vtterly corrupt the christian sinceritie And here in we differ as true martyres of Iesus Christ from the furious and stifnecked men which suffer for their owne folishe opiniōs Secōdly we ought to be so minded that being assured of the right and goodnes of the cause we shoulde be enflamed with this due desier to folowe god whither so euer he shal cal vs to embrace his word with suche reuerence as it is worthy and being called backe frō the deceitfull fashion of this worlde as men rauished with their whole minde and endeuour should be caried to an heauenly lyfe But O most miserable case that when the lighte of god doth shine vnto vs in these daies so bright as it did neuer shine in the remembrace of men yet so litle zeale fauour and loue should be founde Wherein our miserie is so much the greater that in so great filthines vnthankfulnes we are not ouerwhelmed with blushing shame For we must shortly come before that iudge before whom our vice and euell which we by all meanes go about to hide shal be brought forth with that rebuke check wherby the iust cause of our destruction shal appeare For if we be so endetted bounde to god that for the knowledge he hath geuen vs we ought to geue to him honourable and thankfull testimony why is our stomak so abashed fearful to entre into the battell Especially seing god in this our age hath so opened himself that it may be rightly sayd and truly that he hath opened plainly set furth the greatest treasures of his secretes May not this be said that we so think of god as thogh we semed to stād no nede of him at all For if we had any cōsideratiō of his maiestie we durst neuer be so bold to turn the doctrine which procedeth out of his mouthe into philosophie and vain speculation In fine we can haue no excuse but this must be vnto vs the greatest shame yea an horrible condemnatiō that in so great knowledge obtained by the singular goodnes of god we haue so litle loue minde to defend kepe the same For first yf we wil call to our remēbrance the martyrs of old time cōpare their wonderful cōstancie with this our tender slouthfulnes we shall finde passing great cause to detest our own filthines For thei wer not for the most part so trauailed exercised in the scriptures that thei could lernedly despute of al matters But first of al thei knew held fast this that there is one god whō thei oght to serue and honor then that thei were redemed with the blood of Iesus Christ that in him only in his grace thei shulde put their affiaunce and trust of saluacion Moreuer they did iudge all other inuencions and ordinances of men to worship god so vnworthy filthines that thei coulde easly condemne al idolatries superstitions to cōclude in few words this was their deuinitie ther is one only god the maker of the whole world which hath declared vnto vs his wil by Moses the prophets then by Iesus Christ hys apostles We haue one redemer wyth whose blood we wer bought by whose grace we hope to be saued Al the idoles of the worlde are to be detested accursed Thei came stoutly and boldly to the fier or other kinde of death and punishment instructed with no other doctrine and more hidden knowledge And the numbre of thē was not smal as of two or thre but so great that the multitude of theē which were cruelly vexed tormented of the tyrants semed innumerable and infinite But we are so taught instructed that we passe all our auncetours in knowledge vnderstanding of holy scripture We thinke in our selues and it is true as touching the vnderstāding of the scripture god hath endued vs with so much knowledge as he hath geuē to any age at any time And yet there is in vs scantly the least droppe of feruent loue towards god Ther is no reasō whi we shulde norish this nice cowardnes of minde onlesse we wold willingly wittingly prouoke the wrath vengeance of god against our selues What must we then Truly we must take to vs a stout bold cōstāt mind We must chefly cōsider how precious honorable the cōfessiō testificatiō of our faith is befor god For we do litle know howe god doth esteme this cōfession when our life which is of no value is more set by deare vnto vs. Wherein our wonderfull and beastly folishnes is shewed for we can not in this sort spare our life but we must nedes confesse that we set more thereby then by gods honour and our owne saluacion A certain heathen man could vse this saying that it is a miserable thing to forsake betray the causes why we life for the conseruacion of life Yet he and his like did neuer know truly to what end mē wer set in the world and wherefore thei lyued therein Thei might wel say that vertue is to be estemed and folowed that we oght to liue an honest life without blame But all their vertues were nothing els but colours and shadowes But we haue better vnderstanding whereunto our life must be referred which is that we honour god with al praise and glory that he himself may be our glory Without him our life is miserable the which we can not continue the least moment but we shall heape vpon our selues a perpetuall malediction And yet we ar nothing ashamed for the winning of a few dayes for this feble life to refuse the