shall set themselues against his holie will be they neuer so manie they shal be damned Let such marke wel what Ignatius who liued in the time of the Apostles hath saide Audivi quosdam dicentes si non invenero Evangelium in antiquis non credam Talibus autem ego dico quia mihi antiquit as Iesus Christus est cui non obeaire manifestus irremissibilis interitus est Ignaty epist. 5. ad Philadel I haue heard some which saie vnlesse I find the Gospell in them of olde time I wil not beleeue it But vnto such I saie that Iesus Christ is vnto me antiquitie Whome to disobey is manifest and vnpardonable destruction Let no man saie I hope I doe well my meaning is good I haue a desire to please GOD I beléeue well I doe my conscience If I doe aâ—…isse God will regard my simplicitie Let no man so saie Saint Augustine saith It is certain that a foolish faith not onelie doeth no good but also hurteth If thou beléeue not the truth thou dwellest in lying thou art the child of the Diuel which is a liar and the father thereof The mouth which speaketh lies slaieth the soule Thy faith is no faith it is but a wilful opinion it is but an errour for it is not according to the truth it is not built vppon the rocke it is not grounded on the word of God Change thine errour Faith is by hearing and hearing by the worde of GOD receiue the truth beléeue the truth and loue the truth Otherwise if thou refuse the breade of life and féede on poison if thou forsake the water of life and digge vnto thy selfe a Cesterne that wil holde no water thou shalt leade thy daies in wilfulnesse and shalt die in sinne thy bloud shall be vpon thine owne head Thou shalt not sâ—…e the glorie of God death and damnation shall be thy méede bycause thau hadst pleasure in wickednesse and diddest not giue thy heart to receiue and loue and beléeue the truth Nowe it remaineth that wée heare howe Antichrist shall be euerthrowen Wée haue séene his pompe and pride his might and power that hée ouerlooketh all the worlde bindeth all Kings and Princes and nations to kéepe his lawes and is himselfe exempted from all lawes of GOD or man So mightie and so maruailous is his power Who can declare it Hée is called of his owne side Stupor mundi The gaze stocke or wonder of the world Something lesse than God something more than man But being in all this estate in the middest of his Pontificalibus so fast mortized so high built vppe to the skies so surely shoared so strongly beset on euerie side hée shall be sodainely shaken downe and become the shame of the world How maie this be done being so mortized so built so shoared and so beset who shal shake him downe What power shall consume him shall it be the great power of Kings or of Emperours They shall giue their power and auctoritie to the beast and fight with the lamb that is against Christ. Shal it be the auctoritie of Bishoppes and Cardinalles and great Clearkes al they are lincked and ioined to him Shall it be by the wisedome and drift of Counsailours and men of lawe They be the féede men and sworne to him Shal it be the violence and conspiracie of the people They shall knéele downe to him and honour him and reuerence him as an Angell of God If neither the power of Doctours nor of Bishops nor Archbishops if not the power of Counsailors and men at lawe if not the power of the Kings and Princes of the worlde if not the power and commotion of the people if al these shal not abolishe him what power then is it wherewith he shall be consumed it shal be the power of God which shal be reuealed from aboue The Lorde shall consume him with the spirite of his mouth These wordes are diuersly taken Some â—…und them thus GOD shal appoint the great Angel Michael to set vppon Antichrist and he shal destroy him Others take these wordes to be spoken of the daie of iudgement and then this shal be fulfilled when Christ shall saie Departe from mee yee cursed into euerlasting fire that this is the spirit of the Lordes mouth wherewith hée shall be consumed But the Apostle speaketh of the preaâ—…hing of the gospel That God by his word which is mightie to doe al that whereunto hée appointeth it shal make his doings manifest and let al the world sée that he was not sent of God that he did neuer set foorth the glorie of God that hée hath not sought the saluation of the people that in matters of faith and in al his life he is aduersarie to Christ this is that breath that shal descrie his errours and vanities this is that spirite which shal consume the kingdome of Antichrist This ouerthrowe is alreadie begun as our eyes may beholde this day In like sort speaketh Esay the prophet He shal smite the earth with the rod of his mouth and with the breath of his lippes shal he slaie the wicked Princes make their conquests by power and strength by fire and sworde and engines of warre but God shal beate downe his aduâ—…rsarie with the râ—…d of his mouth By the true preaching of his worde His worde is mightie it is his sword it is his mace it is the rod of his mouth it is the breath of his lippes It is of great force no strength shal withstand it it shal finite the earth it shal â—…ea the wicked S. Paule sayth We doe not warre after the flesh for the weapons of our warfare are mightie through God to cast downe holdes This sword hath hewne downe in many places the crueltie tyrannie simonie insatiable gréedinesse the errours ignoraunce darkenesse vanities hipocrisie superstition and idolatry which haue bin brought into the church and vsed by Antichrist These were the pillars and strength and glorie of his kingdome And here marke the Apostles spéech Hée saith not God shal coÌ„uert Antichrist or change his heart that he may be saued But he sayth Whom the Lord shal consume Gods word is almightie By his word he can do whatsoeuer pleaseth him He can make the deafe to heare the blind to sée He was able to cal the théefe vpon the crosse vnto repentance He was able to raise vp Lazarus out of his graue He is able of stones to raise vp children to Abraham He can throw downe euery high thing that is exalted against the glorie of GOD and wil bring kinges and Princes and the rulers of the earth to the obedience of Christ. But of Antichrist it is sayd The Lorde shal consume him Such is the hardnesse blindnesse of his heart he wil not receiue the loue of the truth he wil not beléeue the trueth of God that he might be saued Therefore destruction shal come vpon him Hereby we are taught what to thinke or hope of
the sacrament of our redemption Is this that which Paule receiued of the Lord and deliuered vnto the Church Is this the shewing foorth of the Lordes death vntill hée come They woulde haue the Popes auctoritie restored What is the Pope they saie hée is the successour of Peter What doth the Pope as Peter did or what did Peter as the Pope doth He is a mortall man And cursed are they of God that put their trust in man He feedeth not the flocke he teacheth not the simple hée strengtheneth not the weake I wil saie no more GOD make him a seruant of Christ and a faithful disposer of the mysteries of God They are offended at the mariage of the ministers of the Church Yet Gratian their great maister sayeth Copula sacerdotalis nec legali nec Euangelica nec Apostolica authoritate prohibetur The marriage of Priestes is not forbidden by any authoritie either of the lawe or of the Gospel or of the Apostles The holie fathers that liued in the Apostles time and shortly after report that Peter and al the other Apostles excepting only Iohn were maried and had wiues the Prophet Esay was married and yet he sawe the Lord sitting vpon an high throne Moses was marryed and yet saw God face to face Wil they reforme the Prophetes and the Apostles Wil they account that to be vnholie which the Apostle calleth honorable in al men Ignatius the scholer of Saint Iohn saide I wish to be found meete for God as was Peter and Paule and the other Apostles that were married They paint their banner with the Crosse and fiue woundes Why bring they those armes against vs Doe not we beleeue the crosse of Christ doe not wée reioyce and comforte our heartes by the remembraunce of his woundes doe not wée reade and she we foorth to the people the storie of his passion GOD knoweth it and you can beare vs witnesse and they can not denie it that we make this worke of our redemption wrought by the passion of our sauiour Christ the chiefe and principall rocke and foundation of our faith Therefore say wee with the Apostle GOD forbidde that we should reioyce in anie thing but in the Crosse of our Lorde Iesus Christ. Nay rather they are become our enemies because wée beléeue in Iesus Christ crucified Because we say as Gods worde teacheth that Iesus Christ is the onely aduocate to the Father for our sinnes and that hee hath with one offering consecrated for euer them that are sanctified and that the bloud of Iesus Christ his sonne cleanseth vs from al sinne For this cause are they become our enemies Let vs nothing feare their treacheries and attemptes let vs kéepe that is good and holde it fast vntil death Nowe we haue tasted the word of God and haue receiued the comfort of the Gospel let vs not despise it nor be wearie of it Let vs pray vnto God that he establish the loue of his trueth in vs and that he wil open the eyes of their heartes and bring them to bee partakers of those mercies which yet through ignoranâ—…ce they haue despised V. 22. Abstaine from al appearaunce of euil Kéepe your selues not onely from doing those thinges which are euil but also from al appearaunce of euil Offende not the conscience of thy brother that he may haue no occasion to thinke euill of thée Commit not adulterie and withdrawe thy selfe from the companie of such vnthriftie and light and suspected persons Bée not like to them that are such Laie not out thy money to Usurie nor doe anie thing whereby others may thinke so of thée Beware of vncharitable conueyaâ—…ce of thy money Be not Idolaters And leaue off to doe anie thing that maie bring you into suspition of Idolatrie Giue not that honour vnto anye creature which is proper to GOD. Haue no felloweshippe with their workes beare no appearaunce of liking their euill Goe not as they goe liue not as they liue Saint Paule reprâ—…ueth the Galathians Yee obserue dayes and monethes and times and yeare I am in feare of you least I haue bestowed on you labour in vaine So doeth hee the Colossians also If yee bee dead with Christe from the ordinaunces of the worlde why as though yee liued in the worlde are ye burdened with traditions as touch not taste not handle not So doe the Idolaters you shoulde not bee like vnto them They are the children of darkenesse you are the sonnes of light They wil not be like vnto you and forsake their false Gods Why should you become like vnto them and forsake the God that made the heauens and the earth You can not make them ashamed of their errors and imbrace the trueth Why then should you betray the trueth and be partakers with them in error The Christians in olde time beganne to weare Garlandes made of Bay What harme might be in that What is a Garlande but a furniture for the heade What is Bay but a litle trée or bush Yet the Fathers that liued with them to teach them sayde it was not lawful not for y e the thing it self was il of it selfe but for that they would not séeme to followe Idolaters It had some appearance of euill It was a ceremonie and solemne fashion among the heathen they woulde not be imboldened and it would offende the heartes of manie of the faithfull to see Christians followe the fashion of the Heathen When king Antiochus sent vnto Hierusalem and to the Cities of Iuda that they should followe the straunge lawes of the Countrey many chose rather to die than to bee defiled with vncleane thinges and to breake the holie couenaunt which God had giuen them Darius made a decrée whosoeuer should aske a petition of any God or man for thirtie dayes saue of the King he should be cast into the denne of Lions Daniel would not be kept so long from the seruice of God Hee would not dissemble he would not hide his zeale nor shewe anie appearaunce of it He prayed and praysed God as he did before and opened his chamber windowes that it might bée séene Policarpus might haue saued his life if he woulde haue dissembled He would not he coulde not He sawe it woulde haue béene an appearaunce of euil and a discourage vnto the brethren therefore spake boldly Christianus sum I am a Christian. And béeing required to speake il of Christ saide Octoginta sex annos seruio ei nihil me laesit vnquaÌ„ quomodo possum maledicere ei blasphemare regem meum qui salutem mihi dedit I haue serued Christ these fourescore and sixe yeares and he did neuer anie thing hurt mee howe may I speake il and blaspheme my king which hath giuen me saluation This is my faith Christ is my God this is my religion I am not ashamed to suffer death rather than I wil denie him who suffered death in his owne bodie to sauâ—… mée It is good sayth
their faces This was done vnto them that so they might be rooted out and their name quite put out from the â—…arth It was high time for the Lord to put to his hand They called vpon him in their troubles and he heard them Then sent he Moses and Aaron and deliuered them he opened the redde sea and gaue them passage When the Philiâ—…ines oppressed them GOD sent them Gedeon Barac Iehu Debora and Sampson whom he endued with wisedome and courage and pâ—…wer to ouercome their enimies and to sette them at libertie What should I speake of Nabuchodonosor Anâ—…ochus Nero Iulian and other tyrants They opprâ—…ssed the seruants of GOD and kept them in great miserie But God looked downe from heauen and was their helper in the time of néede he brake the â—…ords asunder and delinered them The more â—…ie was extended or practised against them the more glorious did GOD sheiâ—… himselfe in the 〈…〉 of Antichrist By him the Church of God shall suffer great tribulation such as was not from the beginning of the world And then shal his surie encrease and his tyranic be the greater when his kingdome shall decay and the daies of his desolation shall be at hande Primasius saith Tunc cadet Babylon quando nouis sime potestaâ—…em persequendi sanctos acceperit Then shall Babylon come to the ground when she shall last of al take power to persecute the Saints of God For then wil God arise and will iudge his owne cause he wil deliuer the afâ—…icted and will slaie Antichrist with the breath of his mouth Hereof S. Gregorie saith thus The Church after these daies of her affliction shall afterwarde notwithstanding be â—…rengihned with great power and might of preaching Except there come a departing first There must first be a departing from faith in the Church of God and then shall be the comming of the Lorde There was one general departing in the daies of Noah Al flesh had corrupt their waies there was not aniâ—… that did seeke after righteousnesse Then came the daie of the Lorde vpon them he powred out the waterâ—… and they preuailed vpon the earth so that both man and cattel and worme the soule of the heauen were destroied There was a general departing of the Iewes people of God at Hierusalem They made the house of God a denne of théeues they saued a théefe and crucified the Lord of glorie God had no delight in them neither regarded their sacrifices Christ said vnto them O Ierusalem Ierusalem thou that killest the Prophets and stonest them which haue beene sent vnto thee howe often woulde I haue gathered thy children togither euen as a henne gathereth her chickens vnder her wings and yee woulde not Beholde your house is left vnto you desolate They shall not leaue in thee one stone vpon another because thou knowest not the time of thy visitation Such a departing it shall be whereof the Apostle speaketh and so general that the sonne of man when he commeth shall hardly finde faith vpon the earth But this departing is diuersly taken Some vnderstaÌ„d it of the empire that the kingdomâ—… and countries which were before in subiection to that estate shal depart from it and that then Antichrist shal spring vp Others thinke that this is spoken of that departing wherein the godlie haue carried themselues from the obedience of the church of Rome But others more truly say it is the departure from the doctrine and religion and loue and obedience of the gospel of Christ wherof in another place he saith In the latter times some shall depart from the faith and shal giue heede to spirites of errour and doctrines of Diuels forbidding to marrie and commaunding to abstaine from meates which God hath created to be receiued with giuing thankes of them which beleeue and know the truth These men shall haue a forme of godlinesse but shall denie the power thereof They shall turne their eares awaie from the truth and wil encline their hearts to heare fables The wordes of the Apostle are plaine to shew that there shal be a departing But as we sée it is not agréed vppon what maner of departing this shal be nor by whome it shall be wrought Our aduersaries lay it vnto vs saying you haue wrought this departing you haue departed from the Church of Rome you are they of whome S. Paule hath spoken you are the founders of Antichrist so say they But would to God they and their fathers and the Church of Rome had not wrought this departure Bernard behelde the state and pride and disorders of the Church of Rome in his time therefore saide Superest vt reueletur homo peâ—…cati filius perditionis non modo demonium diâ—… sed meridianum quod non solum transfiguratur in angelum lucis sed extollitur supra umne quod dicitur Deus aut quod colitur It remaineth that the man of sinne that is the sonne of perdition be reueiled euen the diuel which flieth not onely in the day but destroyeth in the noone day which is not only changed into an angel of light but is exalted aboue all that is called God or that is worshipped And Gregorie did sée who they were that should worke this departing and make way for Antichrist therefore sayde Ego fidenter deco c. I speake it boldly Whosoeuer calleth himselfe the vniuersal priest or desâ—…reth so to be called as doth the Pope in the pride of his heart he is the forerunner of Antichrist Now that we may yet better know what maner of departure that shal be let vs consider what Saint Paule speaketh of the Church of God which was in his tune Vnto the Coriâ—…thinans he sayeth If al prophecie and there come in oneÌ„ that beleeueth not or one vnlearned he is rebuked of al men he is iudged of al men and so are the secrets of his hâ—…art made manifest and so wil he fal downe on his face and worship God and say plainly that God is in you in deede How is it then brethern When you come together euerie one of you hath a psalme hath a doctrine hath a tongue hath a reuelation hath an interpretation let al things be done vnto edifying c. For God is not the author of confusion but of peace as we see in al the churches Blessed were they of God Al thinges among them were done to edifying The holy scriptures were read openly in the presence of the people the people rcuerently kept silence and gaue eare and vnderstood the wil of God and submitted themselues vnto it The prayers were in a knowne tongue to that â—…e vnlearned might vnderstand them and say Amen The holis misteries were duly ministred The people receiued the sacrament of the Lordes supper vnder both kindes as Christ had instituted and did al communitate together Chrisostoine writing vppon that chapter sayth Vere tum Ecclesia coelum fuit c. Verely the church then was a
