will not see me vnprovided for Godlines is great riches / wheÌ„ a maÌ„ is coÌ„teÌ„t with that he hath When we have fode raimeÌ„t let vs be ther with coÌ„tent j. Timot. vj. Heb. xiij For this is a plaine case we brought nothing in to the world / nor we cann carye nothiÌ„g away we have here no dwelling place / but we seeke a citie to come / the hevenly Ierusalem wher our saviour Iesus Christ is / For whos sake j counte all things but losse do judge them but doung that j may winne him Phi. iij. In him only resteth the whole riches of gods treasure / he is the only way to everlastiÌ„g lyff / wher vnto who so will attaine must seke it in the scripture / in the gospel of Christ / not in the filthye daÌ„nable traditiones / develish doctrine of the papistes Wherfor deare brethren seing you have tasted of the swete bread of lyff / gods most holy worde / take hede of the papistes so wer leven that worketh death And bycause j wolde you shold not be ignoraunt / how youe ought to be have your selves wher so moche jdolatrie is opeÌ„ly coÌ„mauÌ„ded / howe to learne youre Christes crosse a new / j meane to beare Christs crosse laid on your baks / to folow him stroÌ„gly and not to fainte / j have translated for you two sermones of that great learned godly man I. calviÌ„ made for that purpose / thes have j done travailing / haviÌ„g no place certaine wher j will remai but j trust shortly to be wher j will stikke down the stake till god call me home againe But for so mocheas the bushop of Duresme did openlye to my face call the doctrine which j had taught in his dioces as towchiÌ„g the popish mass / heresie / jshall by gods grace / good christian bretthreÌ„ / declare ê“ve by the testimonie of the scriptures also of the auncieÌ„t fathers of christes church / that the popish mass is the greatest heresie / blasphemy / idolatrie / that ever was iÌ„ the church / which shal be the next thiÌ„g that youe shall looke for from me by gods grace In the meane seasoÌ„ / remeÌ„bre good brethreÌ„ / that our vnthaÌ„k fulnes was the cause of this our plage Let vs crye therfor vnto the lorde / powriÌ„g forth before him faithfull teares / he will delivere vs that we may trulye honoure him iÌ„ the gates of the daughter of Syon / that is opeÌ„ly iÌ„ the mides of the faithfull coÌ„gregation AmeÌ„ A sermon / wher in all Christianes ar admonished to flye the outward Idolatrie / taken out of the iij. verse of the xvj Psalme I will not coiÌ„cate with their bloudye sacrifices / nether will j take their names in my mouth The doctrine which we shal entreat in this place / is plaine ynough and easie / saving that the greatest parte of thos that profess them selves to be Christians / doo seek out and bringe / j can not tell what subtleties to cloke their evel withall But the summ of this wholl doctrine is / that after we knowe the liviÌ„g god to be our father / Iesus Christe oure redemere / we ought to consecrate bothe bodie and soull vnto him / who of his infinite goodnes hath taken vs in to the nuÌ„bre of his sonnes and to acknowlege withall kinde of benevoleÌ„ce / honour / obedience / the same benefite which oure most dear Savioure did vouch salf to bestowe on vs after he had bought it with so great a price And because we ar bound not onlye to renounce all infidelitie / but also to separate oure selves froÌ„ all superstitioÌ„s / which doo as well disagree with the true seruice of god as the honoure of his sonn / and which can by no means agree with the pure doctrine of the gospell and true confession of the faith / j said this doctrine of it selve to be so easie / that oÌ„lie the practise and exercise ther of ought to remaine vnto vs / saving that manye men doo seek certaine deceitfull shyftes / thorow which they will not be overcome in that thinge / the which is moste chiefly coÌ„deÌ„ned by gods owne mouth This cause constraineth vs at this time to tary longer in the declaratione of this mater / that every man may know his owne dutie / and deceav not him selfe / thinkinge that he is escaped when he is covered / as the common saing is / vndre a wett sack But for that ther be many of this opinioÌ„ / whos churches ar thorowly pourged froÌ„ the filthines / and jdolatries of the papisme / that this argumeÌ„t or treatice is but supfluouse / befor we pass any further / it is not vnprofitable to declare soche men most fowly to be deceived First when it is declared / how great an offence it is / for vs to be polluted and defiled with the jdolatours / feining our selves to cleave and consent to their impieties / wear admonished