ome, 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. Paul calleth it
the "evil day," because of the misfortune that chanceth or cometh in that
day. As we have a common saying, "I have had an evil day, and an evil
night," because of the heaviness or evil that hath happened; so saith
Paul, "that ye may resist in the evil day:" that is, when your great
adversary hath compassed you round about with his potestates and rulers,
and with his artillery, so that you be almost overcome, then, if you have
the armour of God, you shall be strong, and need not to fear his
assaults.

St. Paul hath spoken of this armour of God generally, and now declareth
the parts and pieces of armour; and teacheth them how to apparel every
part of the body with this armour. He beginneth yet again, saying, "Be
strong, having your reins, or your loins girded about." Some men of war
use to have about their loins an apron or girdle of mail, gird fast for
the safeguard of the nether part of their body. So St. Paul would we
should gird our loins, which betokeneth lechery or other sinfulness, with
a girdle, which is to be taken for a restraint or continence from such
vices. In "truth," or "truly gird:" it may not be feigned, or falsely
girt, but in verity and truth. There be many bachelors, as yet men
unmarried,