people mislike and doubt the word of God and imbrace his follies This is a myracle These be the workes of Antichrist which hée shal bring to passe This shall hée worke in al deceiueablenesse of vnrighteousnesse He shal come with al kindes and shiftes of deceite He shal come with shewe of praying with vizarde of fasting with companies of Monkes Fryers Chanons and al kinde and colour of holinesse He shal séeke to preuaile by threatning and by flattering by fayre meanes and by foule hee shal excommunicate and release from excommunication hée shal promise forgiuenesse of sinnes and life euerlasting He shal make boast of the Fathers and auncient doctours hée shal make boast of the vniuersal consent he shall boast of general councels he shal boast of Christes Apostles and of the Gospel of Christ and of the worde of GOD. So shal he falsely and deceitefully worke himselfe credite and beguile the worlde in abusing the holy name of God No kinde of deceitefolnesse or suttletie but he shal vse it So shal he make the people séeke vpon him and kings and emperours to fal downe before him and to say who is like vnto the beast who is so wise so learned so holie so wealthie so mightie and so catholike without him no man is to be rekoned holie or learned Without him no man may traffique buie nor sel. Without him no man may reade publiquely in Uniuersities no man may preach to the people no man may be accounted a Christian no man may hope to bee saued without him without his leaue and liking Such wonders such myracles shal he worke so shal he conquere and subdue the worlde Nowe who bee they which shal bee deceyued in whom shal he preuaile Among them that perish because they receiued not the loue of the trueth that they might be saued They shal be deceiued by him Which perish whose hearts are not marked with the spirite of God whose names are not written in the booke of life in whome the God of this world hath blinded the mindes that the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ shoulde not shine vnto them they shal followe him and shal be the children of damnation and shal haue their rewarde with him Be he learned or vnlearned bée he King or subiect albeit he be holie albeit hee be catholicke Antichrist shal come vnto him in al deceitefulnesse of vnrighteousnesse because hée hath not receiued the loue of the trueth that hée might bee saued Here marke he doeth not saye Because they receiued not the trueth but he sayth because they receiued not the loue of the trueth Manie in our dayes can speake thus I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ for it is the power of God vnto saluation to euery one that beleeueth for it is the sauour of life vnto life They can say There is giuen none other name vnder heauen whereby wee must bee saued neither is there saluation in anie other than by Iesus Christ whome we haue learned by the Gospel manie wil confesse there was neuer more nor better teaching since the time of the Apostles They séeme to receiue the trueth But they are like the horse and mule in whome is no vnderstanding They receiue it because the Prince receyueth it and because the politique lawes of countries establishe it They are carried awaye with the swaie of the worlde They heare it with their cares Nay I woulde GOD they woulde lende their eares to the hearing of it but with their heartes they doe not heare They haue no feeling of the worde of GOD and of the trueth They wetghe it not they loue it not They consider not what it is nor from whome it is sent They knowe not that it is the water of life and the breade which is sent from heauen They haue no tast no sauour nor pleasure in it Therefore it shall bée taken from them and giuen to a Nation which shall bring foorth the fruites thereof They shal be cast into vtter darknesse and the last state of them is worse than the first It had beene better for them not to haue knowen the waye of righteousnesse than after they haue knowen it to turne from the holie commaundement giuen vnto them It shoulde not be â—…harged vppon them for their damnation for our Sauiour sayeth If I had not come and spoken vnto them they shoulde not haue had sinne but nowe haue they no cloake for their sinne They finde no swéetenesse in the worde of GOD they are not conuerted by it that they may bee saued they haue no pleasure in the wayes of the Lorde they haue no comforte to knowe his will These bee the bondslaues of Sathan these be they vppon whome shall come the abhomination of desolation these be they against whom Sathan and Antichrist shal preuaile because they haue not receiued the loue of the trueth They haue not receiued it into their heartes that they might be saued They had no heartes to féele it they had no eyes to see it V. 11 And therefore God shal sende them strong delusion that they shoulde beleeue lyes 12. That al they might be damned which beleeued not the trueth but had pleasure in vnrighteousnesse The spirite of God is the spirite of trueth and giueth light into our heartes and maketh vs beholde that blessed hope and reioyce in the knowledge of his will Therefore the Prophete Dauid maketh prayer O God renue a right spirite within me and take not thy holy spirite from mee And againe O Lorde my GOD lighten mine eyes that I sleepe not in death And againe hee sayeth With thee is the wel of life and in thy light shall we see light Without this spirite we are but fleshe and bloud euen voide of sense and vnderstanding The natural man perceiueth not the thinges of the spirite of God for they are foolishnesse vnto him No man knoweth the thinges of GOD but the spirite of God And those thinges which God hath prepared for them that loue him he hath reuealed vnto vs by his spirite Christ sayth No man commeth to me except the father drawe him Vnlesse a man be borne from aboue vnlesse God print and seale his heart with his finger hee shall not be able to see the kingdome of God Nowe if we haue the worde of God before our eyes and regarde it not nor be thankeful for it nor set price by it God in his iustice wil withdrawe it from vs. Then shal we delight in darkenesse and haue pleasure in errour our latter ende shall be more dreadful than was our first beginning This is it which Paule saith God shal sende them strong delusion That is his holy spirite the spirite of trueth shall depart from their heartes and the power of Satan shal dwel with them and wholy possesse them This is the iust iudgement of GOD. And this is the condemnation that light is come into the worlde and men loued darkenesse rather than
and a new spirite wil I put within you I will put my spirite within you and will cause you to walke in my statutes and you shall keepe my iudgements and doe them And by the Prophet leremie I wil put my lawe in their inward parts and write it in their hearts Therefore Dauid maketh his praier Teach me O Lord giue me vnderstanding and I will keepe thy law The words of the Preacher enter in at the â—…are The spirite of God conueyeth them into the heart Augustine saith Auditur euangelium Auditur credunt quidam non credunt qui credunt intus a patre audiunt discunt qui non credunt foris audiunt intus non audiunt neque discunt Hoc est illâ—… datâ—…r vt credant illis non datur The Gospesis declared Some there are which beleeue some there are which beleeue not They which beleeue heare it inwardly by the father and so learne it They which beleeue not heare it onlie with their outward sense and not with inward feeling and therefore learne it not As much to saie to them it is giuen to beleeue to the other it is not giuen In the Actes of the Apostles Lydia a woman of the Citie of the Thiatirians heard the preaching of the Apostle Paul But it is saide Whose heart the Lord oponed that shee attended vnto the things that Paul spake The people which said vnto Peter and the other Apostles Men and brethren what shall we do did heare al the wordes of Peter but they had another teacher that gaue force vnto the worde and made it fruitefull in them and therefore it is said They were pricked in their hearts This also appeared in the Disciples which walked towards Emaus they heard Christ open the Scriptures vnto them they reasoned with him yet vntill their eles were opened they knew him not His worde crept into their eares but it was the spirite of God which wrought within them which inflamed their hearts and made them to knowe him Thus God blesseth his word and maketh it yéeld fruit in such measure as his wisedome hath appointed His blessing appeareth greater when many are conuerted yet is his word al one and the power thereof no whit shorter when it is vtterly refused or receiued but of few Surely saith God as the raine commeth downe and the snow from heauen and returneth not thither but watereth the earth maketh it-fruitfull that it maie giue seede to the sower and bread to him that eateth so shall my word be that goeth out of my mouth It shal not returne vnto me voide but it shall accomplish that which I wil and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it It is the word of the liuing God which is blessed for euer And blessed is that hart which can receiue it which GOD instructeth and to which he giueth knowledge of his worde which doth so learne it that he is assured of the truth thereof and nothing doubteth but it is indéede the worde of life which saieth thereof this is the waie in which if I walke I shall certainely go forward to the Citie of my GOD this is the truth if I hearken vnto it I shall neuer be dereiued Whosoeuer findeth himselfe indued with this grace he doth as plainely and evidently iudge of the wordes of God and trie out the trueth thereof from the deuises and doctrines of men as a man of cléere eie sight is ahle to iudge of colours and to knowe one colâ—…ur from an other Yea in this is the knowledge of that more certain because colour doth fade and alter and manie times one colour thereby waxeth like an other but the truth of GOD doth neuer alter it continueth one throughal ages it is the word of euerlasting life Heauen and earth shall perish but one title thereof shall not be lost The truth of God shall be established for euer The humble shall heare it and be glad As ye knowe after what maner wee were among you for your sakes You knowe howe I behaued my selfe after what maner I haue liued among you You knowe my first comming and entrie vnto you You knowe what doctrine I haue taught and what hath béene my conuersation of life I neuer deceiued any nor offered wrong vnto the simplest I sought not you nor yours but those things which are Iesus I haue liued by the labor of my hands in watchings in hunger in colde and nakednesse God hath ordained that they which teach the gospel should liue by the gospel Who séedeth a â—…lacke and eateth not of the milke of the flocke But I haue not vsed this libertie For I haue a great care least by anie meanes I should offend you Yet would I neuer flatter anie in that thing they had done amisse I neuer spared to rebuke ill If I should feare or séeke to please men I were not the seruant of Christ. I séeke not mine owne glorie but the glorie of him that sent me who also hath made me a minister of his gospel I haue forsaken al things my goods and life my flesh and my bodie and am daily in perils compassed daily by persecution séedeath death daily before mine eies for the loue I be are to you and for the care I haue of the Church You are the Lords shéepe I am your shaepeheard you are the house of God I am your builder you are Gods orchard I am your ouerséer and workeman I shall giue an attâ—…mpt for your soules You know how â—…ly I haue loued you in thâ—… Lord. Your griese hath béene my griese your ioie hath béene my ioie I haue praied for you daie and night and haue giuen thanks to God for you and reioâ—…ced in your behalfe What is more deare to a man than life yet haue I desired to yeeld vp my life that you might liue I haue béene readie to suffer death if thereby I might doe you good These things you cannot but remember your conscience beareth mée witnesse that I haue thus liued among you for your sake V. 6. And ye become followers of vs and of the Lord and receiued the word in much affliction with ioie of the holie ghost He commendeth the godlie for the practise of that which they haue learned and séene in him in that they haue receiued the gospel and framed their liues accordingly and haue continued stedfast in the same in the middes of persecution Herein he doth not onlie laie out himselfe and the other Apostles for an example but telleth them that this waie is also â—…roden out by our Lorde himselfe Who as he is the waie and the light that lightneth euerie man which commeth into the worloe so did he heare his crosse and did laie downe his life for his shéepe Therefore he saide to his Disciples The disciple is not aboue his Maister nor the seruant aboue his Lorde It is enough for the Disciple to be as his Maister is and the seruant as his
When Paule disputed and exhorted the Iewes and the Graecians at Corinthus and found little fruite of his labour and that there were few or none that liked his doctrine and manie enimies which resisted and blasphemed it hée purposed to depart and goe awaie from them Then the Lorde saide vnto Paul in the night by a vision Feare not but speake and holde not thy peace for I am with thee and no man shall laie handes on thee to hurt thee for I haue much people in this citie They shall heare thée if not now yet they shall heare thée at some other time They shall beare thy sayings in minde I will be with thée I will open their hearts and make them obedient to the Gospell and they shall be turned vnto me Thou shalt sée the fruite of thy labour and that thy comming vnto them hath not béene in vaine Verse 2. But euen after that we had suffered before and were shamefully intreated at Philippi as ye know we were bolde in our God to speake vnto you the Gospell of God with much striuing The story of these his persecutions is written in the 16. of the Acts. He was stript naked and scourged with rods and cast into prison and put in hazarde of life Yet notwithstanding he were thus euill entreated at Philippi when he came to Thessalonica he was nothing discouraged but procéeded more boldly than before and went into the Synagogue of the Iewes and disputed thrée Sabbaoth daies and taught them that Christ is that Messias euen the sonne of God But that wée maie the better conceiue howe mightily GOD worketh and what great strength he giueth to weake creatures when he appointeth them to set foorth his glorie let vs beholde this boldnesse of the Apostle in speaking the Gospell vnto them To whome did he speake To the Iewes the enimies of the crosse of Christ. Where Not in hucker mucker and in corners but openly in their synagog for he feared no maÌ„ What time those he TheÌ„ when al the Iewes were assembled togither How often 3. sabboth daies togither In what citie In Thessalonica y e greatest and most famous Citie of all that Countrey How was hée entreated There arose great trouble contention They resisted him spake against him and sought to destroy him For what cause what had he deserued what had he taught the gospel of God and of Christ of the kingdome and of the life to come the gospell in which God offereth his grace and reconciliation and comfort and peace and saluation Who woulde thinke such ioifull tidings shoulde not be welcome what eie would not willingly open it selfe to behold the brightnes of the sunne what eare will refuse to heare God speake but it hath alwaies bin so There haue euer bene some that haue loued darknes rather than light The worlde shall neuer be without some Annas or Caiaphas or Iudas or Pilate The children of the Diuel shal alwaies