to mourn for our former sinnes / to aske of god forgevness of them / withall humblenes / and in this thiÌ„g to acknowledge the singular benefite whiche he gave vnto vs / drawing vs forth of that same filthe wherin we were holden down and drowned For we trulye ar not hable to sett forth this so great a benefit worthely jnough And for that we know not what shall happen vnto vs / and to what end god doth reserv vs / it is very expedient to be prepared and armed in time / that in to what state so ever we shal comme / or with what so ever temptations we may be oppugned / we never swerve from the pure word of god First it may be that many of this our church and congregation / shal travaill in to som papisticall coÌ„trie / who ought greatly now to be in a readines and armed to battell Then albeit god doth geve vs at this time libertie / to serve him purely and godlily / yet we know not how loÌ„g this benefite shal coÌ„tinew Let vs therfor take this time of our quietnes and tranquillitie / not as though it shal alwaies last / but as it were a time of truce / wherin god doth geve vs leisure / to streÌ„ghtheÌ„ our selves / least when we shal be called to vtter the confession of our faith / we be found new and vnprepared / bycause we coÌ„teÌ„ned the meditatioÌ„ of that mater in due time Nether truly ought we to forget in the meane while our bethren / which ar kept vndre the tyraÌ„ny of antichriste / oppressed with most miserable bondage / but to take care / remembrauÌ„ce / pitie over them / and to praie god to strenghtheÌ„ them with that coÌ„stancye / which he requireth in his worde We must also admonish and solicite theÌ„ by all waies / not to rest in places wher meÌ„ ar fast on slepe in their voluptuousnes / but to apply diligeÌ„tly this thought / and will / that thei confess
veritati cedat coÌ„suetudo quia et Petrus qui circuÌ„cidebat cessit Paulo veritatem praedicaÌ„ti Igitur cuÌ„ Christus veritas sit magis veritatem quaÌ„ coÌ„suetudinem sequi debemus He yecon temniÌ„g the truth doth presume to folow custom is other envious malignaunt to his brethren to whom the truth is revealed / or ells he is vnth ankfull to god by whos inspiration his church is istructed / for the lord in the gospel saith / jam the truth / he said not / jaÌ„ the custoÌ„ Therfor when the truth appeareth / let custom geve place to the truth / for Peter him self who did circuÌ„cise / did geve place to Paul preachiÌ„g the truth Therfore seing Christ is the truth / we ought rather to folowe the truth then the custom Herin is to be marked this / that the holy father doth geve exaÌ„ple of s Peter who forsoke custom to folow truth Our prelates say thei be Peters successours / why will thei not theÌ„ folow Peter herin Thei be his folowers in title name but nothiÌ„g in dede SaviÌ„g that thei denie Christe pluk out their swerds to persequut them that serve and beleve in Christ / as Peter did smite Malchus one of theÌ„ that came to apprehend Christ And yet thei differ from Peter / that wher he of blinde zeall drew out his swerd to defend Christ / thei of malitious purpose bend all their power with fier swerd to destroy Christ And is it ani merveill though we ruÌ„ne away from that cruell clawes of thes wilde beastes / in whos handes ther is no mercy We fled not bycause we did suspect our doctriÌ„e / but bycause we knew well their crueltie We went not away bycause we could not abide bi our doctrine prove it true / but for that truth could not be herd with indiffereÌ„t judgment j pray you mark this practise / loke yf the like were ever fouÌ„de in any historie Thei cast the chiefest learned meÌ„ in prisone / or coÌ„maundeth them to kepe their houses not to coÌ„m a brode / or banisheth them the realm as Peter martyr I. alasco with others / wheÌ„ thei be sure of theÌ„ / that thei shall not meadle / for thei were not hable to abide their lerniÌ„g / then to blinde the eies of the people / thei preteÌ„d a disputation / call the matter in to question / when ther is no maÌ„n to answer theÌ„ as thei thiÌ„k also when thei be already determined / let the truth apear never so plaine to the contrarye / what thei will decree Then crieth a stoute chaÌ„pioÌ„ at paulls crosse boldly / wherbe our new preachers now Why doo thei not now come forth dispute ThiÌ„k youe this lusty roysterkiÌ„ doth not know full well that thei be fast j nough / they may not coÌ„m to answer hiÌ„ Yet by thos whom god hath delivered out of their haÌ„des / although thei be nothiÌ„g to be coÌ„pared in learniÌ„g to them thei have lokked fast vpe / it shall plainly apeare