haue beene of opinion that it was not lawfull for a Christian Magistrate by iustice to put all those to death or any other offendour because Iesus Christ hath forbidden vs to reuenge euill and for that hee hath commanded all christians to suffer all iniuries patiently this is a strange charitie the shepheard for pittie and compassion he taketh on the Wolfes he dare not hunt them from his flocke but suffereth them to deuoure his sheepe and taketh more pitie of the poore wolues then of his sheepe and to be charitable towardes the wolues will be more cruell to the sheepe then the wolues themselues But when all shall bee well examined I Sect. feare much that the disease of our fleshe proceedeth not so much from feare that it hath of offence as for feare of death wherefore without seeking reasons any further to prooue this I aske but the testimonie of conscience of those which loue rather to cloke their infirmitie with his vayle of feare they haue to offende then flatly to confesse it I aske then in conscience if they were out of dāger in such liberty that they durst boldly confesse that they vnderstand whether for feare of offence they durst not speake of Iesus Christ and whether they would ioyne themselues with Idolaters and keepe them companie in all their sacrifices ceremonies It is most certaine they woulde not or els were they very euill instructed in the doctrine of Christ I deny not but there are some things wherin we might beare with the weake and wherein Sect. wee ought to bee well aduised to take from them all iust cause of offence If the question be whether I should eate fleshe or not eate I may well vse my libertie if by eating I know I may alienate driue any poore ignorāt man from the Gospell and in abstayning may draw him to the knowledge of the Gospel surely I ought to absteyne and to haue more regard to the edyfying of him then to my liberty considering that the Apostle sayth knowledge puffeth vp and charity doeth edyfie for God hath not forbidden me to eate fleshe or to abstaine some dayes rather then others but hath left that to my choyce on condition that I doe all thinges to his honour and glory and to the edyfiyng of my neighbour But when question ariseth of any thing Sect. which God hath expressely commanded or forbidden we must no longer there deliberate or take counsell or dispute whether we must doe it or no For it resteth no longer in our power nor our iudgement for the councell is already taken eyther we must doe it or determine to make warre with God and it is most certaine that God hath expressely forbidden and with grieuous threatnings that we should not honour nor worship images nor strange Gods nor yet bowe to them nor doe any homage to them nor to be partaker of the table of Diuels neither by hypocrisie nor of purpose wherefore we ought to beware thereof if that we feare to incur the displeasure of indignation of almightie God and rather to choose the bodily death or if we haue done otherwise we must craue mercy and pardon of God with teares and weeping as Peter did I knowe well that some wise men which take vpon them to teach others and confesse Sect. Iesus Christ priuately but deny him openly tell the faythfull that if they dissemble not they should put themselues in great danger others with them could no longer serue in the church but should leaue it in great trouble It seemeth that suche men will gouerne the Church by their wisedome and not leaue it to be gouerned of God by his prouidence doe we thinke we can finde a Iesus Christ whom we may serue without Crosse without persecution and without thornes Thinke we to finde a Iesus Christ so delicate soft as Ueluet where shall we finde that the holy Apostles true disciples of Christ Iesus haue consented to or allowed eyther in word or deed the idolatry abomination of the Pagans to auoyde dangers persecutions for feare to trouble the churches in deed such were the Apostles of circumsciō who did greatly molest trouble S. Gal. 5. Phi. 1. 3. Paule for they endeuoured to please men because they were enemies to the crosse which they would not beare as S. Paul did After the iudgement of these men S. Paul was a great troubler of the church for through out all places where he was hee was persecuted alwayes driuen away banished or imprisoned because of him and the doctrine that hee preached many good and faythfull men haue been in danger to those both bodies and goods and many haue been put to death and many townes countries moued troubled If S. Paule would haue dissembled supported and approoued their errours abuses and superstitions of Iewes and Gentiles without speaking so plainely and reproouing and condemning them so openlye both in worde and deede hee might well haue auoyded all those inconueniences shall we then condemne him as vndiscrete rash arrogant and one that were mad but if he had done otherwise and if he had pleased men he had not beene the seruant of Iesus Christ he had been a traytour to Gal. 1. his church if for his owne bodily ease and to procure the same to others hee had hidden the truth of God This great Apostle ought in deed to haue feared Sect. as much that the church shold find lack of him if any harme should come to him as of any of vs for there had beene farre greater losse yet did not that hinder him from executing his office according to the charge giuen him he wil not appoint rules and limites to God but hee followeth the rules limites that God hath lefte vnto him committing him self al things els to his prouidence for he knoweth that all daies and all the heyres of our heade are counted and that nothing shall befall vnto vs but by the ordinance of God who win determine nothing but to his glory and our saluation if he wil that we suffer dye for his name our boundes our troubles yea our death shall doe better seruice perhaps to his Church then our life if he call vs out of this world hee will send others into his harnest if men be not altogether vnworthie thereof If it please him that we liue and serue longer in his church he is mighty and wise inough to keepe vs by such means as shal please him wtout our dreaming inuenting means contrary to his wil wherfore as we ought not to tēpt God nor procure harme or danger to our selues so ought wee not for feare thereof seeke strange meanes nor doe that he hath forbidden and to agree with Idolaters But some will replie herevpon Why then did S. Paule write that he made him selfe the Sect. seruant to all and that to the Iewes he was a Iewe and to the Gentiles a Gentile Let vs Mat.
the Idolaters and strengthen the faithfull and woulde take away all cause of offending the good and woulde leaue no matter to the Idolaters wherin to glorifie but the cause why we goe it is to doe farre contrary it is to couer vs and not to vncouer vs. Yet notwithstanding if wee shoulde doe as Sect. Naaman did yet ought we no more to iustifie our selues then he but wee ought to aske pardō of God for it as he did And if Naamā were afraid to offend God by that act although he had a goodly cloke to excuse himselfe I ashamed of those with are quite cōtrary to him that they dare so assuredly defend their worke as if there were no sinne in it And to make their matter better after they had red that which was written against their opinion seene themselues bereft of that weapon which they tooke from the example of Naaman to defend their cause they sought another starting hole wherein there is slender foundation they haue imagined that when Naaman made y◠confession to Elizeus which was spokē of before that it is very like he was alone that he said it not before al the cōpany which was with him they proue their imaginatiō by this that it is the custome of great Lordes to speake in a Maiestie of their affaires in the absence of their seruants rather then in their presence Wherefore they cause thē to depart for better confirmation hereof they alleadge that when Geazi ran after Naaman that Naaman descēded out of his chariot that hee came before him Wherefore they conclude that he spake to him apart in absence of his seruants and that hee might well do as much to Elizeus when hee vsed that talke with him wherof the holy scripture maketh mention This is the sophistrie whereby some wil now Sect. adayes make this exāple of force to helpe an euill cause but I know not to what ende it may serue them but to shew that those which are so seene in speculation to imagine these starting holes know wel what they haue to doe that it seemeth they are desirous to finde some cloke in scriptures to couer their matter that they would gladly make the spirite of God which speaketh in his holy scriptures to thinke that he would speake vnderstande things as they would haue it For as for the first all their reason is grounded but vpon imagination which it is as easie to disproue as to allowe but of thinges of so great importance wee must not iudge vpō presumptiōs imaginatiōs Moreouer the scripture doth manifestly witnes that he promised cōfessed he would serue none other God but the Lord woulde declare it by sacrifices and by outward confession publike testimonie to giue this testimony he desired these two mules charged with the earth of Israel as his wordes do manifestly witnes For to what purpose should that earth serue him more then the earth of Syria but to this end then wee haue no cause to doubt but that that matter is easie as he hath purposed demanded it For that which the prophet answered him after the maner which the Hebrwes vse in their salutations whē they bid a man farewell saying to him goe in peace ought not that only to be reserued to the last speech that Naamā vsed touching his worshipping in the Temple of Remmon but to all his former woordes wherein the Prophete consenteth to him The matter then