set themselues against the children of God The cause of tumults and troubles procéedeth not from the Gospell The Gospell of Christ is the Gospell of peace But the enemies of the Gospel are stirrers of â—…quietnes and inflamers of war Abel was simple Caine spitefull Iacob smooth Esau rough and hairie Dauid gentle Saul cruel Ioseph innocent his brethren wicked and fell vpon him The Apostles humble in heart and peacemakers the Pharises bloudthirstie and sought to put them to death The like examples are before vs this daie The whole worlde is in an vproare and great troubles and afflictions are in al places No man is able to declare the misery thereof Let no man therefore slaunder or forsake the Gospel It hath bene so from the beginning and from time to time Such troubles confusion and miserie are wrought not by the gospel or them that receiue the gospel but by those which resist it they practise all meanes and turne all things vpside downe rather than it should take place The wicked are angrie there with they gnaâ—…h their téeth and consume awaye This is the cause for which the children shall rise against their parentes and shal cause them to die Cain murthered Abel because God had respect vnto Abel and to his offring Esau could not abide Iacob because Isaac had giuen him his blessing The brethren of Ioseph sought to make him away because God had a fauour vnto him Saul was wrothfull against Dauid because God gaue him great gifts of courage and strength and wisdome The Aegyptians loathed the childreÌ„ of Israel because they were Gods people The Galathians resisted Paul because he preached the trueth Therefore saith S. Paul we labor and are rebuked because we trust in the liuing God which is the sauiour of al men Speciallie of those which beleue Likewise saith our sauior They shall excommunicate you yea the time shal come that whosoeuer killeth you wil think he doth God seruice And these things wil they do vnto you because they haue not knowen the father nor me Euen so standeth it with the Church of God this day There is nothing new that is vnder the sunne Whatsoeuer is done nowe hath béene done afore Who wil lift vp his eyes and looke to the dooinges of men shal sée Cain rise vp against Abel Esau against Iacob the cruel brethren against Ioseph Saul against Dauid Pharao against Moses the Aegyptians against the people of God the High Priests and the Pharisees against Christ and al that wil be his disciples they change peace into warre they turne iudgement into gal and the fruit of righteousnesse into wormewood they resist the truth of God to establish deuises and doctrines of men But blessed be God they shal not preuaile Hee giueth vs peace He hath made vs turne our swords into mattocks He hath taught vs altogether with one mouth and one heart to praise him euen the father of our Lorde Jesus Christ. His truth is mightie and shal preuaile V. 3. For our exhortation was not by deceit nor vncleannesse nor by guile 4. But as we were allowed of God that the Gospel should be committed vnto vs so wee speake not as they that please men but God which tryeth our hearts God sayth he hath chosen me from my mothers wombe and set me apart to the office of an Apostle He hath appointed me to carrie his name before the Gentiles Therefore as he hath giuen mée charge to preach the Gospel and to bring the people vnto him from the power of Satan so I speake truely faithfully sincerely not as the words of men but as the wordes of God I haue vsed no deceit nor taught you to folow traditions of men in â—…de of the commaundements of God In like sort saith he to the Corinthians I haue receiued of the Lorde that which I also haue declared vnto you And againe We are ambassadours for Christ as though God did beseech you thorough vs. For this cause he sayth vnto them Seing that we haue this ministery
your sakes What coulde you aske of me moreâ—… what greater gift coulde I bestowe vppon you V. 11. And ye know how that we exhorted you and comforted and besought euerie one of you as a father his children 12. That ye would walke worthie of God who hath called you to his kingdome and glorie I tooke care of you as of mine owne soule and dealt with you by alwayes of comfort and erhortation that you would take héede vnto your selues and your calling I did put you in minde that you were placed in the middest of the vnfaithfull people which knewe not God and that they watched you and your doing that their eye was vpon your housholde your wiues your seruauntes and your children vpon your selues and your words to espie if they might finde any occasion to speake euil of you I did beséech you by the glorious comming of our Lorde and sauiour Jesus Christ that the name of God might not be il spoken of through you You can not denie this You must néedes confesse you haue thus béene taught Ignorance can not be your excuse What remaineth then but that you performe it For the seruaunt that knoweth his maisters wil and doth it not shal be beaten with many stripes As a father his children What maner care is it that the father taketh of his children Many men are fathers of children but what man taketh the care he ought to take for them pastours or teachers of the people should be affected towardes their people as fathers are to their natural children Let such as are fathers and haue children knowe in what sort they must be careful Your children are a good blessing of God they bée members of the bodie of Christ the sonnes of God The kingdome of heauen belongeth to them God hath appointed his Angels to guide and leade them and to â—…ield them from euil and their Angels be in the presence of God and doe beholde the face of their father which is in heauen They be fresh plantes of the Church Who knoweth what necessarie instruments they may be in the common wealth and in the house of God It is not ynough to féede them and to nourish theyr bodies with necessarie sustenaunce For this do the heathen that knowe not God and the sauage and brute beastes and the birdes which haue no vnderstanding They bréede vp their young ones and are tender and paineful to prouide for them The asse though she be dul the Beare and Lion though they be wilde and cruel yet séeke they farre and néere to get wherewith to helpe their young Therefore if there be anie or can bee any which doeth forsake and leaue his owne he is more beastly than the foolish Asse and more vnnatural than most cruel Beares and Lions and Tigres But in this part men are for the most part ouer careful For this cause many build their houses with bloud and séeke possessions by iniquitie they ioyne house to house and fielde to fielde and wil dwel alone vpon the earth they oppresse the poore and néedie and doe wrong to the widowe and the fatherlesse they make money their God and spoyle one an other and al to prouide for their children This is the couer and cloake for al their misthiefe they may not leaue their children vnprouided Unhappie are the fathers which in this sort care for their children by the ruine spoyle of the néedy and innocent and so breake the commandement of God because their portion shal be with the wicked in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone And vnhappie are their children because they are partakers of their fathers wickednesse and therefore shal also be partakers of punishment with them The Prophet Dauid sayth I haue seene the wicked strong and spreading himselfe like a greene Bay tree Yet hee passed away and loe he was gone and I sought him but hee could not be found His roote was déepe his stocke strong his braunches broade he spread ouer and shadowed the whole countrey yet he passed away He departed his sonnes died his house soone decayed and his name was in little time quite forgotten Oh howe much better then is it to furnish the mindes of your children and to instruct them in godlinesse to teach them to knowe God to leade their life vertuously and to rebuke them and correct them for dealing il The beginning of wisedome is the feare of God Let them then learne what that good and acceptable wil of God is Shewe them the way in which they should walke that they goe neither to the right hande nor to the left The worde of God is pure and giueth vnderstanding to the simple it is a light to their footesteps it teacheth those that are young to amende their wayes When Christ came into Ierusalem the young children receiued him They cryed Ozanna to the sonne of Dauid Blessed is he that commeth in the name of the Lorde Christ giâ—…eth witnesse of them By the mouth of babes and sucklinges hast thou set foorth thy praise The wordes of the little and simple children were able to confounde the wisedome of the Pharise is Thus were they taught from their cradle so careful were their godly parents for them Contrariwise they can not haue any wisedome that despise the lawe of the Lord. They become blinde and wicked abhominable in al their waies They haue no sense nor féeling of the wil of God They cannot know light froÌ„ darkenesse nor God from Belial Such were the little children that mocked the Prophet Elizeus and said to him Come vp thou baulde head come vp thou bauld head Their bringing vp was no better Their wicked fathers had taught theÌ„ nothing elâ—… but waÌ„tonnes But the wrath of God fel vppon them and there were destroyed by two Beares two and fortie of them An other care which a father ought to haue of his children is to leade them vp in the studie of vertue and of godly life Blessed are the pure in heart for they shal see God They which kéepe not this way are the children of wrath Herein standeth the whole profession of a Christian life For God hath not called vs to vncleanesse but vnto holinesse This is the wil of God and this is our promise made vnto him that wee serue him in holynesse and righteousnesse al the dayes of our life that we encrease in vertue and growe from grace to grace A good and louing father which sendeth his sonne to a daungerous iourney either by sea or lande first instructeth him with aduise and telleth him in what sort hée shal auoyde perils Take héede sayth he the way is perilous which thou must passe The sea is terrible The waues rise vp as high as heauen and by and by thou shalt sée a pit as lowe as hel The sandes may swallowe thée the rockes may destroy thée Thou shalt passe by huge mountaines and through wildernesse where théeues wil assault thée Thy heart wil quake
Thou shalt crie for succour and finde no man to helpe thée In these and these places hath manie a good mans childe béene cast away Oh take héede my sonne thou art the staffe and the comfort of mine age If aught come to thée otherwise than wel I shall soone after ende my daiâ—… in sorrow If a father be thus carefull that his child shoulde escape worldlie dangers hée must be more carefull of spirituall daungers in which whosoeuer is lost is lost for euer Therfore thus wil he saie to him Oh my sonne vnderstande what GOD hath doone for thy sake Take héede to thy selfe the worlde is al ouer â—…rewed with snares The dinel ranâ—… and séeketh whome he may deuour Giue â—…round to him but resist him and he wil 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thée Be strong in saith The name of the Lorde is a strong Tower of defence-Call vppon him in the daie of thy trouble and he wil deliuer thee Hée wil giue thée of his spirite Take héeâ—… my sonne and be not deceiued let 〈◊〉 wilfulnesse cast thée away If sinners entire thée be not a companion of them in wickednesse Fashion not thy selfe to the likeneâ—… of this worlde for the worlde passeth awaie and the lust thereof He that loueth this worlde the loue of God is not in him Be not like vnto them that perish Thou wast conceiued and borne in sinne thou arte by nature the childe of wrath But God made thée méete to be partaker of the inheritance of the Saints in light and hath deliuered thée from the power of darkenesse and hath translated thée into the kingdome of his deare son Receiue not this grace in vaine Cast aâ—…aie the workes of darkenesse and put on the armor of light Be renewed in thy heart and in thy spirite that it maie appeare I haue béene careful for thée Thus a good father séeketh to traine vp his sonne and to nurturs him Besides these fathers must also be carefull for their children to giue them correction and chastisenient God knoweth the mould of mans heart Hée séeth our inward partes He hath said it in the beginning The imagination of mans heart is euill from his youth Hée did sée that al the imaginations of the thoughts of his heart were onelie euill continually Beholde mans nature and consider it euen from our first birth Howe full of affections howe waiward in the young childe which lieth in the cradle His bodie is but smal but hée hath a greatheart and is altogether enrlined to euill And the more hée wareth in reason by yeares the more hée groweth prowde froward wilful vnrulie and disobedient If this sparckle be suffered to encrease it will rage ouer and burne downe the whole house Wée are not borne good but by education wée are changed and become good Therefore the wise man saieth Foolishnesse is bound in the heart of a childe but the â—…odde of correction shall driue it awaie from him And againe The rodde and correction guâ—…e wisedome but a childe set at libertie maâ—… his mother ashamed And in the same Chapter Correct thy sonne and hee wil giue thee rest and wil giue pleasures vnto thy soule Hée that spareth the rodde hateth the childe 〈◊〉 If thou bring vp thy sonne delicately hee shall make thee afraid and if thou plaie with him hee shall bring thee to heauinesse Bow downe his necke whiles hee is young and beate him on the â—…tes while hee is a child least he wax stubborne be disobedient vnto thee and bring sorrowe to â—…hine heart saieth Saloâ—… 〈◊〉 Who hath not heard the storie of Eâ—… and of his sonnes It is worthie to be reâ—…mbred for euer Hee had shrewd children they feared not GOD but brake his commaundements and offended the people Their father heard of their doings but tooke no care for it hée suffered them and let them alone so long that God grewe displeased thereat and called vnto Samuel and saide Beholde I will do a thing in Ifrael wherof whosoeuer shall heare his two eares shall tingle In that daie I will raise vp against Elie al things which I haue spoken concerning his house when I beginne I wil also make an end And I haue told him that I wil iudge his house for euer for the iniquitie which hee knoweth bicause his sonnes ranne into a slander and hee staied them not And it came to passe shortly after The Arke of God was taken by the Philistines and the two sonnes of Ely Hophni and Phinees died And Ely also when he heard the report thereof fell from his seate backeward and his necke was broken Such shame and confusion came vpon him This was the hand and iudgement of God in sparing his children he cast awaie his children and himselfe altogither But Iob dealt farre otherwise with his children his eie was vppon them and hée tooke care least they shoulde offende God He sanctified them and offered burnt offerings for them daily For Iob thought it maie be that my sonnes haue sinned and blasphemed God in their hearts Therefore hée praied for them My sonnes saieth he are yong and tender and lacke discretion The wages wherein they walke are slipperie they maie soone be decâ—…iued and runne into danger O Lorde be thou their guide be vnto them a tower of defence let thy holie spirit goe before them to direct them in al their waies So mindful was he of his children Infancie is the first part of our life and as it were the foundation thereof Where a vertuous and godlie childhood goeth before there a godlie and vertuous age followeth after Contrariwise when the fathers are not carefull to teach their children to knowe God and to know themselues when they doe not bréede them vppe in vertue nor reprooue them when they doe amisse they become corrupt in their vnderstanding and abhominable in their doings voide of al knowledge and grace and of reuerence or féeling of nature V. 13. For this cause also thanke we God without ceasing that when you receiued of vs the worde of the preaching of God yee receiued it not as the worde of men but as it is in deede the worde of God which also worketh in you that beleeue As the Ministers duetie is to teach the word of God and diuide it aright without deceit or guile so ought the people to receiue it with reuerence and to giue obedience vnto it But herein haue wée not power of our selues our readinesse commeth of God vn lesse it please God to worke within vs and to remooue the vaile and to mollifie our hearts whatsoeuer wée heare it mooueth vs not it helpeth not our vnbeliefe it bringeth vs not to the obedience of Christ. If an earthly Prince speake or send message vnto vs we giue al shewe of reuerence and heare him with al diligence This word is not of flesh and bloud it procéedeth not from Kings or Emperours or from parliament or from councels of men but from GOD the father and from