eternal kingdom to seperat our selues from him by whose power we are continued in this life Yf a mā shuld examine the most vnlerned yea those whose wit is so dased and whose life is so voluptuous that they be most like to brute beasts what maner of life is appointed them they durst not say plainly openly that it should consist only in eating drinking and sleping For thei knowe that they are created to a better worthier and more higher thyng which is nothing els but to serue and honour god with al kinde of honour to suffer our selues as good children to be ordered and ruled by our most benigne father that after the end of thys frail and vnsure life we may be receiued into his eternall heretage In the appointyng winning of this end consisteth the chefest and greatest point of our felicitie yea all the whole weight of euerlasting life But when we cary our mindes and thoughts another wai do snatche fast hold of this presēt life worse thē a thousand deathes what excuse cā we haue For to lyue and be ignoraūt of that causes wherfore we lyue is vnnatural But to forsake the causes wherfore we liue here for the desier and loue to prolōg our life as it wer for thre daies in this deceatful world and to be separated from god the author of lyfe is suche a bewitching and furiouse
as boūtiful prodigal in sheddīg the martyrs bloud as thei wil yet this must be that thei shal make a reckening horrible accompt of the effusion of that deare and precious blood yea euen to the vttermost droppe But nowe in thys time thei do scornefully and proudly laugh when thei burne the faithfull men and after they haue dipt washed them selues in their blood they become so dronken that they care nothing at al what murthers thei do But if we wyll haue this stay and moderation of mind that we can paciently abide god wil at the last declare that it was not without a cause that he so greatly estemed our life and had it in so great honour In the meane while let vs not take it to grief yf it be now bestowed to confirme garnish the gospel which excelleth heauen and earth in worthines And that we may be more surely persuaded that god wil neuer leaue vs as abiectes in the hands of the enemies let vs not forget that same saying of Iesus Christ wherein he saieth that it is he himself whō men do persecute in his membres God had said before by Zachary who so toucheth you toucheth the sight of mine eie This is much more expressed if we suffer for the gospell sake it is euen as the sonne of him selfe were and suffered in that affliction Therefore let vs thinke so that Iesus Christ must forget himself if he should haue no care and thought of vs at the time when we be in prison and danger of life for his cause and glory let vs also know that God wyl take al the contumelies and iniuries as done against his owne sonne Let vs come to the seconde place of consolation which is one of the greatest among gods promises that god wyll so hold vs vp wyth the vertue of his spirit in these afflictions that our enemies whatsoeuer they do nor Satan their chiefe captaine shal in any thyng go awaye with the ouerhand And truly we do see howe in that necessitie he doth shew the succour and helpes of his grace For the inuincible stoutnes and constancie of minde which is sene in the true martyrs is a notable token of that same most mighty power which god vseth in his sainctes There be two things in persecutions greuous tediouse intolrable to the flesh whereof the one consisteth in the checkes and rebuks of men the other in the payne tormēt of the body In both these kinds of temtations god doth promise so his assistaunce that we shal easely ouercom al the infamie violence of the grefes and payn 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 al feare and let vs not measure the power of gods spirit so sclendrely that we shuld not thinke and beleue that he wil easely ouercome all the iniuries bitternes and contumelies of men And of this diuine and inuincible operation emong all other we haue a notable example in this our age A certaine yonge man who liued godlylye here with vs in this cytie when he was taken at Dornick was cōdemned with this sentence that yf he wold denye the cōfessiō of his faith he shuld be but beheaded but yf he perseuered in his purpased opinion he shuld be burned When he was asked whether he wold do he answered plainly he who will geue me thys grace to dye patiently for his name wil also work by the selfe same grace that I may abide broyling and burnīg We oght to take thys sentence not as pronoūced of a mortall mā but of the holy gost that we shold thinke that god cā so wel cōfirme make vs ouercom al payns tormēts as to moue vs to take any other kinde of meker death in good part Yea we see often times what cōstācy he geueth to euel wicked men who suffer for their euel dedes and wickednes I do not speake of such as be obstinat hardned in their wickednes which haue no repētāce but of thē which do perceaue cōsolatiō by the grace of Iesus Christ so do take suffer quietly with good wil most greuous sharpe pain as we see a notable example in the thefe who turned at the death of our lord Iesus christ Wil god who assisteth with so great power wicked men that suffer cōdingly for their euell actes forsake them who defēd his cause wil he not rather geue thē inuincible power The third place of promises which god promiseth to his martyres is the fruit which thei oght to loke for of their sufferīg of death it self yf nede so requier But this fruit is that after they haue set forth honoured gods name edified his church with their testimonie they may be gathered together in immortall glory with the lord Iesus But because we haue spoken largely inough before of this reward of eternal glory it is now sufficient to renue the memorie of those thīgs that are already spoken Wherfore let the faithful learn to reare vp their head to the crowne of immortall glory whereunto god doeth call them let them not take the losse of this life greuously cōsidering the greatnes and worthines of the reward And that thei may be sure and perfectly persuaded of this so great a good thing as can not be expressed with any speache nor in thought be comprehended nor with any honour inough estemed let them haue continually before their eyes this like and conformable reason with our Lord Iesus Christ that in death it selfe they beholde life as he by ignominie of the crosse infamie came to glorious resurrection wherin all our felicitie triumph and ioy consisteth Amen The thirde Sermon VVHEREIN THE FAITHFVL are admonished how greatly thei oght to esteme it to liue in the churche of god where they may purely and with libertie worship him taken forth of this sentence of the. Psalm 27. One thing haue I demanded of the lorde that wyll I require that I may dwel in the house of the lord al the dayes of my life that I maye see the beautie of the Lorde c. ALthough amonges men there be soche a varietie defference of myndes and desyres that it is a world to se them yet do all consent and agre in this one poynte moste plainly that with hole harte mynde thei are occupied in the worlde Euery one I graunt wyll haue some what apart wherin he doth set his hole felicitie and wherunto he wyll applye and therevpon bestowe all his care and study and the whole trade of hys lyfe But this vanitie beareth rule generally in al that thei seke their felicitie and principal cōmoditie none other where but in this present life subiect to corruption The which thing declareth moste euidently that men whiche haue caste downe their myndes hope and iudgemen from the dignitie and excellencye of their nature are so degenerat and growen out
cause they continued constaunt In paciencye I do entreat this first part of my exhortacion briefly that I maye come the soner to the second which doth more pertaine to the purspose And that is that we applie certaine examples of the martyres which were before vs to our consolacion comfort And in this kinde or numbre there be not two or three but a great thicke cloude as the apostle writeth to the Hebrues .xii. Whereby he signifieth that ther is so great a multitude of them which haue suffered for the testimonie of the truth that so wel the abundance of excellent examples as the most graue authority ought to prouoke vs to contentacion pacience and moderation of minde And least my oration shold waxe to long in heaping vp together an infinite multude of examples I wil only speake of the Iewes which suffered most greuous persecution for the true religion both vnder the tiranny of king Antiochus also shortly after his death We can not say that the numbre of the afflicted men was smal when a great mighty armye as it were of martyrs was prepared to maintain defend the religion Nether can we alledge that they were certaine excellent prophets whō god had chosen forth and separated frome the comon sort of people for there were women boyes and infantes also in that number of martyrs Nether will we say that thei passed thorow that persecution only with some light losse wtout great peril of lyfe without great paines and torments of bodies seing ther was no kinde of cruelty vpproued in afflicting vexing tormēting them Let vs here also what the apostle doth saye of them and doth set forth for vs to folow Some faith he were hanged vp like belles and stretched dispising to be deliuered that they might optaine a better resurrection other were proued with opprobrious wordes and strippes or with bondes prisonment other were stoned or cutt insonder or killed with the swerd other some went wandering hether and thether thorowe hilles and caues of the earth Let vs now come to make comparison betwixt them and vs. Yf they suffred so many and great tormentes for the truth which was as then but obscure what oght we to doe in this great light which hath shined vnto vs in this time God speaketh vnto vs nowe as with full mouth The greatest gate of the kingdom of heauen is made open vnto vs. Iesus Christ comen from heauen vnto vs doth so call vs to him that we haue him present as it were before our eies In to how great ingratitude shameful wickednes shal we runne into if we haue lesse stomake loue to beare and suffer for the gospell then thei had which dyd beholde the promises of god but as it were a farre