is plaine that his confession was not secrete but publike and therefore his example serueth to no ende for them which content them selues to haue confessed Iesus Christe in secrete before a fewe and blaspheme him publikely It is easie to vnderstande all these thinges Sect. but we seeke these cloking starting holes because we wil not be vnfurnished And what is the cause if we should discouer our selues we shold yeeld our selues all vnto death and shoulde bee murtherers of our selues But those which are out of this danger may babble at their ease our life costeth them little I know some vse suche speech but yet their life is dearer to vs then they thinke for we are no lesse afraide to put them in danger then themselues for wee are not out of pryson without being mindefull of them feeling the afflictions of our brethren as if we were there our selues and therefore it is more safe to followe the iudgementes of those which are out of danger thē those which are in it it is very hard that the sicke man shoulde be a good Phisitiō to himselfe but he hath need of another for it is doubtfull hee would rather make the medicine serue his affections thē rule his affections by the art of Phisicke for sicknesse desireth to entertaine it selfe willeth alwaies that is contrarie vnto it the sicke man also beleeueth rather the phisitions which accord vnto his will then they that gaine say it It is very hard also that a man should bee a good iudge of his owne cause for hardly could he auoide but his affections woulde cary him away hinder him frō seeing the right giuing good iudgement wherefore it is requisite to seeke iudges which be not ouermuch affectioned to the matter do not iudge at randon according to their fancie but bee of good cōscience with out looking to the affection of any but to God only to right and equitie And therefore my brethren consider whether Sect. I speake of mine own head or whether I bring my minde or the mind of God If I speake any other then the word of god my reasons ought not to moue you nor trouble you but you ought to let thē passe as vaine friuolous If I offer vnto you the coūcell of god you haue no cause to be angry or to cōplaine that we are too sharp our iudgement is too hard for would you that wee should change the meaning of god should belie him I haue vnderstood the cōplaints the attestations that som make to cause vs to bethink our selues what we write of these matters They say it is true that the cōtrouersie matter is not of the shadow of an Asse or the wooll of a goate as the olde Prouerbe is but of that they account most deare in this world that is of a thing for which we must forsake our countrie our wife our deare children our goods and all that euer wee may haue delight pleasure in this worlde yea to the loosing of our life running straight vpon death and I denie not but these things are very sharpe and hard to flesh wherefore I cannot thinke therof without great compassion of these which are in such a straight but what shoulde we doe there wee ought to think it more strange and fearefull to forsake Iesus Christe the heauenly habitation and the eternall felicitie then these transitorie thinges which without that we must once forsake Wee would gladly
not doe like the cowardly Souldyers who will kil all as they sitte at table but when they come to the businesse to giue blowes they are the first that fiye away and cause others to be afrayd and go hyde them selues If we be truely faythfull it is necessarie that we confesse Iesus Christ opēly and that we die rather as the Prophets Apostles and Martyres did then to forsake him and commit Idolatrie superstition or any acte that hath any appearance of it If Iesus Christ had once many such champions which would be prodigall of themselues and liues with so holy a prodigalitie as they were Antichrist would soone be ouerthrowne Iesus Christ shoulde shortly raigne ouer al the earth or death would diminishe and kill moe of our enemies then the death of Sampson killed of the Philistians we see what happened in the Iud. 27. tymes of the Apostles and Martyrs if they had been so daintie as we are and had been so fearefull of their skinne the religion of Christe had not been so much encreased in so smal a tyme Luk. 18. but it is harde especially in our time wherein faith almost faileth vpon earth according to the prophesie of our Sauiour Christ to finde men of such fayth and constancie What remedie is there then herein if we can Sect. not come to this high degree and to this christian persecution of the martyrs and if wee dare not openly confesse Iesus Christ with the danger of our life and wee feele not in our selues such constancie to suffer death for his name let vs come at the least to the next degree let vs be secret schollers with Nichodemus and Ioseph of Arimathea And if we shewe not our selues so openly yet at the least let vs do no