a pullie and binde great weights of leade at their héeles to rent them and teare their bodies asunder Some they haue tied vnto great péeces of timber and haue put fire at the soales of their féete They haue opened their mouthes and made them drawe in Lawne into their bodie A thing most cruel and yet which they haue practised the maner whereof hath béene thus reported They laie it so farre in the mouth that a mans breath easily draweth it into his bodie and so it is conueighed into the stomacke When it is wel setled then commeth the tormentour and taketh the Lawne by the other ende and rasheth it sodainelie with such a force as it séemeth he doth plucke out the verie heart and entrailes such a rare strange kinde of crueltie as is not practised vpon most notorious rebels and traitors As for death 40 or 50 at one time haue béene heaped together and burnt in one fire They haue set vpon the seruauntes of God and compassed the Church where they haue assembled togither to pray vnto God and murthered them in their innocencie whiles they lifted vp pure handes vnto God The French king by the counfaile of such as hate the Gospel of Christ sent his cruel souldiers and murthered his subiects at Valois He ouerthrew their houses burnt their Towne destroyed man woman and childe spoyled their corne and turned their trées vpside downe He wasted defaced vnpeopled it not for that they were théeues or rehels but because they beléeued in the name of Christ. Consider how many are murthered in Flaunders and in the kingdome of Fraunce They are not so farre from vs as Iudea from Thessalonica They ioyne next vnto vs. God is blessed in his saints and holy in al his workes no crueltie is able to quench his truth There is no counsel which shal preuaile against the Lord. He giueth increase and placeth children in fréede of their fathers The more are slaine by the enemies the more spring up by the working of his spirite The more are hewne downe the more multiplie We may not be strangers in this case It beboueth vs to consider the afflictions of our brethren They belong vnto vs We must pray to God for them that he wil put an ende to their misenies otherwise wee haue not the spirite of God we beare no loue nor care for his bause Of your countrey men This was the greatest and beauiest part of their troubles For what a heartes griefe is it to the father if his sonne rise vp against him or to the sonne to sée his father readie to betray him and to seeke his bloud Where this is done he will say O father I am thy sonne alas what haue I done to haue thy displeasure death is bitter but thy displeasure is more bitter than death It were a cruel thing that any man should kil an other what is it then if thou shouldest kil thine own child yet if thou be so bent take my life and spare my conscience spare my soule that I may deliuer it vp into his handes that hath giuen it me I would be obedient vnto thée thou art my father but I may not disobey God He is the father of fathers He hath saide He that loueth father or mother more than me he is not worthy of me It is a miserable case when persecution groweth so hot y â— the child is driuen to forsake his father or the father his child yet so doth the world blind many Satan so possesseth their harts y â— he turneth their loue into hatred and shutteth their senses and thoaketh and dammeth vp the springes of nature They become so blind and so unsensible that they neither féele their owne fleshe nor know their owne bloud They thinke in so doing they doe God good seruice They are enemies to the truth They are y e enemies of the crosse of Christ their end is destruction And forbid vs to preach vnto the gentiles that they might bee saued This is the ende whereunto the Gospel is giuen that the people should be saued S. Paule sayth God wil that al men shal bee saued and come to the knowledge of the truth Therefore our Saniour appointed his Apostles to this office of preaching his word saying Go and preach the gospel vnto al nations Goe vnto the lost sheepe of Israel He sayth It is not the wil of my father that one of these little ones should perish Whosoeuer beleeueth and shal bee baptised shal be saued S. Iames exhorteth the faithful Receiue with meekenesse the worde that is graffed in you which is able to saue your soules By it we heare the swéete voyce of our Sauiour Come vnto mee all ye that trauaile and be heauily loaden and I wil refrosh you By it we heare the merciful calling of God Turne vnto mee and ye shal be saued By it we are warned to depart from the companie of such as are enemies to the truth and to haue no fellowshippe with the vnfruitful workes of darkenesse Saue your selues sayth S. Peter from this frowarde generation By it we are taught to beléeue that Jesus Christ is the sonne of GOD that â—…is name is Jesus because he shal saue his people from their sinnes and that there is not salnation in any other besides him For faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the word of God This is therefore the dutie of the preacher to preach vnto the people that so they may be saued that they may knowe the wayes of GOD that they may repent them of their sinnes and be renewed vnto godlinesse Who would thinke there were any that would hinder the course of the Gospelâ—… or forbid to preach it unto the people The Apoâ—…e here layeth that fault to the Jewes That they forbid him to preach to the Gentiles The same fault Christ founde in the Scribes and Pharises Woe be to you interpreters of the lawe for ye haue taken away the keye of knowledge ye entred not in your selues and them that came in ye forbad Sâ—… there haue béene alwaies and such there are now O say they why should y â— people know these thinges what should they meddle with the scriptures let them do their businesse and apply their occupations It is not reason not fit that euery one should be learned When they thinke they know somewhat they become proud and denise heresies and maintaine them as if God had not left them to enstruct the people or as if the holy scriptures and not the malice at Sâ—…tan were the cause of heresies But God hath said Gather the people together men 〈◊〉 women and children and thy stranger that is within thy gates that they may heare and that they may learne and feare the Lord your God and keepe and obserue all the words of this law The Prophet Dauid thought it méete y e people shold know the scriptures therefore said Blessed is that man whose delight is in the law of
the Lord and in that lawe doeth exercise himselfe day and night And againe Wherewith shal a yong man redresse his waies In keeping thy words When Christ himselfe came first into the world to plant his Church he vourhsafed the poore and simple the knowledge of his trueth and the wed it first vnto them The first that had tidings of his birth were not Scribes and Pharises out a company of poore shéepheards The first that receiued his gospel taught it in the world were not doctors or learned men barâ—…rs tol-gatherers of base condition The first that met him with triumph at Ierusalem and sang Ozanna were not Bishoppes and priests but babes and infants They that followed him most and beléeued were not the greatest men of power and policy but such as the Pharises termed a cursed people which knew not the law The first that told the Apoâ—…les the resurrection of Christ were not the sagest and wisest men but two or thrée séelie women The first that were â—…nuerted to the faith after his resurrection were not any of the great learned or other wise estéemed known among the people but about 3000. poore séely simple men so base so out of knowledge that not one of their names could euer be knowne Why should any man resist the wisedom of God and denie the people the breade whereon they should féed the light by which they maie safelie walke the hearing and reading of the word by which they may be turned to GOD from idols to serue the liuing and true God they haue cruel hearts and are enimies to the glorie of God and to the saluation of his people which in such sorte denie them the knowledge of the Scriptures To fulfil their sinnes alwaies They haue resused the word of reconciliation they are not contented that they haue stoned the prophets killed them that were sent to the but they yet resist the holie Gospel deuise meanes to kéepe al others from the comforte thereof This is a token of Gods heauie displeasure vpon them that they repent not of their former â—…uils but grow worse and worse When the Scribes Pharises séemed to â—…ike the crueltie of their fathers said if they had béen in their daies they would not haue béen partners with them in the vloud of the prophets our sauiour maketh their hipocrisie knowne that herein they should be like to their fathers for they shoulde kil and crucifie the prophets and wise meÌ„ and scourge them in their sinagogues persecute them from citie to city said to them Fulfil ye also the measure of your fathers The cause of this indgement of God in giuing ouer the wicâ—…ed to increase the heape of their sins the Apostle setteth down to y e Romanes As they regarded not to know God so God deliuered theÌ„ vp vnto a reprobat mind to do those things which are not conuenieÌ„t For so he somtimes punisheth our sins suffereth the wicked to heape sin vpon sin y e so their daÌ„nation may be y e greater For the wrath of God is come on them to the vtmost Though GOD he patient and long suffring because he would haue all men come to repentance yet in whom his mercie taketh no place to worke their amendment vpon them he poureth out his wrath and indignation to the utmost He meaneth not that al the whole nation of the Jewes were so caâ—… out of the fauour of GOD that neuer anie of them shall be saued for in an other place he faith Hath God cast away his people God forbid For I my selfe am an Israelite of the seede of Abraham of the tribe of Beniamin God hath not cast away his people which he knew before But miserable shall be their end and a terrible damnation shall they haue whosoeuer withstand the truth of God and to the rest of their wickednesse ioine such a hatred and dispitefull contempt of the poore and simple sort of the people that they kéepe them from the wholesome wordes of doctrine and forbid such as are willing to preach vnto them This is their condemnation that light came into the world and they loued darkenesse better than light They persecute vs saith Saint Paule and forbid vs to preach vnto the Gentiles that they might be saued to fulfil their sinnes alwaies for the wrath or God is come on them to the vtmost V. 17 Forasmuch brethren as wee were kept from you for a season concerning sight but not in heart we enforced the more to see your face with great desire 18 Therefore wee would haue come vnto you I Paul at least once or twice but Sathan hindred vs. He tolde them before how dearely and tenderly he loued them exhorting comforting and be séeching euerie of them as a father his children He taketh care least by anie meanes they should doubt of his great good wil to ward them And therefore doeth both witnesse the same and shew them through what cause hée hath staied from them Such a zeale and care had he ouer the people O in what case then are they that are carlesse and make no regard of the people of God which hunt after manie liuings and bend not themselues to do good which serue their owne bellie and séeke to be rich and eate vp the people of God as if they were breade They cannot say they haue a desire to sée the face of their flocke and that their heart is with them Howsoeuer they finde time for other matters they can neuer take time to know their shéepe and to doe the worke of their ministerie among them They care not for them they thinke not of them They plant not they water not they watch not they giue no warning of the daungers at hand they teach them not to denie ungodlinesse and worldlie lusts and to liue soberly and righteously and godlie in this present world It were happy if al such were remoued out of the Church of GOD. They destroie the soules of manie and leade them to destruction by their negligence What accompt shall they giue vnto GOD for the soules of their â—…rethren where shall they stand or what will they saie when he shall bidde them make a straite accompt of their stewardship this is the practise of Sathan He vseth al meanes to snare vs and withdraw vs from that blessed hope Sometimes he letteth the encrease of the Gospell by raising vp tumultes and disquieting the Church of God and stirring the hearts of such as are in auâ—…tie to perfecute by al meanes the teachers of the Gospell of Christ. Againe when God giueth peace and quietnesse to his Church he leadeth the ouerséers of the people to a forgetfulnesse of their duetie to séeke the pleasures and delights of this life and to haue no regard of the worke of the Lord. Such occasions the Diuel seeketh to hinder our saluation and to withstand the truth and glorie of God V. 19 For what is our hope or ioy
to doe as others doe It is a small matter to looke vp and holde vp thy hands at the sacring If it be an offence thou shalt be excused because thou arte forced to doe it by authoritie GOD is mercifull he will forgiue thée Thus and thus doth Sathan â—…empt vs and sifteth vs to leade vs from our stedfastnesse These deuises he practised of latedaies before our eies with manie constant professours of Christian religion but through the mightie power of GOD they quenched all his fierie dartes and through manie tribulations entred into glorie Thankes be to God which doth make vs able through his grace not onelie to beléeue in him but also to suffer for his sake He is faithfull and will not suffer vs to be tempted aboue that we are able but will euen giue the issue with the temptation that we maie be able to beare it He hath bidden vs call vppon him in the daie of trouble and he will deliuer vs. Commit thy waie vnto the Lorde and trust in him saith the Prophet and hee shal bring it to passe I haue set the Lord alwaies before mee for he is at my right hand therefore I shall not slide And againe The Lord is with mee Therefore I wil not feare what man can doe vnto mee It is better to trust in the Lord than to haue confidence in princes When our sauiour foretold his Disciples of the troubles to come he also maketh comforte to them of the strength and the helpe which they shall receiue of GOD saying When they deliuer you vp take no thought how or what yee shall speake for it shall bee giuen you in that houre what yee shall saie he telleth them by whom they shall be persecuted Yee shall be betrayed also of your parents and of your brethren and kinsemen and friends And in what sorte They shall laie handes on you and persecute you and deliuer you to the Synagogues and into prisons and bring you before Kings and Rulers And for what cause For my names sake Then what the godlie in this case must doe Feare them not Hee that endureth to the ende shall be saued Last of all hée promiseth to be with them and to strengthen them This shal turne to you for a Testimoniall Laie it vp therefore in your heartes that you premeditate not what yee shall aunswere For I wil giue you a mouth and wisedome whereagainst al your aduersaries shal not be able to speake nor resist Thus were the things spoken of long béefore which we haue séene lately done Whosoeuer will sette downe the storie thereof nowe they are passed muste néedes declare it in the manner as it was forespoken Their owne kinsfolkes and friendes betrayed many and brought them to the Bishoppes who deliuered them into prisons for the name of Christ and for the loue of his truth The blessed witnesses or martyres of God feared not but endured Manie were simple yong men yong maidens men and women of great age labouring men and men of occupations Yet God gaue them such a mouth and such wisedome as al their aduersaries were not able to speake against it nor resist it Who readeth that Scripture diligently and considereth this storie of our time aduisedly can not but confesse that the light of Gods Gospell is come among vs and that we are they vpon whom the latter ende of the world is come and in whome he doth shew foorth the great might of his power Therefore such temptations as Sathan vseth can not make the name of GOD fal from his ancker holde His hope is safely laid vp in his breast Hée knoweth in whome hée putteth his trust and therefore saieth I presume not of knowledge I estéeme not to know anie thing saue Christ Iesus and him crucified I beléeue not in my fathers I reuerence them and loue them but I beléeue onelie in GOD. I feare not the sworde I feare not what man can doe vnto me but I feare him that can kill my bodie and soule It is better for me to abide the fire and lose my life that I may liue for euer than to denie GOD for safegarde of my life and be caste into hell fire If there be so manie partakers of their errours and so fewe that cleaue to the trueth the multitude of them shall not saue mée and it is no triall of Gods trueth whether it be receiued of many or of fews Cardinalles and Bishoppes and doâ—…ours may be wise and learned So were Annas and Caiaphas the high priests and Scribes and Pharises which did put to death the Lord of glorie I dare not doe ill bicause other men do it I may not tempt God My conscience is truely assured by Gods worde what is idolatrie and the dishonour of God If I should come into the Church and make such shew as you aduise me and be partaker with Idolaters I should doe hurt to others in mine ill example I should do against mine owne conscience which would be a heauie witnesse against mée both whiles I liue in this world and in the dreadfull daie of iudgement V. 11. Now God himselfe euen our father and our Lord Iesus Christ guide our iourney vnto you 12. And the Lord increase you and make you abound in loue one toward an other and toward al men euen as wee doe toward you 13 To make your heartes stable and vnblamable in holinesse before God euen our father at the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ with his Saints I haue planted you you are my children whom I haue begotten in Christ. I loue you and haue care ouer you I haue an ercéeding desire to sée your face But Sathan hath withstoode my purpose and found meanes to kéepe me from you I commit my voyage to God if it please him that I may come vnto you to reioice with you and comfort you He knoweth what is good for me and what is profitable for you The cause is his owne Hée will doe all things to his glorie Hée will treade Sathan vnder our féete We can not purpose and dispose of our selues I know that the way of man is not in him selfe neyther is it in man to walke and to direct his steps The Lord increase you in al godlinesse that you may abound more and more euen as you haue heard of vs how you ought to walk You are but a little flocke God increase your number and make all them partakers of his kingdome with you which heare of your faith and conuersation in Christ. To make your hearts stable and vnblameable That nothing moue you or trouble youâ—… that your hearts and consciences be quiet that you may stand vpright and shewe your lelues in great confidence before his iudgement seate that when you shal sée Gods haud stretched out his plagues prepared against the wicked you be not afraid This is the hauen of rest whereto no man commeth but he that hath a quiet conscience this is the tabernacle