of who had but a very lytle dore opened to inter into the kingdom of god who had receaued only a remembrance and obscure testimonie in figures of Iesus Christ These great matters can not be declared and expressed with any wordes as thei be worthy Wherefore I leaue them to be weied in euery mans thoughts and meditaciōs This doctrine as it hath a common and vniuersall reason so it must be referred to the exercise order of euery mās life But euery man must apply it to his propre vse profit apt for his owne consolation And I speake this for this cause least that they which see them selues to be in no manifest peryll should suppose this doctrine to be vaine and not to pertaine to them Nowe they are no in the hands of tirantes but what know they how god wil deale with them herafter Therfore we must be of that minde and iudgemēt that if any persecutiō which we loked not for happen vnto vs that we fall not therein to vnwares and vnprouided but that we come to it prepared long before hand But I feare there be many deaph eares to whom this my oration is made without fruit For theī that liue in quiet hauing all thinges at wil are so far from preparing them selues to take and suffer death when nede shal be that thei haue no care nor thoght of seruing god at all But this ought to be al our study continually especially in these great troblesom times wherin we liue in great peryll In the meane time thei whome god calleth to suffer for the testimonye of hys name must thinke in very dede that thei were prepared long be fore and broughte to this sufferance of euils by the mocion certain iudgement of the spirit that they might bear them selues therin boldly and constantly Then also they must diligently call to the remembrance al the exhortations which they haue herd before and be so stirred with the aduertisment of them as the valiaunt souldiare to take his armour when he hereth the trumpet blowe But what seke we Truly in these perils we do nothing ells but seke shiftes waies how to escape I meane this by the most part of men For this same persecution is as it were a touche stone wherwith god doth trye and proue who be his but ther are fewe found of that faith cowrage and godlines towardes god that they will offer them selues frankely and freely vnto death for his names sake This is a thing almost incredible that they which do glory that they haue some knowlege in the gospell are so impudent and vnshamfast they wil vse such cauillatiōs Some wil say what shal it auail to cōfess our faith before those stubborne stifnecked men whiche are purposed to warre agaīst god himselfe Is not this to cast pearles before swine As who wolde say Iesus Christ doth not most plainly declare that he doth requier of vs the cōfessiō of his name yea amōg most perverse wicked men But if this our testimony do nothīg profit to their edifiing yet shall it profit to their cōfusiō Alwaies the cōfession of our faith doth sauour swetly before god although it brīge death and destruction to wicked men There be other also which will say this what shall our death profite when it shall seme to geue more offence then vtilitie As though god hath left to them selues fre choyse to dye whē they will or when they shall think it the most apte time of death But we contrarie wise do obei him but as for the fruit that must come by our death we leaue to the hand prouidence of god Wherfore the christian man must most chifly in what place so euer he be diligently se that he lyue in that simplicitie and integritie that god requireth and that he be not brought from that mind maner of godly and holy life at any time with any daungers or threatninges Let him eschue so muche as is possible the ragīg madnes of the wolues so that the same warenes be not ioyned with the prudence and craftines of the flesh Fyrst of al let him do this that he geue ouer and resigne his lyfe into the hands of god the most
I must presse it earnestly as a profession moste contrary vnworthye a christen man For this is plain and manifest that thei do and will defend and couer themselues vnder the person of a priest made for the nonce to colour and dissemble But if thei wolde rightly and lawfully celebrat that supper it were their dutie so to seperat themselues from the order and profession of idolatours that thei shuld apear in that to haue nothing common with them But now thei be so far from this separation that thei ascribe themselues into theyr felowship and communion do euerye one of thē feinedly professe themselues to be membres of that body After this thei wil compare vs to the old heretiks that did refuse the vse of the sacramēts for the vices of the ministers as though we do here respect the proper sinnes of euery man not rather the cōmon state condicion I do passe ouer this matter shortly because that which is spoken is sufficient inough to conuince so foule shameful impudencie But if these men be so folish and dul witted that thei perceiue not this filthines the word of god must suffice vs when the lord saieth by the prophet Ieremy Israel if thou doest turne turne vnto me In which words is most plainly expressed with what simplicitie