to all indifferent men that their doctrine is true / may easely be maiÌ„tained by the scripture testimonie of the auncieÌ„t fathers of christes church And that the coÌ„trarie caÌ„ not be defeÌ„ded / nother by gods word / the auncieÌ„t church / norby no honest way / and therfor thei ar driven with shame j nough to bolster kepe it vp / with fier swerd / with thus will we / thê° shall it be And by cause thei wold seem in the face of the world to doo it by learniÌ„ng the coÌ„sent of most part of learned men of the realme / thei gather a sorte of bliÌ„de prestes to gether in to the coÌ„vocation house whos lyviÌ„ges haÌ„geth / as thei call it of makiÌ„g Christes bodye / of preteÌ„sed chastitie / beiÌ„g for the most ê‘te / vnlerned asses / filthy whormongers / and thes with a showte of yea yeayea / or nay nay nay / must determine thes matters Act. xiij as yf the maisters of the pythonise / whiche had a spirit of pytho and ther by brought to them great profet and Demetrius the gold smith with the wholl coÌ„gregation of the artificers / who had riche liviÌ„gs by jdolatrie / shold had bene appoiÌ„ted clerkes in the convocation house at philippos or at Ephesus and with their yea yea or nay nay have determined this question / whether Paull Silas had bene seditiouse heretikes wold not / trow youe / the more parte have cried with alowd voice yea yea yea oh / aurisacra fames quid noÌ„ mortalia pectora cogis Whether this stand with reason that thos prestes whos living depeÌ„deth only of superstition / jdolatrie and fals religion / ar for the most parte blind ignoraunt asses / shold be oÌ„ly judges in the waightye matters of our religion / j reporte me to the indifferent man Another practise / whiche in veray dede was / that moved me most to save my self from them by flieng out of the realme / thei have / not latly invented / but derived frome their forfathers the jewish pharises / yet not put in vre of many years And that is / that thei will not leave a lyve one learned maÌ„ in the realme whiche is not of their owne secte / no nor yet or thei have done one noble mane that now liveth / although thei wil not preteÌ„d religioÌ„ to be the cause / but invent some other waighty matter I must nedes here geve the noble men warniÌ„g of that j herde / by cause j love them / and am sorye to here / straungers speak this dishonour of theÌ„ that thei ar not hable to rule them selves and ther for must desier a pollshorne bushope to governe them the wholl realme At my last being at LoÌ„don waitinge at the parlameÌ„t house of my lordes of the counsall as j was coÌ„maunded / j mett with a familiar acquaintaunce of mine / although not of my opinion in religion / but one that for the matters of religion dothe favour the popish bushopes / and is both familiar with the best of them / and also taken to be a wise man and of a great forsyght as he is in dede He asked me of my state / saing thus vnto me / did not j tell youe that youre religioÌ„ wold not coÌ„tinew And so wold have perswaded me to have geven place / revoked myn opinioÌ„ wher in when he saw he prevailed not / he said frendly / he was sory for me / wished that he were of power to doo me pleasure to whome j said / it was sufficient to me that he wold coÌ„tinew his familiar frendship with me ther vpoÌ„ j charged him as j was often wont of frendship to tell me what he thought of our bushoplike procediÌ„gs Wherto he answered / as in maters of religioÌ„ veray well But in other maters nothiÌ„g so For / saith he / j have entred talk with som that be most nygh
the glorie due vnto god For we ar not taught of god only for our selves / but that euerie man after the measure of his faith / shold brotherli coÌ„municate with his neghbours / and distribute vnto theÌ„ that thing he hath learned knowne in gods scholl Now see we theÌ„ that it is profitable / yea truly necessarie so wel to our selves / as to our brethreÌ„ / that the remeÌ„braunce of this doctrine shold be renued veray oft / especially seing the text it self whiche we shal expouÌ„d / doth lede vs to the same purpose David doth opeÌ„ly protest / and as it were doth make a soleÌ„ vowe / that he will never be partaker in the sacrifices of jdolatours / and also the he will so detest / and grevously hate the jdoles that he will not at any time once name theÌ„ / as though he shold defile his mouth in namiÌ„g theÌ„ This is not the fact of some one mean maÌ„ / but the example of David the most excellent kinge and prophet / which ought to be vnto all gods children / a certain comon rule to ryght godly lyff And