Saul setteth vppon his enemies God assisteth him and giueth him the victorie When he tooke Agag prisoner and sawe him to be a goodly tall gentleman he had pitie on him and saued him aliue And the best and fairest of the sheepe and oxen and other rattel he did not destroy although hee knewe wel that GOD had commaunded him to kil man and beast euerie one without exception Then came Samuel vnto him and sayde oh why hast thou not doone as thou wert commaunded Here let vs marke the wicked answere of Saul in defence of his wilfull disobedience It had béene great pitie to haue hauâ—… slaine Agag so comely and tall a gentleman I haue taken him and keepe him prisoner And if I shoulde haue destroyed this goodlie cattle they had come to nothing It was better to saue them for the vitailing of my souldiours and the fairest of them may be offered in sacrifice So brake he the commandement of God vnder pretence of doing hâ—…nor to God But Samuel saide hath the Lorde as great pleasure in burnt offeringes and sacrifices as when the voice of the Lorde is obeyed behold to obey is better than sacrifice And to disobey his holie will is to renounce and forsake him So may we say to the Vsurer Thou hast deuised cases and colours to hide thy shame but what regarde hath God to thy cases what careth he for thy reasons the Lorde woulde haue more pleasure if when thou hearest his voice thou wouldest obey him For what is thy deuise against the counsel and ordinaunce of God What bolde presumption is it for a mortal man to control the commaundements of the immortal GOD and to weigh his heauenly wisedome in the balaunce of humaine foolishnesse When GOD sayeth thou shalt not take vsurie what creature of GOD art thou whiche canst take Vsurie When GOD maketh it unlaweful what art thou oh man that sayest It is laweful This is a token of a desperate minde It is founde true in thée that Paule saide the loue of money is the roote of al il Thou art so giuen ouer vnto the wicked Mammon that thou carest not to doe the will of God Wilfulnesse and presumption are tokens that such men are impudent and past shame Hee that offendeth of simplicitie maie finde mercie But they whiche of pride and boldenesse goe against the knowen trueth and doe that thing which they knowe to bee ill and deuise shiftes to colour that which all reason and learning of God and men and nature it selfe haue condemned they are fallen into temptation and snares and into foolish lustes which drowne them in destruction GOD is the Lorde We are but seruauntes hée hath made vs and not we our selues wee are but as claie in his handes wee can not repeale the lawe that God hath established wée must obey it We may not do the thinges that séeme good in our owne eyes they may deceiue vs but we must doe whatsoeuer GOD biddeth vs to doe and forsake to doe those thinges which hée forbiddeth Thus much for an entrie to those which can bring so good reasons for so il a matter Manie defende their Vsurie by that libertie which they thinke they haue to vse their goods in such sorte as séemeth best to themselues and is most to their aduauntage May I not say they doe with mine owne goods what I wil this would they not say if they were of him which hath sayde by his holie Apostle Let euerie man as he hath receiued the gift so minister the same one to an other as good disposers of the manifolde grace of GOD. It is the lawe of nature that no man abuse the thinges that are his to the hurt and hinderaunce of an other May a man take his owne dagger and therewith committe murther or may a man take of his owne fire and therewith burne his neighbours house Hée that sayde Thou shalt not kil hath also sayde Thou shalt not steale thou shalt not commit Vsurie thou shalt not defrande thy brother in bargayning Hée is not vnrighteous that he wil iudge the murtherer and will not condemne the Vsurer In that day the Vsurer shall knowe whose money it was wherewith he defrauded his brother His money shal not helpe him he shall haue no shift to conueigh himselfe from the wrath of God he and his money shal perish togither But the Nsurer will saie The poore man came to me I was not in haste to séeke him Hée â—…ued his case to mée I tooke pitie of him and lent him money Since then hée and al his haue béene the better Here you shal see the great kindnesse and pitifull heart of this rich Usurer He draweth his purse giueth out his goods and helpeth the poore and the poore is much eased by him But alas what help is this euen such as he findeth that in the middest of his â—…it of an ague drinketh a greate draught of cold water No doubt he is refreshed and cooled and for that present time much the better But after a while when his heaues renewe the heate encreaseth his heart panteth his pulse beateth his mouth is drie his tongue burneth he is more terribly tormented than euer before So fareth it with him that borroweth money vpon vsurie He looketh in his hand and séeth somewhat It is not his owne â—…t is he refreshed therewith and much eased The yeare passeth the daie of paiment draweth on the creditour calleth for money then then the heates and fittes and agonies beginne to growe Thou must potte and panne trudge to redéeme this bodie Then he â—…leth cruel torments than euer before Thus doeth the gentle vsurer helpe to reléeue the poore in time of his necessitie as if a man woulde cure a sore finger by cutting off the arme or as if he woulde cure the blemishe of the eie sight by the pulling out the eies or as if he woulde quench thirst by giuing poison to drincke or as if to saue one from drowning in a boisterous tempest he woulde caste him ouer the boate into the sea The Scorpion embraceth a man swéetely with his legges but in the meane while striketh him deadly with his taile His face looketh amiably his taile poisoneth So an Usurer looketh faire and giueth good wordes but at the end he vndoeth Who is stâ—…ng by an Adder he perceiueth no hurt but féeleth a gentle beating of his veines with some delight whereat he reioiceth After this he falleth into a slumber then the poison worketh ouercommeth him and killeth him Euen so he that borroweth vpon Vsurie findeth himselfe wonderfully amended and reioiceth but he is stâ—…ng and hath a deadly stroke The poison will grow ouer him he shal die in a slumber and be vndone before he is aware So necessarie is an Usurer for to reléeue the poore and néedie as rust is to helpe iron and as the mâ—…the is to helpe a garment it eateth him through from one side to an other Therefore saieth Ambrose Talia sunt vestra divites
come into this house for as much as he also is become the sonne of Abraham God may make his word worke so in the hearts of Usurers that they may also receiue Iesus and forsake Vsurie and restore fâ—…ure solde if they haue deceiued anie and so may also receiue saluatioÌ„ Let vs increase in that Vsurie which is to the glorie of God He hath giueÌ„ vs knowledge and manie excellent graces Let vs put them foorth let vs occupie that talent which he hath left vs. He will returne the daie of his comming is at hand He will require his talents we must answere them Let vs restore them with increase that our seruice may be allowed and we receiued into his tabernacle V. 7. For God hath not called vs vnto vncleannesse but vnto holinesse 8. He therefore that despiseth these things despiseth not man but God who hath euen giuen you his holie spirit Let euerie man possesse his vessell in holinesse and honour for this is the will of God hereto are ye called I am the Lord your God saith he be sanctified therfore and be holie for I am holie So our sauiour to his Disciples Be ye merciful as your father also is mercifull Unmercifulnesse crueltie vncleannesse fornication Vsurie and such like are not of GOD. They auns were not their calling that committe anie manner of sinne If anie man therefore purge him selfe from these hee shall be a Vessell vnto honour sanctified and meete for the Lord. It behoueth euery man when he is in secret and alone to bethinke himselfe whereto God hath called him The Magistrate thus I am called to doe iustice to be mercifull to the widow to haue pitie vpon the fatherles I am the Minister of God for the wealth of them that do wel and to take vengeance on him that doeth euill The minister and preacher thus I haue charge giuen me to leade the people of God to the way of righteousnes I am called to do the worke of an Euangelist to preach the word in season and out of season to shewe the people their offences and to reprooue them with all earnestnesse to teach them that they denie all vngodlinesse and turne wholie vnto God for necessitie is laide vpon me and wo is mee if I preach not the gospell The subiect must thus thinke with himselfe I owe obedience to my soueraigne I must be subiect not because of wrath onelie but also for conscience sake If I resist I resist the ordinance of God and shall receiue to my selfe damnation It behooueth all men when they féele them selues led to anie euil purpose to bethink them selues Alas what meane I Why should I do it This is not the will of God God hath not called me to vncleannesse but vnto holinesse God is my God I am his creature I must serue him with my heart The eies of the Lord are ouer the righteous and his eares open to their praiers but the face of the Lord is vpon them that do euill He therefore that despiseth these things despiseth not man but God Alas what are wée We are but unprofitable seruants we are the voice of a crier in the wildernesse by vs it hath pleased God to make his name known throgh al the world we are your brethren and your â—…ruaÌ„ts for Christs sake we are your helpers by whome you are called to the faith Wée preach not our selues but Iesus Christ. Wée speake vnto you in the name of God If you despise vs in doing this seruice toward you you despise not vs but you despise God who hath sent vs and God can in due time auenge your vnthankefulnesse Who hath giuen you his holie spirite You haue receiued the spirit of wisdome and vnderstanding You know these things are true you cannot denie them If you shal now offend you shal offend against Gods spirite which is giuen vnto you V. 9. But as touching brotherly loue you neede not that I write vnto you for yee are taught of God to loue one an other Loue is the bond of vnitie of perfection of knowledge of wisedome and of al godlinesse Paul the more to set foorth the swéetnesse and comfort thereof calleth it brotherly loue Brethren are bound to loue one another God and nature and bringing vp doe bind them Many brethren haue endangered themselues to saue their brethren It were a monster in nature that one brother should kill an other You are all brethren and haue one father euen God How then can you hate and trouble your brethren Hereto Christ calleth vs A newe commaundement giue I you that ye loue one an other as I haue loued you that yee also loue one another By this shal al men know that yee are my disciples if ye haue loue one to an other Hereof the Prophet Dauid saith Behold how good and how comely a thing it is brethren to dwell euen together There is peace there is comfort there is heauen there is God himselfe among them This is the dutie of the children of God taloue together as the parts members of one bodie as brethren and as the sons of one father Here let vs consider one great disorâ—… among vs that are Christians If an action or matter at law growe betwéene man and man then foorthwith is the bond of brotherly loue broken They are no longer friendes If he stand against him in sute of law he will haue no more to doe with him will not pray with him nor drink in his companie nor talke together with him Whensoeuer he â—…eeth him his heart riseth at him as if he did sée his enimie This should not be so it is a disorder in Christian behauiour Next after the Gospell the law is the greatest comfort that god hath giuen to the sons of men It remedieth iniuries and giueth to euerie man that is his He that goeth to a Iudge goeth to him that is the minister of â—…ice and that sitteth in the râ—…me of god to do right For the seate of iustice is the seate of God If there were no law to be ministred but euerie man might do what he would reckon al his own whatsoeuer he could get or come by what a lift would it be How should any man be maister of that he hath Who can imagin what inâ—…ries cruelties â—…thers streams of blood would folow thanks be vnto god who in mercie hath giueÌ„ vs a law iustice to guide vs by Let vs be content to séeke helpe at this 〈◊〉 without wrath or malice let vs come to it as we would come to our father Let vs aske counsell at it as we would at the mouth of GOD. As euerie man thinketh it lawfull to vse his owne or to require his owne so lette euerie man be content to leaue that he hoâ—…eth when law saith it is none of his The law is no breach of charitie it is the bonde and knot to kéepe men in loue A son may attempt law with his father yet
concerning them which are asleepe that yee sorrowe not euen as other which haue no hope 14 For if wee beleeue that Iesus is dead and is risen euen so them that sleepe with Iesus wil God bring with him Herein standeth the comfort of Christian religion Were it not for the hope of the seconde life the godly in this worlde were in worse case than the dumbe and brute beastes When Christ appointed his Disciples to goe and preach hée sayde I sende you as sheepe in the middest of wolues They will scourge you you shall bée hated of al men As the Gospel encreased in any place these words were fulfilled The godly were put to death for the name of Christ. The father did sée his sonne staine before his face and the sonne his father cruelly tormented Hence grewe great mourning heauinesse Oh saide they he was a reuerende sage father oh he was a wise young man learned zealous and a great stay in the Church Why would God take him before his time there is not nowe any one left whom we may beholde or heare or followe We are left comfortlesse and without hope After this sort it is likely the Thessalonians mourned when they behelde the persecution of the Church of God among them Herein they grewe towardes mistrust and to be like the heathen which had no hope Saint Paule thought good to refourme this errour And because this abuse grewe of ignorance for that they knewe not the happie estate of such which die in the Lorde hée sayeth I would not haue you ignoraunt what is become of them and what GOD hath doone for them He hath tryed them as golde and hath made them woorthie for himselfe Therefore you ought rather to reioyce there is no cause at al of mourning When Christ sawe his disciples heauie and sad because of his departure hée sayde If yee loued mee yee woulde verily reioyce because I sayde I goe to the father for my father is greater than I. I shal sit at the right hande of my father in glorie then shal euerie knée bowe vnto mée and enerie tongue shal confesse my greatnesse Therefore if ye loued me you would reioyce in my behalfe It is ignoraunce that maketh you heauie because you knowe not whither I goe When Ioseph was solde into Egypt good father Iacob thought he was dead and therefore mourned day and night Nothing could comfort him Alas sayeth he that I haue liued to sée this day O Ioseph my sonne my sonne Ioseph oh that I might giue my life to redéeme thée Nowe shal my hoarie head goe downe to the graue in heauinesse But when he hearde that Ioseph liued and did sée him with his eyes when he did sée that he was a Prince next in place to the King and had al the Countrey at commaundement then hée knewe he had mourned without a cause Then his heart leapt within him his eyes gusht out with water he wept for ioy Ignoraunce as we sée made him heauie knowledge of the truth as it was reioyced his halt and made him glad There is great errour and darkenesse and ignoraunce in mans life Wee reioyce when wee haue cause to mourne and mourne manie times when wee haue cause to reioyce Therefore he sayeth I would not haue you ignorant Be not deceiued God hath giuen you eyes to sée the right ways God hath giuen you eares to heare counsel and a heart to knowe reason and to vnderstande and iudge God hath giuen you the Scriptures and by them the knowledge of his wil. He hath giuen you a face to looke vp to heauen and the spirit of life hath he poured into you that you should not by anie meanes be deceiued That ye sorrowe not as other that haue no hope He doth not forbidde natural affection Our parentes