Yea, what great
pieces hath he had of bishops of Rome, which have destroyed whole cities
and countries, and have slain and burnt many! What great guns were
those!
Yea, he hath also less ordnance evil enough, (they may be called
_serpentines_;) some bishops in divers countries, and here in England,
which he hath shot at some good christian men, that they have been blown
to ashes. So can this great captain, the devil, shoot his ordnance. He
hath yet less ordnance, for he hath of all sorts to shoot at good
christian men; he hath hand-guns and bows, which do much hurt, but not so
much as the great ordnance. These be accusers, promoters, and
slanderers; they be evil ordnance, shrewd hand-guns, and bows; they put a
man to great displeasure; oftentimes death cometh upon that shot. For
these things, saith the text, "take the armour of God." Against the
great captains, the devils, and against their artillery, their ministers,
there can nothing defend us but the armour of God.
"Take therefore this armour," saith the text, "that ye may resist in the
evil day, and in all things stand perfectly, or be perfectly strong."
This evil day is not so called here, because any day or time is evil; for
God made every day good, and all days be good: but St.
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