children of
God, and cruelly cut their throats in her bosom, who is by God appointed
the common mother of mankind, so that she unwillingly is compelled to open
her mouth and receive their blood.

If such tyranny were used against any woman, as violently to pull her
infant from her breasts, cut the throat of it in her own bosom, and compel
her to receive the blood of her dear child in her own mouth, all nations
would hold the act so abominable, that the like had never been done in the
course of nature. No less wickedness commit they that shed the blood of
God's children upon the face of their common mother, the earth, as I said
before. But be of good courage, O little and despised flock of Christ
Jesus! for He that seeth your grief, hath power to revenge it; he will not
suffer one tear of yours to fall, but it shall be kept and reserved in his
bottle, till the fulness thereof be poured down from heaven, upon those
that caused you to weep and mourn. This your merciful God, I say, will not
suffer your blood for ever to be covered with the earth; nay, the flaming
fires that have licked up the blood of any of our brethren; the earth that
has been defiled with it, I say, with the blood of God's children; for
otherwise, to shed the blood of the cruel blood-shedders, is to purge the
land from blood, and as it were to sanctify it: the earth, I say, shall
purge herself of it, and show it before the face of God; yea, the beasts,
fowls, and other creatures whatsoever, shall be compelled to render that
which they have received, be it flesh, blood, or bones, that appertained
to thy children, O Lord! which altogether thou shalt glorify, according to
thy promise, made to us in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, thy
well-beloved Son; to whom, with thee, and the Holy Ghost, be honour,
praise, and glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

Let us now humble ourselves in the presence of our God, and from the
bottom of our hearts let us desire him to assist us with the power of his
Holy Spirit; that albeit, for our former negligence, God gives us over
into the hands of others than such as rule in his fear; that yet he let us
not forget his mercy, and the glorious name that hath been proclaimed
amongst us; but that we may look through the dolorous storm of his present
displeasure, and see as well what punishment he has appointed for the
cruel tyrants, as what reward he has laid in store for such as continue in
his fear to the end. That it would furth