and our children are deare vn to vs. They are our fleshe and bloude and the chiefe and principal partes of our bodie Anie part of our bodie can not be cut off but wée shal féele it The father if he féele not the death of his sonne or the sonne if he féele not the death of his Father and haue not a déepe féeling of it he is vnnaturall Dauid mourned for Ionathan The whole lande mourned for Iosias Paul sayth God haue mercie vppon Epaphroditus he was sicke verie néere vnto death and not on him onely but on me also least I shoulde haue sorrowe vpon sorrowe If God had taken Epaphroditus out of life no doubt Paul would haue sorrowed What néede more examples Christ mourned for Lazarus and shed teares for him Then saide the Iewes behold he loued him Wée are not therefore forbidden to mourne ouer the dead but to mourne in such sorte as the heathen did we are forbidden They as they did neither beléeue in God nor in Christ so had they no hope of y e life to come When a father saw his sonne dead he thought he had beene dead for euer He became heauie changed his garment delighted in no companie forsooke his meate famished him selfe rent his bodie cursed his fortune cried out of his Gods Oh my deare sonne saith he how beautifull how learned and wise and vertuous wast thou why shouldst thou die so vntimely why haue I offered sacrifice and done seruice to my Gods they haue made me a good recompence I wil trust them no more I wil no more call vpon them Thus they fel into dispaire and spake blasphemies Therefore saith Paul you may mourne as did the holie men of GOD but in such sorte as the vnfaithfull sorrowe for their dead you maie not mourne You are the sonnes of the holie fathers fashion not your selues therefore like to the heathens do not as they did neither in feastes nor in marriages nor in your attire nor in your mourning nor in your pastimes But behaue your selues as becommeth the children of the most highest But why may not Christians mourne and continue in heauinesse because it is no newe thing for a man to die because he goeth the waie of al flesh Againe they that departe this life are not dead they are not gone for euer as the heathen imagined They are laid down to take rest quietly for a time The deth of a godlie man is nothing else but a sléepe So saith our sauiour of Lazarus Our friend Lazarus sleepeth howbeit Iesus spake of his death So it is saide of Steuen And they stoned Steuen who called on God and saide Lord Iesus receiue my spirite And hee kneeled downe and cried with a loud voice Lord laie not this sinne to their charge and when he had thus spoken he slept Whosoeuer dieth in the peace of conscience he may saie I will lie downe and take my rest Thus doeth the man of God repose himselfe For Christ is vnto him both in life and in death aduantage He saith with the Apostle Whether we liue wee liue vnto the Lord or whether wee die we die vnto the Lord whether wee liue
of man commeth shal he finde faith on the earth S. Iohn prophecying of that day sayth The sunne was as blacke as sackecloath of hayre and the Moone was like bloud The beautie of the Church shal be defaced the light of the Gospel shal be put out Then shal few be left of those that shal behold the glory of God These shal giue witnesse vnto the truth And albeit they be but few yet are they ynough to condemne the vngodlinesse of the wicked We shal not go in rowtes for we shal be but few we shal then be in the bodie and liue in this world and looke vp and sée these things yet when the Lord shal come we shal not preuent them that sléepe Although we liue and they were dead yet shal they be as readie as we Why For the Lord himselfe shal descend with a shout c. Here is laide before vs the true maner of the terrible iudgement of God For our better vnderstanding let vs compare heauen with earth and the iudgement of God with the iudgement of men The Judges sitte on high accōpanied with noble men and Justices attended on with Constables and baylifes and the state presence of the countrey the théefe is brought foorth piniond and bound in chaines and fetters The poore wretch standeth in great feare his conscience accuseth him and sayth thou didst steale thou art worthie to die The boyce of the Judge is as a blast of thunder the face of the Judge terrible to him as hel fire But the innocent that is wrongfully imprisoned and hath not offended he séeth himselfe cleare his conscience ercuseth him and therefore reioyceth at the comming of the Judges He thought it long before they came These saith he wil strike off my shackles and set me at libertie Their voice vnto him is as the voyce of life he beholdeth them and they are as the angels of God Such shal bee the shewe and sight of the sonne of GOD he shal come downe with maiestie from heauen the Trumpet of God shal sounde and be hearde from the one ende of the heauen to the other and whosoeuer shal heare it shal quake for feare Then shal he be the iudge ouer al flesh Then be shal shew him selfe to be King of Kings and Lorde of Lords Then shal he not come in humilitie méeke nesse and mercy but with dread and terrour of iudgement and iustice Not with twelue poore Apostles but with twelue thousande Angels to attende vpon him Not in the preaching of the Gospel calling sinners to repentance but in the sounde of a Trumpet wherewith al the corners of the earth shal be amazed Then shal he not say come vnto mee al ye that trauaile and be loaden and I wil refresh you I am sent to the lost Shéepe of Israel He shal not say Father forgiue them for they knowe not what they do But you haue béene ashamed of me and of my worde before men therefore now wil I be ashamed of you before my heauenly father Then shal they that despired y e word of God know what they despised and the blasphemers shal reape the fruit of their blasphemie Then the carelesse Sheaphearde which hath not fed the Lords shéepe but neglected them and left them at al aduentures which hath betrayed his flocke and giuen them to bee a praie vnto the Woolfe shal receiue a iust rewarde for his treason Then the adulterer oppressour and Vsnrer shal haue their life layde open before them Then shal euerie eye sée him They shal see him whome they pearced through they shal sée his woundes which they did not regarde They shal sée his Sworde readie drawen to slaie all his enemies and shal fal downe for feare of him that sitteth vpon the throne and of the Lambe But the harts of the righteous shal reioyce They shal lift vp their heades and sée him in whome they haue trusted Then they shal say this is the day which the Lorde hath made let vs reioice and be glad in it Come let vs reioice vnto the Lord let vs come before his face with praise lette vs sing lowde vnto him with Psalmes Such shal be the state and countenaunce and honour and maiestie of our God when he shal come downe from heauen for our deliueraunce And the dead in Christ shal rise first The earth shal open yéelde foorth her dead bodies that so they may be ready with vs that remain to go before the presence of our iudge Which are dead in Christ. Who are they They whom he chose out of this world and which haue chosen God for their portion whome God hath sealed vnto the day of redemption Which haue saide Christ is to me both in life death aduantage And I liue not I now but Christ liueth in me And againe whether we liue or bie we are the Lords Which say I haue boūd my selfe to serue the Lord all the daies of my life They are dead in Christ which commend them selues wholie vnto him and say O Lord in thée haue I trusted let mée neuer be confounded I desire to be losed and to be with Christ. Into thy handes O Lord I commend my spirite thou hast redéemed mée O Lord of truth To be shorte whosoeuer liueth in the Lord he dieth in the Lord. He in whom Christ liueth which hath a tast and féeling of Christ in his heart he that reioiceth in Christ and looketh for that blessed hope and appearing of the glory of the mightie God and of our sauiour Jesus Christ he is a shéepe of his pasture he is a member of his bodie he is the apple of his eie he liueth and dieth in Christ. Blessed is he that so liueth and so dieth for he shall rise with Christ in the resurrestion of the righteous and shal haue his part in the land of the liuing V. 17. Then shal we which liue and remaine be caught vp with them also in the cloudes to meete the Lord in the aire and so shal wee euer be with the Lord. 18. Wherefore comfort your selues one another with these wordes We which shall sée al these things shal also be caught vp our selues But here you must note that Paul speaketh not this of his owne person and of them that liued in his time as if they should continue aliue vntil the ende or that the world should haue an ende before they should die but he sheweth what shal be the state of such whosoeuer shal then remaine aliue And againe marke that he saith not we which liue and remaine shall die soorthwith or our bodies shall be turned into dust and so our soules alone go to méete the Lorde but whether we be standing or sitting doing well or ill occupied Wee shall be caught vp For the Trumpet shall sodainely blow and then the dead shall rise and we shall be changed So saith Saint Paul Behold I shew you a secrete thing we shal not al sleepe but wee shal
al be changed In a moment in y e twinkling of an eie shal they that are dead arise and we shall be changed This our mortall bodie shall be changed and shal put on immortalitie this corruptible bodie shal be changed and put on incorruption Christ wil change our earthly bodies to the likenesse of his glorious heauenly bodie Then shall our flesh be pure and heauenly and spirituall and we shall be able to behold the glorie of God Then shall be brought to passe the saying that is written death is swalowed vp into victorie O death where is thy sting O graue where is thy victorie To meete the Lord in the aire c. This is a comfortable end of al troubles and persecutions which the godlie suffer in this life that they be receiued into the glorie of God and that both their bodie and soule doth liue with him and enioy his presence for euer Then shall they eate of the trée of life which is in the middest of the paradise of GOD. They shal hunger no more nor thirst any more neither shal the sunne light on them nor anie heate God shal wipe away al teares from their eies Then shal they féele those ioies which eie hath not séene nor eare hath heard nor hath entred into the heart of man Such an end shal they haue whosoeuer feare the Lord. Comfort your selues one another with these wordes You sée the turmoiles and troubles of the world what vexations and afflictions Sathan raiseth vp against al those that will liue godlie Open and notorious sinners are â—…borne Theft adulterie vsurie extortion wilfull murther rebellion treason are many times pardoned and vnpunished but true religion which is the turning from idols to serue the true and liuing God and faith in Jesus Christ that by him we shall be deliuered from the wrath to come findeth feâ—…e friends and seldome escapeth without strange and most cruel tormeÌ„ts What is this but to crucifie the Lord of glory and to set Barrabas a murtherer at libertie Dauid saith The Kings of the earth band themselues and the Princes are assembled together against the Lord and against his annointed They séeke to spoile the vine of the Lord and to destroy his little flocke They vse al meanes to put out the light of the Gospel But be you of good chéere coÌ„tinue you stedfast in the truth your redemption is euen at hand You shal be caught vp in the cloudes to méete the Lord and so shall abide with him for euer Let euerie neighbour comfort his neighbour and euery father his childe let vs al one comfort an other with these words CHAP. 5. BVt of times and seasons brethren you haue no neede that I write vnto you 2 For yee your selues know perfectly that the daie of the Lord shal come as a theefe in the night 3 For when they shal say peace and safetie then shal come vpon them sodaine destruction as the trauaile vpon a woman with child and they shal not escape WHen the Disciples came vnto Christ a part and saide Tel vs when these things shall be and what signe shal be of thy comming and of the ende of the world hee answered Take heede least anie man deceiue you It is not for you to know the times or the seasons which the father hath put in his owne power For of that daie and houre knoweth no man no not the Angels which are in heauen neither the sonne himselfe saue the Father vere not your spirite in vaine Séeke not for that you may not knowe you shall not be able to finde it Therefore saith Paul I néede not write of times and seasons in which these things shall be done Your selues haue béene taught the word of God you haue learned what his wil is you know the day of the Lord shal come vpon you as a théefe And how commeth a théefe not in the day time not when a man hath company about him not when he is watched but in the night in the darkenesse when al light is out when the good man of the house taketh his rest when the seruants are asléepe Euen so when the light of the truth is taken away when the hart of the goodman of the house is at rest and his eies are darkened that they cannot sée and al his senses drowned in worldlie pleasures when we care for nothing and think of nothing when we say peace and safety then wil the sonne of man come to iudgement then shal destruction sodainly fal vpon vs. Therfore let vs be readie for in the houre that we think not wil the sonne of man come Marke that Paul saith yée haue no néede that I write vnto you of times and seasons that our sauior saith it is not for you to know the times or the seasons What may we think then of them that write bookes almanackes and say such a yeare and at such a time Christ shal come and with these spéeches fray and mocke the world Paul was the Apostle of Christ an elect vessel of the holie ghost he said I haue no néed to write of it you cannot know it What néede is there nowe that such bookes and pamphlets should be written why should the world be troubled with such vanities Spare me your patience and giue me leaue a little to deale with these wisards Tell mee thou that doest measure and beholde the compasse of heauen and markest the coniunoions and oppositions and aspects of the starres and by that wisedome canst foretel the things that shalbe done hereafter where learnest thou this skil how commest thou by this déepe knowledge Paul was taken vp into the third héaueÌ„ heard words which cannot be spoken which are not lawful for man to vtter yet he knew not this secret nor might not know it What art thou then art thou greater than the Apostle of Christ hast thou béene taken vp into some place higher than the third heauen hast thou heard such words as are not lawfull to vtter if it be so why doest thou vtter them wilt thou take that vpon thée which the holie Apostle dareth not arte thou of Gods priuie counsel the angels and archangels know not hereof and shal we thinke that thou knowest it Art thou wiser than an Angel Consider thy selfe thou art a miserable man thy breath fadeth as the smoake Thou art nothing but dust and ashes thou canst not attaine to the knowledge hereof And what is that which thou boastest the knowledge of that terrible daie when all flesh shall appeare before the Judge Euen of that time which God hath put in his owne power O vaine man thou knowest not thine owne â—…aie thou knowest not when thy soule shall be taken from thée By what helpes and meanes camest thou vnto this knowledge by reading the writings of the Apostles by reading the Gospell of Christ or anie parte of the word of GOD No GOD wote thou hast no great skill in this learning Thou hast