dishonour to Iesus Christ nor consent vnto his aduersaries in partaking at the table of diuels if wee find our selues weaker thē Nichodemus if we for feare of loosing our goods our estimation liues we be constrained too much to dissemble and to communicate with Idolaters yet at the least let vs not iustifie but condēne our selues in that wherein we fayle let vs acknowledge our ouer great infirmitie the ouer burning loue that we beare to our selues to the goods and dignities of this world more thē to Iesus Christ his word let vs acknowledge in what euill bondage we are let vs confesse that it is a punishment and iudgement of God vpon vs because of our sinnes as it was vpon the people of Israel in Egypt Babylon let vs pray to God that he will encrease our faith to ouercome our infirmitie and let vs confesse our faultes and sinnes vnto him and aske him pardon and mercie for the same let vs weepe and waile vnder this heauie burthen and vnder this great tyrannie of Antichrist which presseth vs so sore let vs aske ayd succour and deliuerance at his hands rather then to excuse and iustifie our selues and so much to please our selues and hee will see our teares and heare our sighes and grones by which he wil be moued to pitie and compassion for to deliuer and succour vs as he was moued by the like of the people of Israel But in the meane time those which remaine in Sect. such miserie so ouercōe by the infirmitie of their fleshe that they are constrayned to communicate with idolaters what excuse can they haue seeyng they knowe well they doe euill doe they not sinne against the holy Ghost this is a question that some wil make and a doubt that tormenteth many consciences if al sinnes that we commit knowing that wee do euill were sinne against the holy ghost we should commit fewe the were not sin against the holy ghost the adulterie murder of Dauid and the denial blasphemy and periurie of Saint Peter should bee sinnes agaynst the holy ghost for they were not ignoraunt that that was forbiddē of God but it is an other thing to sinne of certayne malice and in despite of God and in contempt of his woorde and to sinne through ignoraunce or through infirmitie of the fleshe which displeaseth vs and wee cannot ouercome it But we must not so far stretch out this skinne Sect. of mans infirmitie that we wil wholly couer defēd our selues by it giue our selues to vnderstand that sin is not sinne for in stead of lessoning the sinne wee may aggrauate it and may well make it irremissible as the sinne vnto death for there is no great difference between the hypocrites the contemners and mockers of God and betweene the blasphemers which sinne against the holy ghost they are almost cosen germans wee see also by experience that from one of the degrees man falleth into the other for many of those which become Atheistes and Epicures and men without God which haue at the first had some knowledge of the truth and nowe blaspheme it they are fallen into these pits by degrees for they haue fayned to themselues a Iesus Christ after their owne fancie without amending their life and without any repentance they haue dallied with him and haue made it an art to blaspheme him wherefore they haue altogether lost him and God with him whom without him we cannot haue And therefore sinne is no more to them sinne nor blasphemie blasphemie for Iesus Christ is no more to them Iesus Christ nor God to them God Let vs learne to feare the Lord by others Sect. losse and to flee such curse and fury of God let vs beware that seeing Iesus Christ hath driuen that wicked spirit out of our body that wherewith he threatneth the Iewes befall not vnto vs that is that he returne not thither with seuen others woorse then the first and that the latter thinges be not worse then the first for it followeth not if all sinnes be not sinnes vnto death and as great and as wicked the one as the other that yet they be not sinnes sufficient to bring vs to eternall damnation if God of his mercy tooke not pitie of vs and did pardon them vnto vs let vs not thinke that wee are not bound to acknowledge and confesse them and to pray euery day O heauenly father forgiue vs our sinnes enter not into iudgement with thy seruant reprooue vs not nor correct vs in thine anger and furie lead not vs into temptation but deliuer vs from euill I condemne not Dauid nor S. Peter as Sect. touching their persons nor the Israelites which worshipped the Images of Nabuchodonozer in such sort as I condemne them for reprobates but I allow not therfore the murder of Dauid nor the denial of S. Peter nor the idolatrie of the Israelites but do condemne them as sinnes greeuous and greatly displeasing to God and worthy of eternall death if God of his grace had not pardoned them Yet because the persons acknowledged their faultes and asked him mercy for the same their sinne was not imputed vnto them I haue also like