integritie of mind we oght to deale walke before god wythout any thought wil to return to those things which we know are not thākful nor allowed of him Which is a cause why S. Paul also doth testifie that he was sent to turne the vnfaithful frō their vanities vnto the liuing god as though he wold say it is to no purpose to change some one old accustomed euil with other hipocrises feinings but vtterly to abolish al superstitions that the true religion mai be set in her own puritie holines For without this faith and integritie men neuer come the right wai vnto god but do alwais wauer ar vncerten to what part thei may tourne thēselues There be others that ar come thus far that thei disalow and refuse the masse but thei wold haue some patches kept still which they cal gods seruice least as some men say thei shuld seme to be destitute of al religion And it may be that som of these be moued with a godly mind zeale at the least I will so thinke but what soeuer their zeale purpose be yet may we not say that thei kepe the true rule or anye good measure Many say we may come to their baptismes because there is no manifest idolatrie in thē As who wold saye that this sacrament were not also corrupted and vtterlye deformed with al kind of corruption in so much as Iesus christ may seme to be stil in Pilates house to suffer all opprobries shames To conclude whereas thei say that this is the cause why they wolde retaine some ceremonies least thei shuld appeare to be voide of al religion if one shulde examine their consciences the same trulye will answere that thei do it to satisfie the papists thei change their countenance to flie persecutiō Other some do watch a time least thei come in the mass while and yet thei com to the temple that mē shoulde suppose thei here masse Other some com but at euensong time whō I wold know whether thei think this to be nothing that at that same the idols be honoured that the pictures images be sensed with fumigatiōs that a solemne praier be made in the intercessiō of som saint and groūded on his merites that Salue regina be songe with a loude voyce and that on euery side a matter is harde so filled and replenished with deuilish cursed blasphemie that the mind shall not onely abhorre the offence of the eares eyes there present but most vehemently thei thought and recordacion therof I do passe ouer that the singing it selfe in an vnknowen tonge is manifest profanaciō of gods praises of holy scripture as S. Paule doth admonish in the .xiiii. to the Corinthes But let this last faut be forgeuen them If thei come to euensong to geue some signe testimonie of their christianitie thei wil do this chiefly on the solemne feastes But thē there shal be solemne ensensing the chifest idoles great plentie of swete fumigatiōs powred out the which is a kinde of sacrifice as the scripture teacheth It was also a maner vsed amōg the gētils and whereby thei cōpelled the weak mē to denie god And for this cause the greatest part of martyrs did suffer death cōstantly for that they wold not make perfumes and burne incense to idoles When these men be come thus far that thei receaue in ther noses the sauour of the sensours they also pollute them selues with that pollution which is most greatest and execrable ther yet thei thinke we oght to hide and couer this so great wyckednes and mischef But I beseche them in the honourable holy name of god that they wil diligētly marke this saing of the Psalme that idoles ar so to be detested of the faithful godly man that they shuld not be in his mouthe or tonge least the talke had of thē shuld seme to cōtaminat and defile him This one word oght to fraie and with draw vs frō al congregatiō feloship of idolatours because that we liuīg in that cōgregatiō may easeli be wrapped in and defiled But to speak plaīly frely what I thinke of all these which sek amean wai betwixt god and the deuel they haue double and variable mindes I can not finde out a more apt fete cōparisō to set thē out paint thē in their liueli colours thē that same whiche may be braught of Esau the same filthie double mā For when he sawe his brother Iacob sent by his father Isaac in to Mesopotamia to seke a wyf because the womē of the land of Canaā dyd so much mislike the father and hys wyf Rebecca that thei thought their lyfe bitter irksom to lyue among thē rather wisheth death he marieth a new wif somwhat to satisfie his parēts but he doth not put awai the old So that he doth kep stil that euil wherof Isaac did so greuously cōplain but somdeal to amend the matter he marieth a new wife Euen so they the are so wrapped vp in the world that thei cā in no wise folow god do mīgle tosse together many diuers kīds of religiōs supersticiōs that thei mai applie cōfirme thēselues by some way to the wil of god thei alwais kepe stil som corruptiō so that what soeuer thei do cā not apear to be pure sincere I know also righ well that ther be in those places many miserable souls which liue there in great difficulties and cares which truly coueteth to walk rightly wtout hipocrisie yet can not louse thēselues out of many doutes scruples which is no meruel ī so great