the blessing of God offered vnto thée Where there is no prophecie the people perisheth He that despiseth it shall be despised of the Lord he shal be cast into darkenesse because he would not delight in the light V. 21 Trie al things and keepe that which is good Trie al things God hath giuen you the spirite of discretion and of iudgement Be wise and knowe what is that good and acceptable will of God He not deceiued with wordes of mans wisedome Let not the basenesse or simplicitie of anie cause you to refuse the message which he bringeth and carrie not your selues to liking of al that whatsoeuer shall be told you of such as beare great shew and countenance This was it that deceiued the people of GOD they gaue eare to false teachers which lead them to worshippe the workes of their owne hands Therefore they saide vnto the stone thou art our father thou hast deliuered vs they sell downe before it worshipped it beléeued in it they slewe the Prophets of God and stoned to death such as were sent vnto them The Scribes and Pharises séemed so grane and wise that the people thought nothing good but what they allowed They were altogether appliable to beléeue to do to speake and to thinke whatsoeuer the Pharises willed them Christ saith vnto them Beware of false Prophets which come to you in sheepes clothing but inwardly they are rauening wolues S. Iohn therefore saith Dearely beloued beleeue not euerie spirite but trie the spirites whether they are of God for manie false prophets are gone out into the world And further directeth vs howe we should trie them hereby shal ye know the spirit of God euerie spirit that confesseth that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God Againe hereby may you trie them Whosoeuer transgresseth and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ hath not God Hee that continueth in the doctrine of Christ he hath both the father and the sonne If there come anie vnto you and bring not this doctrine receiue him not to house neither bid him God speede Hereby S. Paul required the Galathians to trie betwéene him and the false Apostles If anie man preach vnto you otherwise than that yee haue receiued let him bee accursed For now do I preach mans doctrine or Gods the Saduces erred touching the resurrection because they searched not the scriptures God teacheth vs by the prophet Esay to make triall of teachers and doctrines When they shall saie vnto you enquire of them that haue a spirite of diuination and at the soothsaiers which whisper and murmur shoulde not a people enquire at their God from the liuing to the dead to the law and to the testimonie if they speake not according to this word it is bicause there is no light in them Paule putteth Timothie in mind wherefore he left him at Ephesus to commaund some that they teach none other doctrine And to warne both the teachers and the hearers that they giue no heede to fables and genealogies which are endlesse which breede questions rather than godlie edifying which is by faith Thus are the people of God called to trie the truth to iudge betwéene good and il betwéene light and darknesse God hath made them the promise of his spirit and hath left vnto them his word They of Berea when they heard the preaching of Paule searched the scriptures dailie whether those things were so as he taught them and manie of them beléeued So do you giue héed to instruction and yet receiue not al things without proofe and trial that they are not contrarie to the wholesome doctrine of the word of God Keepe that which is good When you haue tried and found out the truth be constant and setled in it A wauering minded man is vnstable in al his waies Follow the truth and be not carried about with euerie wind of doctrine The diuel wil come in the name of God and change himselfe into an Angel of light Let him not take the loue of the trueth from you let him not remooue you from faith and a good conscience returne not like swine vnto your mire God hath purged your hearts and made them cleane Except they be preserued and kept occupied the vncleane spirite wil returne and enter in and dwell in you so the last state of you shall be worse than the first We haue great cause to harken diligently to the Apostle to keepe that is good We see this daie great confusion in al places Sathan woulde faine entangle vs againe with the errour of the wicked and séeketh to drawe vs from our stedfastnesse Now is the time wherin God maketh some triall of his seruauntes now iniquitie séeketh to haue the vpper hand They seduce the people saie here is Christ there is Christ here is the Church there is the Church God giue vs his holie spirite to guide vs in iudgement that we maie discerne the truth from falshoode and knowe the blessed and gratious will of GOD that wee maie walke in his waies and serue him in reuerence and feare al the daies of our life In this worlde as there is a Iacob so is there an Esau as there are manie that loue Christ with an vnfained hart so are there manie that serue Antichrist and as there be many true professors of the trueth of God so are there manie despisers of the same This wée maie sée here at home within this realme We maie sée it and mourne and lament for it in our hearts Their practises are opened they haue broken out into open rebellion to the breach of the peace both of GOD and man They saie with their lippes GOD saue Quéene Elizabeth yet they holde vppe their sword against her Alas what hath she deserued at their handes she hath alwaies dealt mercifully without crueltie without shedding of bloud God preserue her that she maie long raigne ouer vs and bring al her enimies to confusion What pretence make they for this their doing that hereby they séeke to haue religion refourmed Thankes be to GOD religion is refourmed farre better than our fathers knewe it these many hundred yeares If those which liued before vs might haue séene and heard as we sée heare they would haue reioiced and thought themselues happie But they would haue the Masse What find they or sée they in it wherfore they should so desire it Trie things saith Paul Therefore examine and trie the masse What do we learne by it what doctrine what godlinesse in life what comforte for saluation It is a dumb and deadly seruice The people are forced to be at it it is the verie kay of their religion the people are bound to be present at masse yet they neither receiue anie thing nor eate nor heare nor vnderstand anie thing You are wise you haue reason you are the children of GOD be you iudges herein and iudge vprightly for it is Gods cause Will they call this the Lordes supper Is this
constant For you continued stedfast in the middest of persecution you haue béene tormented and iuffred afflictions in your bodie by the handes of tyrauntes yet could they neuer remoue you from your faith in our sauiour Iesus Christ nor from your obedience to the wil of God You knowe that al which wil liue godly in Christ Iesus shal suffer persecution Yet are you comforted and say as the prophet Dauid The Lord is with me therefore I wil not feare what man can doe vnto me You cannot forget who it is that saide Whosoeuer shal confesse me before men him wil I confesse also before my father which is in heauen But whosoeuer shal denie mee I wil also denie him before my father which is in heauen He that loseth his life for my sake shal finde it He that endureth vnto the ende he shal be saued And â—…gnien Blessed shal ye be wheÌ„ men reuite you and persecute you and saie al maner of euill against you for my sake falsely Reioice and be glad for great is your reward in heauen For so persecuted they the Prophets which were before you V. 5 Which is a manifest token of the righâ—…eous iudgement of God that ye may be counted worthie of the kingdome of God for the which ye also suffer 6 For it is a righteous thing with God to recompence tribulation to them that trouble you 7 And to you which are troubled rest with vs when the Lord Iesus shal shew himself from heauen with his mightie Angels 8 In flaming fire rendring vengeance vnto them that doe not knowe and which obey not the gospell of our Lord Iesus Christ. 9 Which shal be punished with euerlasting perdition from the presence of the Lord and from the glorie of his power 10 When he shall come to be glorified in his Saints and to be made maruelous in al them that beleeue because our testimonie towards you was beleeued in that daie Many are the troubles which the righteous men do suffer but the Lord wil deliuer them After-Paul and Barnabaâ—… had preached the glaâ—… tidings of the gospel they confirmed the diâ—…ples hearts and exhorted them to conâ—…inue in the faith and said that we must through manie afflictions enter into the kingdom of God We must not therefore be afraid for anie terror of them which trouble vs for righteousnes sake but rather looking ouer and beyond them we must reioice and giue thankes to God who hath made vs worthie not onelie to beléeue in him but also to suffer for his sake For wee know that if our earthlie house of this tabernacle be destroied we haue a building giuen of God an house not made with hands but eternall in the heauens These persecutions and tribulations which you suffer are a manifest token saith the Apostle of Gods loue towards you For whom the Lord loueth he chastneth and he scourgeth euerie son that he receiueth The Prophets and Apostles and Martires which were not onlie reuiled and scourged but beheaded cut in péeces drowned in the waters consumed in the the fire or by anie other deâ—…ises of tyrants cruelly put to death did by this waie receiue the manifest token of their happie and blessed estate and by this way did enter into the kingdome of God Athanasius an antient father teckâ—…neth the suffering of persecution to be a special note of a Christian mâ—… saying Cadâ—… ChristianoruÌ„ proprium est câ—…dere auâ—… christionos Pilati Caiphae officia sunt It is the part of Christians to be persecuted but to persecute the Christians it is the verie office of Pilate and Caâ—…aphas The Lord is not vniust but al his workes are righteousnesse truth Their little short tribulation in this life prepareth an eternall excéeding weight of glory vnto his seruants Though they sow in teares they shal reape in ioâ—…e They shal be taken vp into heauen and shal sée God face to face and shal be crowned with glorie and honour As for the vngodlie it is not so with them they may flourish for a time and haue great power and authoritie in this worlde but the lamb shal ouercome them and their â—…nd shalbe according to their works Dauid saith Vpon the vngodly he shall raine snares fire and brimstone storme and tempest this shal be their portion to drinke When the Lorde Iesus shall shewe him selfe from heauen There are many which are ashamed of Christ and of his word in the presence of such as are enimies to the Crosse of Christ and haue countenance and auctoritie in this worlde But a time shall come when Christ will shewe himselfe from heauen accompanied with his holie Angels Then will â—…e also be ashamed of them and put them from his presence then will he render bengeauncâ—… to them that haue hated his trueth they shall then know whose members they haue killed and whose word and gospel it was which they so despitefully reproched Then the sâ—…ake of their torments shall ascend euermore and they shall haue no rest daie nor night In this maner shal God triumph in victorie ouer the wicked by iudging them to euerlasting destruction and wil shew himselfe wonderful in giuing rest and ioie and glorie and euerlasting blessednesse to all those which loue his trueth and beléeue in him V. 11 Wherefore wee also praie alwaies for you that our God maie make you worthie of this calling and fulfil al the good pleasure of his goodnesse and the worke of faith with power 12 That the name of our Lord Iesus Christ may be glorified in you and you in him according to the grace of our God and of the Lord Iesus Christ. God blesse that good thing which he hath begun in you and kéepe you stedfast in the truth that you looke not backe nowe after you haue put your hand to the plough and that you giue no place to their dangerous and subtle persuasions who persecute you take héede to your selues and beware that you put not the word of God from you He hath shewed you his goodnesse and mercie in that he hath deliuered you â—…rom the power of darkenesse and hath tranâ—… you into the kingdome of his deare son I make my praier to God without ceasing for you alwaies that he wil make you worthie of this â—…eauenly calling and that he will euer more more fil you with the riches and abunâ—…nce of his goodnes and mercie that through him you may be made perfect in al good works CHAP. 2. NOwe I beseech you brethren by the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ and by our assembling vnto him 2 That yee be not sodainely mooued from your mind nor troubled neither by spirite nor by word nor by letter as it were from vs as though the daie of Christ were at hand YOu are the children of those fathers which haue fallen from their stedfastnesse and haue béene led into errour beware least you also be carried away with euery blast of
they exhort teach and reproue and correct and instruct the people in righteousnesse Antichrist sitteth not in the Church after this sort He teacheth not nor exhorteth the people He maketh that no part of his office How sitteth he then What shal he say what shal he doe The Apostle telleth vs He exalteth himselfe against al that is called God or that is worshipped He shal be honoured with the honour that is due vnto God He shal shine and glitter in gold and precious stones Hee shal be carried vppon the shoulders of men and waited vpon by kings and princes and great estates So shal he bée contrarie to Christ. Christ was humble and lowly The prophet in his owne person speaketh of him I am a worme and not a man a shame of men and the contempt of the people And the Apostle sayth He humbled himselfe and became obedient vnto the death euen the death of the crosse Beholde his parentes his birth his cradle beholde his life his disciples his doctrine and his death Al were witnesses vnto his humilitie He sayth of himselfe The sonne of man hath not whereon to rest his heade And to his Disciples he sayeth The kings of the Gentiles raigne ouer them and they that beare rule ouer them are called gracious Lordes but you shall not be so And againe Learne of me that I am meeke and lowly in heart and yee shall finde rest vnto your soules Nowe on the other parte take viewe of Antichrist Beholde his birth his place his thaire his estate his doctrine his disciples and al his life You shall sée nothing but pomp and glorie Gregorie calleth him the King of pride He is proude in life proude in doâ—…trine proud in worde and proud in déedes Hée is like vnto Lucifer and setteth himselfe before his brethren and ouer nations and kingdomes Hée maketh euerie knée to how downe to him and worship him hée maketh Kings to bring him water to carie his traine to holde his cup to beare his dish to leade his bridle and to holde his stirrup hée claimeth power ouer heauen and earth hée saieth hée is Lorde ouer all the worlde the Lorde of Lordes and the King of Kings that his authoritie reacheth vp into heauen and down into hell that hée can commaund the Angels of GOD that hée condemneth whom hée will condemne that he maketh Saints at his pleasure that whatsoeuer he blesseth is blessed and that it is cursed whatsoeuer he curseth Hée selleth merites the forgiuenesse of sinnes the sacrifice for the quicke and the dead Hée maketh marchandize of the soules of men Hée laieth his filthie handes vppon the Lordes annointed Hée remooueth kings and deposeth the states and Princes of the world This is Antichrist This is his power Thus shal he worke and make himselfe manifest So shall he sit in the temple of God The people shall woonder at him and shall haue him in reuerence They shall say who is like vnto the beast Who is so wise so mightie so godlie so vertuous so holie so like vnto God so intolerable and monstrous shal be his pride It were much for hym to sitte in the seate and to occupie the roome of an earthly King or Emperour But he shall take vppon him the authoritie and the name of GOD the name of the liuing Lorde the name of GOD which hath made heauen and earth euen the name of GOD the father of our Lord Iesus Christ. And in this pride hée shall excéede al others that haue béene wicked The Pharises and the Scribes were wicked yet none of them did sit in the temple of God shewing himselfe that hée was God Arius Nestorius Montanus Valentinus were wicked heretiques yet they neuer â—…ooke vppon them the name of God What shoulde I saie of this blasphemie or in whom may wée find the like Mahomet was a Turke and a false Prophet and a deceiuer of the people yet he tooks not vppon him the name of God This point and reach of vngodlinesse belongeth onelie to Antichrist He shall sit in the place of God in iudgements he shall shewe himselfe out of that place as if he were God Irenaeus saieth Quum sit servus tamen â—…dor ari vultâ—…ut deus Whereas hee is but a serâ—…ant hee will be worshipped as if hee were God But some will saie Antichrist shall be mortall as other men borne of a mortall father and mother hée shall knowe that he shal die and that he is but dust and shal returne againe into dust that hée can not make himselfe no that he can not make the least and â—…ilest of al creatures Howe then will he proclaime himselfe to be an immortall God How wil he cal himselfe God that made heauen and earth or God which had no beginning nor shall haue anie ende no this is not the meaning of these wordes Hée shall not so thinke of himselfe nor so saie I will tell you after what sorte hee shall sitte in the Temple of GOD and howe the worlde shall receiue him and reuerence him as GOD. Hée shall take to himselfe that supreme authoritie and prerogatiue which appertaineth onelie to GOD by nature Although hee be but a man yet in office he will be accounted as GOD. He shall compare his lawes with the lawes of GOD. He shall say his worde is the worde of GOD. Whatsoeuer he saieth he shall saie it is the voice of the spirite of God of the same authoritie that is gospell of Christ no man maie breake it no man may touch the credite thereof if aniâ—… man with stande it hée must thinke he doth sacrilege committeth blasphemie and sinneth against the holie Ghost Againe he shal breake the lawes of God to vphold his owne and shal pul downe GOD to set vp himselfe Such shall be the power and auctoritie of Antichrist so shall he possesse the consciences of the people so shall hée sitte as an Idoll in their hearts so shall he stande in the place of God and shew-himselfe that he is GOD. The people shall receiue his doctrine and beléeue his worde They shall sall downe before him and worship him They shall saie Who is like vnto the beast What creature is so beautifull as he They shall honour him as God But what is hée which hath suffered himselfe to be so called Who is hée which hath béene called by the name of GOD Of all the creatures which haue professed the faith of Christ of al the Kings or Bishops or Priests or laie people that euer were in the Church of GOD who euer required to be called by the holie name of GOD Or who euer liked well of them which so called him Who hath béene so wicked Who hath euer so much forgotten himselfe In what place hath he dwelt Or what hath hée béene Here mée thinketh I sée the secrete motions of your heart You looke that I shoulde name the Bishoppe of Rome that it is hée which hath suffered himselfe to be