to th entent we may the better perceav this thing and more vehemeÌ„tly be moved with the true fear of god / the cause is to be noted which he addeth / wherin truly resteth as it were a certain foundation of that same alienatioÌ„ and offence / wher by he doth moste greatly abhorre the coÌ„munion of jdolatours The lorde / saith he / is myne enheritaunce But is not this thinge comoÌ„ to all faithful and godly meÌ„ Ther is no man truly which wold not glorie in so excellent a thing And this is sure without all doubte / that god being once geven vnto vs in the ê‘fone of his sonne / doth daily entise vs to possess hime But ther be veray fewe which ar so affected in this part / as the greatnes and worthines of this same mater shold seme to aske and deserve Nether truly caÌ„ we by any meanes possess god / onles on this coÌ„dition that we also be come his David therfor of good right / and worthely did set the fouÌ„dation of his godlynes / and religion in this sentence / reason / seing that god is his cnheritauÌ„ce / he wil refraiÌ„ from all pollutions of jdoles / which do turne vs from God him selff This is the cause why the prophet Esay / wheÌ„ he had vpbraided the jewes that they had geveÌ„ theÌ„selves to fals straunge gods / whom they had made / added afterward / theis / saith he / ar thy portion / signifieng by thes wordes / that god doth deny to the worshippers of jdoles all bond and felowship of covenant / and disenheriteth theÌ„ / and vtterly depriveth them / of that so iÌ„finitly great benefite / whiche he wold have bestowed on them / geviÌ„g him selff vnto them Som man will except say / that the prophet entreateth in that place only of theÌ„ which put their affiance in jdoles / and deceaveth them selves thorow opinion and incredulitie I grauÌ„t / but this alfo j answer / yf thei that do transfere gods honour vnto jdoles / ar vtterly separated and cutt of from his folowship / thei also do err and decline fom what from him / whiche do feiÌ„ them selves to consent to superstitions thorow fear and weaknes of minde For no man can in hart or any conformable fashion or in wil / in purpose of minde / or feining / or by any true or feined waie approche to jdoles / but he must so farr go bak from god Wherfor let this sentence be thorowly persuaded / and remain depely printed in our hartes / that thei whiche seke god with a true and pure minde / to the end to possess him for their enheritauÌ„ce / will have no communioÌ„ felowship with jdoles / withwhome god hath that divorce and debate / that he wold have all his to proclaim and make continuall deadly warre vpoÌ„ them And in this place David by name doth express / that he wil never be partakre of their oblations / nether have their names in his mouth and talking He might have said on this wise / I will not deceave my self with the uÌ„wise folish devotioÌ„s of the vnbelevers j wil not put my trust in soche abvses / nor j will neverforsake gods truth / to folow yes lies / but he speaketh not on this maner / but doth ra yer ê“mise coÌ„staÌ„tly / that he wil never be conversauÌ„t amoÌ„g yer ceremoiÌ„es Therfor he doth testifie that so farr forth as coÌ„cerneth the service of god / he wil abide continually in al puritie and holines both of body and sowle And first in this place we must considre / whether this be not jdolatrie to signifie declare by owtward tokens / our agreament / with thos superstitions / wher with the service of god is corrupted vtterly perverted They that swiÌ„ asy e coÌ„moÌ„ saiÌ„g is betwixt twoo waters / alleage this saiÌ„g / seiÌ„g that god wold be honored iÌ„ spirit / jdoles caÌ„ by no waies be honoured oÌ„les amaÌ„ put his trust in theÌ„ But to this may be easely answered / that god doth not so require the service / adoration of the minde / that he graunteth remitteth the other ê‘te of our nature vnto jdoles / as though that ê‘te shold seme nothiÌ„g at alto belong vnto him For it is said in many places / that the knees must be bowed befor god / also the haÌ„des lyfted vp to heven What then Surely the chefe honour that god requireth is spirituall / but the owtward signification wherby the faithfull do testifie that it is god only whom they serve honour / must so immediatly folow / that thei must at one time be ioyned to gether But one place shall so suffice for all / to confute that obiection whiche thei snatch of one word / that thei shal be plainly rebuked and coÌ„victe In the third chapt of Daniel it is written that Sidrach Misach and abdenago / refused and denied vndre any maner of colour / to coÌ„sent vnto