ſtorme at Sea, which kept the Engliſh fleet backe with a moſt tempeſtuous croſſe winde for 3 dayes, that they could not (though they had Sea Roome) get one mile homewards, which winde & ſtorme was by God appoynted to be a deliverance to the Realme of England, for even then were the 100. ſayle of Shipps (that lay mored in the Harbour of the Groyne) readie to land in Enland, and were entred into the narrow Sea called the Sleeve when the tempeſt did begin, and ſome of them were entred ſo farre into the Sleeve, as they could not play backe againe, but three of them were met by the Lord Thomas Howard and his ſquadron, and were taken priſoners, and were brought into England, among whom was taken the feild Marſhalls Concubine and put into Bridewell London, where many reſorted to ſee her, that bee yet living, and were in the voyage and remember well that this was the mercifull deliverance of God by the blaſt of his noſtrils to ſcatter the enemies of his people of England, for which alſo let us praiſe the Lord our God for ever. At that time were the noble Souldiers Sir Nicolus Parker and ſir Fardinando Gorges made governours of Plymouth and Famouth Caſtles. We pray God as good men bee in them now.
The third was Anno Dom. 1605. and in the ſecond yeare of King Iames, when that moſt execrable maſſacree of King, Nobles and Commons in Parliament, and the royall iſſue, (even his Majeſtie that now is, whom God preſerve) ſhould have beene at one blow, blowne up into the Aaire, if God had not beene our deliverer by the diſcoverie of a Letter ſent unto the Lord Mounteagle, though darkly expreſſed, yet found out by the wiſe genius of that ever bleſſed peace lover King Iames, whoſe fame never dye, whoſe race never faile, nor praiſe never ceaſe to bee given to God therefore. This curſed and helliſh powder Treaſon, let it ever be abhord in heart, but never depart out of the mouth and memory of them that love the Lord and his people, that God may have his due praiſe for ever.
The fourth delivery was in the yeare 1639. When Noble Van Trump met with the Spaniſh Navie, conſiſting of 66. Huge Ships, beſides a great many of Carvills, and ſmall Ships going to Dunkirke, at which time our Gracious King was incenſed againſt the Scotiſh nation, and through falſe & deceaveable incenduaries, was provoked to prepare an armie royall able to diſtract and teare in peeces, if not to deſtroy that ancient and noble Nation, one of the beautifull flowers of his Diadem, at this time was prepared a great and impenitrable Navie, if it had met with the Navie of Dunkirke impenitrable, becauſe many of their great Ships were made free from the ſhoot of the cannon bullet; but God derided their ſtrength therein, and found meanes by the valiant Dutch Nation to diſſipate them, and ſincke many of them by fire workes, ſetting them on fire from above the water to burne downewards, to their confuſion and the laſting memorie of the Hollanders, and the memorable praiſe of their valiant Commanded Van Trumpe againſt the Spaniard and Dunkerkers, whoſe intentions both by Sea and Land was by this fleete to effect a double feate. Firſt if they had landed at Dunkirke being ioyned both fleets together, to have left thoſe novice Souldiers that were aboard the Fleet at the fight with Van Trumpe in the Low Countries, and thereto have ſtuffed both their fleets with old Souldiers, and brought them over to England, to have ioyned with the power of the Papiſts in the South, when our army was in the North ready to encounter with the Scotiſh Nation, and ſo to have infeſted us with a double warre, which being done this fleete was to depart to the Baltick Sea, to have made themſelves Maſters of that Sea; and to have commanded the Straight of Elſenver, which if they had effected by this meanes, they had kept both the Swedes in Germany from releife out of their own Country, and ſet ſuch a combuſtion in England and Scotland, as would not have beene ſoone nor eaſily quenched, and thereto Ireland would not have beene idle, as this preſent revolt doth manifeſt, how dangerous a deſigne would this have been, if the Almighty had not been our deliverer and Protector both by Sea and Land; by Sea, by the help of that bleſſed Nation the Hollanders; and by Land God himſelfe inclyned the heart of our Gracious King to forbeare armes or blood in his owne inheritance, to entertaine a truce, and now to conclude a bleſſed peace with that our brother Nation, which the God of Heaven continue forever, and let both Nations yeild continuall thankes for this never to be forgotten mercy, and curſed be the wit of that Architophell which ſhall counſell, goe about, or effect the diviſion of theſe two Nations at any time hereafter.
The fift & laſt, but not the leaſt deliverance from bloodſhead and ſlaughter of the Kings owne Sacred perſon, amongſt his dearely beloved and moſt loving Subjects the houſe of Commons in Parliament aſſembled, was upon the 4th day of Iannuary 1641. When the King was incenſed by Siniſter Practiſes of Sycophanting and detracting Earewiggs to provoke him to goe in perſon to the Houſe of Commons, where never King was before him, to doe that which never King did before, to require in his owne perſon in a formidable manner ad terrorem Populi, the delivery of certaine worthy members of the Houſe of Commons, even againſt the Priviledge of the Houſe, as witneſſeth the whole houſe of Parliament (ſince in a declaration of theirs) which if this had taken the intended purpoſe, and if any the parties required, had beene there found, what direfull effect might this have wrought, what lamentable iſſue would have followed, God alone knoweth. For put the caſe the Houſe of Commons had refuſed to give up their fellow Members to Priſon, or worſe; which might be expected from them, and at that time have ſtood upon their Priviledge, as at this time they do, what then had bin the ſequell but contention, Coertion, and ſlaughter, which if it had come to that, how ſhould the ſacred perſon of his Majeſty have eſcaped violence, what ſlaughter of the Houſe of Commons, who would have warranted the Nobles and Peeres, and how farre this ſlaughter would have ſpread, or was intended ſecretly, God hath not yet revealed. But ſurely this may be preſumed that whoſoever adviſed his Majeſty to put his perſon into ſuch a hazard, would prove no better then Traytors, if they were put upon the tryall of their Peeres: but God of his wonted mercy hath dealt better with us then our merrits deſerve, for he ſtirred up the hearts of ſome well willing Subiects to run in haſt before his comming, to advertiſe them thereof, and God moved againe the friends of the Gentlemen purſued, to perſwade them that were there, to depart before the Kings comming; which falling out ſo, that the King found none of them there, his gentle Nature and unwilling diſpoſition to that buſineſſe did eaſily let fall this enterpriſe, and ſo returned in peace, for which, & alſo for the former deliverances, let us render everlaſting thankſgiving, to that moſt great and good God which hath done all this for us, and alſo upon all our ſolemne faſts & feaſt days, let us in a ſpeciall manner make it our buſines to put on another in mind how gracious God hath beene to this Nation in our dayes, that we may love God for his goodneſſe, and love one another truly for Gods ſake, that we all being united in the love of God, may be ſo ſtrengthned thereby, that all the malice envie rage and conſpi•acies of the Devill and devilliſh people may not prevaile againſt us, for the time to come, to the Glory of God throughout all the world, and through all ages, for evermore, Amen.