A short dialogue concerning the plagues infection Published to preserue bloud, through the blessing of God.

TO HIS VVELBE∣LOVED IN CHRIST, THE PARISHIONERS OF SAINT OLAVES IN Southwarke, IAMES BAMFORD wi∣sheth increase of Grace and knowledge of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ.

IT is written in the 33. of Ezechiel: That, if the people of the land take a man of their coasts, and make him their watchman, if when he seeth the sword come vpon the land, he blow the trumpet, and warne the people: then he that heareth the sound of the trumpet and will not be warned, if the sword come and

take him away, his bloud shall be v∣pon his owne head. But if the watch∣man see the sword come; and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned, if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away for his iniquity, but his bloud will I require (saith the Lord) at the watchmans hand. So you (my beloued) haue chosen me to be your watchman. There∣fore it concerneth me to giue, and you to take warning of mortall danger, as we wil be free from bloud∣guiltinesse. But I haue publickly gi∣uen you warning of that bloudy er∣rour, which denieth the Pestilence to be contagious: maintained, not onely by the rude multitude, but by too many of the better sort; you are therefore to take warning. That ye may the rather take heed to the siluer trumpet, which hath soūded in your eares, I haue thought it necessary to

set downe in writing all that I haue publickly taught, together with whatsoeuer else, I perceiue, by pri∣uate conference to be appertaining to that question, that yee may take time, better to consider that which is either misunderstood, or not well remembred, because it was but once deliuered, and the common sort are not acquainted with, and therefore hardly capeable of Scholasticall dis∣putations. And yet I endeuoured to speake as plaine as I could. But now I haue contriued al in the forme of a Dialogue, which is a more fami∣liar maner of teaching; hoping that now yee will more readily both perceiue, and receiue the truth here∣in contained. I humbly and earnestly desire you (at your leisure) diligently to examine the quotations: but first to reade ouer the Dialogue it selfe. If any desire a more learned dis∣course, I referre them to that worthy

Treatise written by that reuerend fa∣ther (the light of our age) Maister Beza, and translated by that faithfull and profitable seruant of Christ, Maister Stockwood. Furthermore, as I desire you to reade this Dialogue with good respect: so I pray you do not thinke, that I haue any pur∣pose to traduce you as maintainers of errour, and gainsayers of your teacher. For howsoeuer (indeed) I was occasioned by that I saw and heard amongst our selues, to preach this doctrine, and haue committed it to writing for your speciall good, yet knowing that bloudy errour (which I impugne) to be common∣ly maintained in London, I thought it conuenient to publish this Dia∣logue in print, for a more generall good. As for your selues, I am so far from traducing you, that I do (with ioyfull thankes to God the father, in the name of Iesus Christ) giue you

this testimony; that notwithstanding the iudgement of some be not well informed in this point, yet I haue much comfort in my Ministery a∣mongst you: for in sundry things ye shew the obediēce of faith. Amongst the rest, ye attend the Sacrament of Baptisme, from which in most places people runne away most contemp∣tuously; Ye frequent Friday Lecture as diligently (euer since the Plague was kindled) as in winter nights: wheras many in & about Londō are winter hearers, attending the word when they haue nothing else to do: and ye fill Gods house vpō the daies of humiliation, & holy rest, notwith∣standing there haue died in our pa∣rish from the 7. of May to this day 2640. Wheras before the Plague our Church was partly filled by strāgers, both on Sondayes & Fridayes. These things I take knowledge of, as to sig∣nifie, that in this Dialogue I do not

taxe you, or any of you, more than other, so, to incourage you to go for∣ward (& not backward) in your holy profession, seruing God, and sancti∣fying his Sabboths as religiously hereafter, as ye do now while God is present with you in this his grieuous visitation. For it is a good thing (saith one Apostle) to loue earnestly al∣wayes in a good thing:* 1.1 And it is bet∣ter (saith another Apostle) for you not to haue taken the way of righte∣ousnes,* 1.2 than after ye haue taken it to forsake it. Therfore (good brethren) take heed that ye coole not in your deuotion, because the number of the buried in our parish is fallen (blessed be God) frō 305. to 51. in one weeke, and from 57. to 4. buried in one day. Shall our loue coole, whē Gods loue is kindled? God forbid. O remember that when Moses lifted vp his hands,* 1.3 Israel preuailed: but when his hands were heauy Amalech preuailed. And

when it shall please God to remoue this heauy iudgement, let vs neuer forget this visitation, according to the doctrine we haue learned out of the title of the 38.* 1.4 Psal. Let vs not turne backe like a deceitfull bow, and let vs sin no more, lest a worse euill come vntovs, according to the saying of Christ himselfe to a man deliuered from a grieuous disease. Conceiuing good hope that yee will hide the words of exhortation in honest and good harts to bring forth fruite with patience, I commend me to your fa∣uour, my Dialogue to your reading, and your selues to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build further. From my study this 13. of October. 1603.

Yours in the Lord assured and readie to do all the seruice he may, IAMES BAMFORD.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Gal. 4. 18.
• * 1.2

  2. Pet. 2. 21
• * 1.3

  Exod. 17. 11. 12.
• * 1.4

  Psal. 78. 34. 35. 36. 37. 57.