the superstition set vp and erected by Nabuchodonosor / declaring that thei wold in no wise honour his gods If theis goodly wittye sophisters had bene ther at that time / thei wold have laught to scorne the simplicitie of thes thre servaunts of god For j suppose they wold have tawnted them with sochelike words / you folish meÌ„ / this truly is not to honour them / seing youe put no affiaunce in thes things Ther is no jdolatrie but wher ther is devotion / that is to say / a certain beÌ„ding and application of the minde to honour and worshipe the jdoles But thes godly men did folow a better and wisar counsall / for this answer whiche thei made proceded not of their own wit / but rather of the holy ghost / whiche moved them thus to speake / whom yf we will not resist / we must accept this place this
place and courte / wher the truth hath her grave and true witnesses For to be short / thei them selves do know them selves giltye of that mater with thei have purposed to declare both to gods enemies also to the coÌ„mon people But god must neds denye him selff / yf he allowe the ordre and doing of that profession If all the men in the world with on minde and purpose wold conspire to pronounce thes men ryghteous / yet none be he never so ready and mightye can excuse and deliver them from this but thei shalve thought to halte on both sids And god doth declare by his prophet / that no so the haltig of any maÌ„ shal be euer allowed before him As towchiÌ„g the man whom thei choose to be the minister of their supper it is a folish thiÌ„g to abuse his persoÌ„ / as though thei could seme to make him an apte man to that office and fuÌ„ction Yea but the vertue of that same sacrament say thei / resteth not in the worthines of the ministres That j graunt and adde this to also yf any devel shold ministre the supper / it shold be never the worse On the coÌ„trarie part if an angel singe mass yet then shold it be no whit the better But we ar now in an other question / that is / whether ordres geven by the pope to a moÌ„k do make him apt to the office and function of a pastour If thei say contrarie that thei perceave / that thing doth make nothing to the purpose / and that thei do not choose him in that sort the thing it self sheweth contrarie But let it be that thei as towching the ministre have no soche respect Yet must j abide in that outward profession whiche thei take vpon theÌ„ and worship / yea j must press it earnestly / as a profession most contrarie and vnworthie a christen man For this is plain and manifest that thei do and will defend and cover them selves / vndre the person of a preste made for the nonce to colour and dissemble But if thei wold rightly and law fully celebrat the supper / it wer their dâ—ietie so to separat theÌ„ selves from the ordre ê“fession of jdolatours that thei shold appear in that to have nothiÌ„g comon with them But now thei be so farr froÌ„ this separatioÌ„ / that thei ascribe them selves in to their felowship and communion / do everie one of them feinedly profess them selves to be meÌ„bres of that bodie After this thei will compare vs to the olde heretikes / that did refuse the vse of the sacraments for the vices of the ministres / as though we do here respect the propre siÌ„ncs of everie man and not rather the comon state and condition I do pass over this mater shortly / by cause that whiche is spoken is sufficieÌ„t jnough to convince so foule and shamfull impudencye But if thes meÌ„ be so folish and dull witted that thei ê‘ceave not this filthines / the word of god must suffice vs / as wheÌ„ the lord saith by the prophet Ieremie / Israel if thow doste turne / turne vnto me In whiche words is most plainly expressed / with what simplicitie and integritie of miÌ„de we ought to deal and walk before god / with out any thought wil to returne to thos thiÌ„gs / whiche we know ar not thankfull nor allowed of him Whiche is a cause why s Paule also doth testifie that he was sent to turne the vnfaithful from their vanities / vnto the living god / as though he wold say / it is to no purpose to change som one olde accustomed evel with other hypocrises and feinings / but vtterly to a bolish al superstitions / that the true religion may be set in her own puritie and holines For with out this faith and integritie / men never come the right way vnto god / but do alwaies waver and ar vncertaiÌ„ to what parte thei may turne them selves Ther be others that ar come thus farr that they disalowe refuse the mass / but they wold have som patches kept stil whiche thei cal gods service / least as som men say / they shold seme to be destitute of all religion And it mai be that so me of thes be moved with a godly minde zeall at the least j will so thiÌ„k / but what so ever their zeall and purpose be / yet may we not say / that they kepe the true rule or any good measure Many say we may come to their baptismes / be cause ther is no manifest jdolatrie in them As who wold say / that this sacrament were not also corrupted / and vtterly deformed with al kinde of corruption / in so moche as Iesus Christe may seme to be yet stil iÌ„ Pilates house to suffre all opprobries shames To coÌ„clude / wher as thei sai that this is the cause / why thei wold retaine some ceremonies / least thei shold appear to be void of al religioÌ„ / if one shold examine their coÌ„scieÌ„ces / the same truly wil answer / that thei do it to satisfice the papists / and thei change their couÌ„tenance to fly ê‘sequution Other some do watch a time least thei com in the mass whille / and yet thei come to the temple / that meÌ„ shold suppose thei here mass Other some come but at evensong time / of whom j wold know / whether thei think this to be nothing / that at that same time the jdoles be honoured / that the pictures and images be sensed with fumigations / that a solem praier be made in the intercession of some saint / and grownded on his merits / that Salue regina be songe with a lowd voice / and that one verie side a mater is herd so filled and replenished with develish and cursed blasphemi that the miÌ„de shal not onlye abhorre the offenâ—… of the ears and eyes ther present / but most vehemently the thought and recordation ther of I do pass over that the singing it self in an vnknown tonge is manifest profanation of gods praises of holi scripture / ass s Paul doth admonish in the fourten to the Corinthes But let this last fault be forgeveÌ„ theÌ„ If thei come to eveÌ„song to geve some signe testimonie of their Christianitie / thei wil do this chefely on the soleÌ„ feastes But theÌ„ ther shal be solem ensensiÌ„g the cheffest jdoles / great plentie of swete fumigations powred out / the which is a kinde of sacrifice as the scripture teacheth It was also a maner vsed amonge the GeÌ„tles / wherby thei coÌ„pelled the weak meÌ„ to denie god And for this cause the greatest parte of martyrs did suffre death constantly / for that thei wold not make perfumes and burne incense to jdoles When thes men be come thus far / that thei receave in ther noses the savour of the sensours thei also pollute them selves with that pollutioÌ„ with is moste greatest and execrable ther. And yet thei thinke
all them befor his father whiche denye the truth for fear of losing this life / for whom he declareth destruction both of bodye and soull to be prepared Mat. x. Also in an other place he protesteth that he will refuse all maner of communion with them that deny him befor men Thes words onlese we be vtterlye void of all sence ought vehemently to move our minds and so to fray vs / that for fear the hears of our heade shold stert vpp But how so ever it be / onles we be so affected and moved as the greatnes of the mater and daunger requireth / ther remaineth nothiÌ„g ells for vs but to look for horrible and most miserable confusion wherin we may excuse our fault so moche as we lust / we may say that in this great frailtie and weaknes of nature / we rather ar worthye of mercy then of any severitie and sharpnes of punishment / it will not serve Heb. xj For it is written on the coÌ„trarie part / that Moses after he had sene god by faith was so hardned and strengthened / that no violence of teÌ„ptation coâ—â—melt his mind / and beÌ„d him from that great coÌ„stancye Wherfore wheÌ„ we be so tendre and flexible that ther appear in vs no power of firme and constant minde / we signifie and declare plainlye that we be vtterly ignoraunt of god and his kingdome Also wheÌ„ we ar werned that we ought to be joyned cowpled with our head / we have gotten a goodly couler to exempt separat our selves frome him / yf we say we ar meÌ„ And were not yei that were befor vs men so well as we are Yea yf we had nothinge ells / but even the bare doctrin of godlines / yet were al the excuses with we can brig weack and of no value But now ar we worthy more greater chek and condemnation / sence we have so great notable exaÌ„ples / whos great authoritie ought vehemently to excite confirme our minds Ther ar two chefe partes of this our exhortation or consolation to be coÌ„sidered The firstis / that this hath ben a commoÌ„ state to the vniversal bodye of the church alwaies and ever shal be to the end of the world / that it was vexed with soche iniuries and contumâ— lies of the wicked / as it is reported in the Psalme Psalm â— xxix / Thei have vexed me eveÌ„ now froÌ„ my iouth hether to / have drawn a plough over and over e veri ê‘t of my bak The holy ghost in this place doth briÌ„g in the old church speakiÌ„g on this wise that it shold not seme now vnto vs a new ying nor greavouse / if we see in thes daies our cause coÌ„dition to be like S. Paul also recitiÌ„g the same place of an o yer Psal wher it is said / We were as it were shepe led to the slaughter / doth declare that this ê‘tained not onli to one age / but it was shal be the coÌ„moÌ„ / vsual coÌ„tinual state of Christs church So that if we see in this time the church to be so haÌ„dled vexed / bi the insoleÌ„cie pride of the wicked / that some bark at her / some bite her / mani afflict her / alwaies inveÌ„t some mischef pestileÌ„t destructioÌ„ to her / yea set vp on her wtout ceasig as it were mad dogges wil de raveniÌ„g beastes / let vs cal to remeÌ„brauÌ„ce that she was so vexed afflicted oppressed iÌ„ al times before God doth geve vnto her soÌ„time / some rest refreshiÌ„g as it were a time of true And this is that which is spoken in the psalme above allegâ—d / the righteous lord doth cut iÌ„ sodre the cordes of the wicked iÌ„ an other place / that he breaketh their rodde / Psal c. xxv lest the good being to moche pressed shold faiÌ„t move yeir haÌ„des to iÌ„iquitie But god wold alwaies have his church to be tost in this world / as it were alwaies in a certaiÌ„ coÌ„flict / reserviÌ„g for her quiet rest in heven The end of thes afflictions was alwaies blessed / yea truly god wrought this that the church alwaies pressed with mani great difficult calamities / was never vttrely oppressed ij Cor. iiij As it is saide in an other place / the wicked with all their labour did never optain that thei desiered S. Paul also doth so glorye of like happye end issue of afflictions / that he sheweth this grace of god to be ê‘petuall in his church We saith he / ar prest with all kind of afflictions / but we ar not killed with sorow care / we live in greatnede povertie / iet ar we not for saken we are cast down but we ê‘ish not / alwaies carrieÌ„g aboute the mortificatione of our lord Iesus Christe / that his lyf also mai be declared in our mortal bodye This issue and end / as we see that god hath alwaies made it happie and prosperouse in the persequutioÌ„s of the church / ought to bolden vs / seing we knowe that our fathers / who also acknowledged their frailty weaknes / had alwaies the victorie over their enemies / by cause thei continued constant in paciencye I do entreat this first part of my exhortatione briefli / that j may come the soner to the secoÌ„d / which doth more pertaine to the purpose And that is / that we applie certaine examples of the martyres which were before vs / to our consolation and confort And in this kinde or nuÌ„bre ther be not two or thre / but a great thik cloude as the apostle writeth to the Hebrues Heb. xij Wherby he signifieth / that ther is so great a multitude of them / which hath suffred for the testimonie of the truth / that so well the aboundaunce of excellent examples / as the most grave autoritie ought to provoke vs to coÌ„tentatioÌ„ patiencie / and moderation of minde And least my oration shold waxe to long in heaping vp together an iÌ„finite multitude of exaÌ„ples / j will oÌ„ly speak af y s jewes / which suffered most grevouse ê‘sequutioÌ„ for the true religioÌ„ / both vndre the tyraÌ„nie of kiÌ„g Antiochê° / also shorthly after his death We can not saie that theÌ„ the nuÌ„bre of the afflicted meÌ„ was smal / wheÌ„ a great mighty army as it were of martyrs was prepared to maitaine and defend the religion Nether can we allege that thei were certaine excellent prophets / whoÌ„ god had chosen forth and separated frome the comon sort of people / for ther were women / boyes / and infants / also in that nuÌ„bre of martyrs Nether wil we say that thei passed thorow the ê‘secution / only with some light losse / without great peril of lyfe / without great paines tormeÌ„ts of bodies / seing / ther was no kiÌ„de of cruelty vnproved in afflictiÌ„g / vexing / tormeÌ„tig them Let vs here also what the
heven and earth in worthines And that we may be mor surely perswaded that god wil never leave vs as abiects in the hands of the enemies / let vs not forget that same saing of Iesus Christe / wherin he saith / that it is he him selfe whom men do persequut in his membres Act. ix God had said before by Zacharye / who so towcheth youe towcheth the sight of myn eie Zach. ij This is moch more expressed / if we suffre for the gospel sake / it is eveÌ„ as the sonne of god hiÌ„ selfe were suffred in that afflictioÌ„ Therfor let vs thiÌ„k so that Iesê° Christe must forget hiÌ„ self / if he shold have no care thought of vs at that time wheÌ„ we be in prison and dauÌ„ger of life for his cause glorie and let vs also knowe that god will take all the coÌ„ tumelies and iniuries / as done agaiÌ„st his owne sonne Let vs come to the second place of coÌ„solatioÌ„ / with is one of the greatest among gods promises that is / that god will so hold vs vpp with the vertue of his spirit in thes afflictioÌ„s / that our enemies what so ever thei do / nor satan yeir chefe capitaine shall in any thiÌ„ge go awai with the over hand And truly we do see how in that necessitie / he doth shew the succour and helpes of his grace For the inviÌ„cible stowtnes and coÌ„staÌ„cye of mind with is sene in the true martyrs / is a notable token of that same most mighty power with god vseth in his saints Ther be two things in persequutions grevous / tediouse and intolerable to the flesh wherof the one coÌ„sisteth in the cheks and rebukes of men / the other in the paine and tormeÌ„t of the bodie In both thes kinds oftemtations god doth promise so his assistaunce that we shall easely over come all the iÌ„famie and violence of the grefs and paine And truly what he promiseth he doth performe in dede with most manifest and assured helpe Let vs then take this bucklere to defend vs against all fear / and let vs not measure the power of gods spirit so sclendrely / that we shold not thinke and beleve / that he will easely overcome all the iniuries / bittrenes / and contumelies of menn And of this divine and invincible operation / emong all other we have a notable exaÌ„ple in this our age A certain yonge man / who lived godlylye here with vs in this cytie / when he was taken at Dornick was coÌ„demned with this sentence / that yfhe wold denye the confession of his faith / he shold be but beheaded / but yfhe persevered in his purposed opinioÌ„ / he shold be burned WheÌ„ he was asked whether he wold do / he aÌ„swered plaiÌ„ly / he who wil geve me this grace to dye papatiently for his name / will also work by the selfe same grace / that j may abide broyliÌ„g and burning We ought to take this sentence not as pronounced of a mortall man / but of the holy ghost / that we shold thinke / that god can so wel confirme / and make vs over come al pains and tormeÌ„ts / as to move vs to take any other kinde of meaker death in good part Yea we see also often times / what constancye he geveth to evel and wickedmen / who suffre for their evel deades wickednes I do not speake of soch as be obstinat hardned iÌ„ their wickednes with have no repeÌ„taunce / but of them which do perceave consolation by the grace of Iesus Christe / so do take and suffre quietly and with good wil most grevouse and sharpe paine as we see a notable example in that thefe who turned at the death of our lord Iesus Christe Will god who assisteth with so great power wicked men the suffre condingly for their evell actes / forsake theÌ„ who defend his cause / and will he not rather geve them invincible power The third place of promises / whiche god promiseth to his martyres / is the fruit which thei ought to look for of their sufferiÌ„g and of death it selfe / yfnede so requier But this fruit is / that after thei have sett forth and honoured gods name / edified his church with their testimonie / thei may be gathered to gether in immortal glorye with the lord Iesus But be cause we have spokeÌ„ largely jnough before of this reward of eternall glorye / it is now sufficient / to renue the memorie of thos things the ar all readye spoken Wherfor let the faithfull learn to reare vpp their head to the crown of immortall glorye / wher vnto god doth call them / let them not take the losse of this lyfe grevously / coÌ„sideriÌ„g the greatnes / and worthines of the reward And that thei may besure and ê‘fectly perswaded of this so great a good thiÌ„g / as can not be expressed with any speache / nor in thought be comprehended / nor with any honoure jnough estemed / lett them have continually before their eies this like and conformable reason with our lord Iesus Christe that in death it selfe thei behold lyfe / as he by ignominie of the crosse and infamie came to gloriouse resurrectioÌ„ / wherin all our felicitie / trivmph and joye consisteth Amen