is a doctrine of Diuelles not of Christ or of God but of diuels It is a gulfe it is a sea it is a world it is a hel of iniquitie and the vilest vilanie that euer crept into the Church of GOD. Hierome expounding the wordes of Daniel Hee shall haue no regarde to the desires of women saith Faciliâ—… interpretatio est de Antichristo quodideo simulâ—… castitatem vt plurimos decipiat The better exposition here of is to applie these words to Antichrist for that he shal pretend chastitie that he may deceiue manie This is the mysterie of iniquitie This is the practise of Antichrist Heshall come with a cloake of counterfaited chastitie not with true chastitie hath in bodie and also in spirite but with counterseit chastitie and so shall deceiue the hearts of manie Who would thinke there were any euil in single communisn Dâ—… why maie not euerie bodie folow his own deuotion and receiue the sacrament when he wil what harme is herein It may séeme to be done for the reuerence vnto the sacrament least it shoulde growe in contempt if it were vsed often These reasons are faire and fresh but this is a mysterie and a practise of Antichrist For by this meanes haue they shut out the faithfull people of God and made them negligent carlesse for the receiuing of the Lords supper they abused the Church of the liuing God they turned the remembrance of the death of Christ into a Maigame they made the people commit horrible and open idolatrie to worship the creature in stead of the Creator which is God blessed for euer Who would thinke there were anie euil in the keies of the Church They are the expounding of the law and the disclosing of the wil of God They are the chiefest comfort of our conscience But Antichrist shall take those keies vnto himselfe and shall build vppe his owne kingdome with them He shall shut that God hath opened and shal open that God hath shut This is also the mysterie of iniquitie Who would thinke there were any euil in godlie praiers of the Church Christ saieth Watch and praie for you knowe not in what houre your Maister wil come And againe Praie thou to thy father which is in secrete and thy father which seeth thee in secrete shall rewarde thee openly And againe Aske and ye shall receiue seeke and ye shall find knocke and it shall be opened vnto you Saint Paule saith Praie without ceasing The Prophet Dauid saith The Lord is nigh vnto al them that call vpon him to al that call vpon him faithfully For the Lord will heare the praiers of his Saints and deliuer them when they call vpon him These praiers shall Antichrist take to worke his iniquitie And vnder pretence of them shall deuour widowes houses and shal make a net of them to fish and drag for al the riches of the world This is also the mysterie of iniquitie Who would think there were so great euil in the doctrine of Purgatorie What if one thought that his father or friend died in some beniall sinne and were chastised somewhile in purgatorie â—…ire and that he might be reléeued by praiers For this iolie pretence and imagination haue they thereof What if one should so thinke what hurt were it Brethren this is the mysterie of al mysteries the secrete of al secrets In this standeth the countenance and al the welfare of Antichrist He hath impropried the whole kingdome of Purgatorie to himselfe and hath made it more gainefull than heauen and earth There he selleth praiers there he maketh port sale of buls and pardons there he selleth forgiuenesse of sinnes à culpa poena He selleth the mercies of GOD the bloud of the Martyres the workes of supererogation the merits of his fratries the bloud of Christ. There he selleth paradise deliuerance or assurance from hel and entrance into heauen he maketh marchandise of the soules of the people This is the alonelie mysterie aboue al other mysteries Who would thinke there were anie euill in the name of the Church It is the witnesse bearer vnto the gospel It is the pillar of truth It is the spouse of Christ. Yet saith Christ Antichrist shall come in my name He shall séems holie he shall talke of the gospel he shall carie the face of the church and deceiue many This is a mysterie Who would thinke it a matter of so great inconuenience for a man to call the Bishop of Rome the greatest Bishop or the chiefest Patriarke and the highest Iudge and to say that al appeales lie vnto him what hurt may this be It séemeth a small matter a matter of nothing But it is a practise it is a secret and a mysterie Hence flowed al the streames of vanitie and presumption wherein he aduaunceth himselfe Hence it is that he saith I am aboue Kings and Emperours I am aboue generall counsels I am aboue the whole Church of Christ. I am aboue the Angels of God I haue power to commaunde and to countermaunde them at my pleasure I am the succssour of Peter I am the vicar of Christ. No man may iudge me whatsoeuer I doe I can not erre General councels might erre the Apostles might erre the Angels of God might erre but I can not erre I haue the fulnesse of power The whole worlde is my dioresse Whosoeuer is saued is vnder me Who so euer is not vnder me is cursed of God I am the light of the worlde I can in a manner doe whatsoeuer God can doe Al these spéeches are writen are printed are published and proclaimed abroade This is a mysterie of iniquitie this is a déepe secrete These are the verie waies and steppes of Antichrist God giue vs eyes to see them and heartes that we may discerne them Paule did sée this mysterie working euen in that time hee liued Iohn sayeth Diotrephes loueth to haue the preeminence To lift vp himselfe aboue his brethren to be the head of the Church and to beare a maisterie So Paule espied contentions in Corinth Euerie one of you saith I am Paules and I am Apollos and I am Cephas and I am Christs These were the beginnings of Antichrist But Paule sayeth Wee preach not our selues but Christ Iesus the Lorde and our selues your seruantes for Iesus sake So the true Disciples of Christ recken not themselues any thing but the meÌ„bers one of an other but the ministers by whoÌ„ the people beléeue but witnesses chosen before of God but such as are commanded to preach but Gods labourers Nowe let vs consider these markes of Antichrist Was there euer any which hath forbidden laweful marriage and accounted it a state of life which is vncleane and not méete for his holinesse and deceiued the world with counterfaite chastitie the same is Antichrist For Hierome telleth vs Antichrist shal pretend chastitie that he may deceiue manie and Paule calleth forbidding of Marriage the doctrine of Diuels Was there euer any
mightie Kinges and Princes and powers and states of the worlde as S. Iohn hath sayde And Gregorie hath sayde An armie of Priestes is prepared to waite vpon the king of pride And here by may you knowe him What armour shal they haue and with what weapon shal they fight Antichrist shall furnish his men with speare and sworde and fire He shal reioyce in killing in burning and in shedding of bloâ—…d Christ shal send his men into the field naked and armed with pacience They shal take vppe their crosse and followe him readie to suffer whatsoeuer shal be layde vppon them Their weapons shal be prayers and wéeping What shal be the pretense of this fight Antichrist shal come in his owne name to maintaine and exalt himselfe Christ shal come in his fathers name to mainetaine the glorie of his father What shal they séeke wherefore fight they what is it they shal desire to mainetaine Antichrist shall desire to mainetaine his owne traditions Christ shal maintaine the holy worde of God Christ shal procure the glory of his father Antichrist shal maintaine his owne glory In what place shal this battaile be vpon what downes or plaine or in what countrey Neither in hill nor in anie plaine but in the hearts of the people There shall the warre be There shall it be fought If it were possible the elect should be confounded His assault shall be so terrible that manie shall be offended in Christ manie shall denie Christ manie shall be ashamed of him and the loue of manie shall waxe colde But blessed is he which continueth to the end We haue heard briefly of Christ and Antichrist their estates their seuerall cognisance what bands of meÌ„ they shall haue what armor they shal beare by what title they shall claime what they shal séeke where the fight shal be that it shalbe made in the consciences of y e people There shall Antichrist sit there shall he be worshipped as God there they shall call him the holie and most holie father there shalbe giuen to him the power of heauen and earth there he himselfe shall rouze himselfe and be setled and shal say I sit as a Prince I shal neuer be remooued I cannot fall But Christ shal blow him down with the breath of his mouth and shal abolish him with the brightnesse of his comming Christ shall haue the vpper haÌ„d and destroy him Euen that Christ whome they made the reproch scorne of the people whom they reuiled calling him drunkard and companion vnto Publicans harlots which was so poore simple which was oppressed and afflicted and yet opened not his mouth which was brought as a shéep to y e slaughter was killed S. Iohn had a reuelation and did sée Iesus Christ the sonne of God And Hee had in his right hand seauen starres and out of his mouth went a sharp two edged sword It was sharpe and mightie it entreth thorow euen to the diuiding asunder of the soule and the spirite and of the ioints and the marow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart So we sée the breath of the mouth of Christ is a sword This sword shal ouerthrow Antichrist RemeÌ„ber how Dagon sell on his face vpon the ground before the Arke of the Lord how hée could not stand how at that presence the head and the two palmes of his hands were cut off vpon the threshold with a fall So shall Antichrist fall at the presence of Christ. His armes and his head shal be broken off and he shal not stand Remember that Aaron cast forth his rod before Pharao and his seruaÌ„ts and it was turned into a serpent so did the charmers of Aegypt They cast down euerie man his rod and they were also turned into serpents But Aarons rod deuoured their rods consumed them to nothing Euen so shall the truth of Christ consume and bring to nothing the falshood of Antichrist Al his glorie shall be scattered as the chaffe which the wind driueth awaie as a thinne some is scattered away with a storme and as the smoke which is dispersed with the wind and as the darknes which can not abide in the sight of the sunne it shal be consumed it shal be defaced it shall not stand At the name of Iesus euerie knée shall how euery tongue shall confesse that Iesus Christ is mightie to the glorie of God the father that he is worthy to receiue glorie and honor and power But who may better disclose this mysterie and the fall of Antichrist than Iohn the Euangelist which leaned on Iesus bosome whome Iesus loued and which was indued with wisdome from aboue Let vs heare him I saw saith he an Angel slie in the midst of heauen hauing an euerlasting gospell to preach vnto them that dwell on the earth and to euery nation and kinred and tongue and people saying with a loud voice Feare God giue glorie to him for the houre of his iudgement is come worship him that made heauen earth and the sea the fountains of waters And there folowed another Angell saying It is fallen it is fallen Babilon y e great city for she made al nations to drinke of the wine of the wrath of her fornication And the third Angel folowing theÌ„ said with a loud voice If any man worship the beast and his image and receiue his marke in his forehead or on his hand the same shall drinke the wine of the wrath of God and shall be tormented in fire and brimstone before the holie Angels and before the holie Lamb they shall haue no rest daie nor night Againe the seauenth Angel poured out his viall into the aire and there came a loud voice out of the Temple of heauen from the throne saying It is done That is it is concluded iudgement is giuen it shall stande for euer And there were voices and thunderings and lightnings and there was a great earthquake and the great citie was rent into thrée partes and great Babylon came in remembrance before God to giue vnto her the cup of the wine of the fiercenesse of his wrath Then one of the Angels talked with me saying Come I wil shewe thée the damnation of the great whore that sitteth vppon manie waters with whom haue committed fornication the Kings of the earth the inhabitants of the earth are drunken with the wine of her fornication And in the same Chapter he saith These haue al one mind shal giue their power and authoritie to the beast that is to Antichrist Thus the kings al princes as squiers to his bodie shall fight against the lamb But the lamb shal ouercome them for he is lord of lords and king of kings I saw an other Angel comming down from heauen hauing great power so that the earth was lightned with his glorie and he cried out mightily with a loud voice saying It is fallen it is fallen Babylon
beléeue the word of God Faith knoweth no falshood it beholdeth the truth onely and not al truth but the truth of God It is not setled vpon vanities nor vpon errors Unlesse it be truth by the word of God whatsoeuer thou holdest in opinion is not to be called faith The Turke is setled in errors he perswadeth himselfe hee is rightly setled he calleth his opinions Faith and beléese Yet this is not faith because it is not the faith of truth it hath not the worde of GOD to assure it Therefore when men wil say beléeue our Masses beléeue our sacrifices beléeue our transubstantiations and our real presences beléeue vs what soeuer we say beléeue that we can not erre beléeue that you are in a good beléefe if you say you beléeue as the Church beléeueth though you knowe not how or what y e Church beléeueth They abuse and mocke the people of God There is no truth in this doctrine It neuer past out of the mouth of God God ordeined not Masses nor that the priest should offer sacrifice for the quicke and dead Therefore it is no matter of faith it is folly and vanity it is vngodlinesse it is errour it hath no substance He that receiueth such doctrine maketh much of a shadowe he can not hold it Faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the worde of God The worde of God is trueth The Gospel is the worde of God and the power of God to saue them that beléeue The beliefe of the Gospel is laide vp in our heartes by the spirite of God He bringeth vs to the knowledge of the trueth This spirite beareth witnesse vnto our spirite that we are the sonnes of God This spirite teacheth vs to withdrawe our mindes from worldly cares to cal our doings to a reckoning to thinke of the dreadful day of iudgement to repent for our former sinnes and to serue GOD in holinesse and righteousnesse This spirite sheweth vs the mercy of God helpeth vs to pray and prayeth for vs is our comforter helpeth our inâ—…irmities and maketh vs knowe the things that are giuen vs of GOD. This did Dauid sée when he praied Create a cleane heart in mee oh God and renue a right spirit within mee My heart is sinfull my heart is foule renue it with thy spirite thy spirite in right he shall make my heart cleane Againe take not thy holie spirit from me I am thy seruant and the sonne of thy handmaiden turne thy farâ—… awaie from my sinnes beâ—…lde me and receiue me in thy mercie Restore me to the light of thy countenance Open thou my lippes and my mouth shal shew foorth thy praise stablish me with thy frée spirit This strength we gather in God by his spirite This comforteth vs in al temptations and â—…areth witnesse with our spirit that we be the children of God that God hath chosen vs and doth loue vs and hath prepared vs to saluation that wée are the â—…eires of his glorie that God will kéepe vs as the apple of his eiè that de wil defend vs and we shall not perish V. 15. Therefore brethren stand fast and keepe al the instructions which yee haue beene taught either by word or by our epistle God hath set you in a race Let no man hinder you let no man kéepe you from the goale Stand past and kéepe that doctrine which you haue 〈◊〉 I was present with you I taught you by 〈◊〉 of mouth when I was away from you I taught you by letters I am carefull for you I beare you in my heart and loue you 〈◊〉 Christ Jesus Hée hath giuen me charge euer you hee will require you at my handes I haue clensed and garnished your hearts by the word of trueth take héede take héede the wicked spirit come not and bring seaâ—… spirites worse than himselfe and enter in and â—…el with you and the end of you be worse than the beginning Remember Lots wife shée went not foorth straight into the maie appointed her but looked backe behind hir and she became a pillar of salt and so continueth vntill this daie A terrible example to those which haue set their hand to the plough and looke backe againe and haue made themselues vnworthie the kingdome of heauen God will forsake such and make their hearts hard as a stone You are the â—…ome of the Lordes fielde God hath blessed you growe then and be fruitfull vntill the haruest that you may be gathered into the Lordes barne You are the light of God which God himselfe hath kindled let no pâ—…ffe of wind put you out You are the house of God God hath built you vppon a rocke let no violence nor tempestuous-weather beate you downe I haue spoken to you I haue written to you I haue shewed you the whole counsaile of God The word which I spake to you is the verie worde of God I testitie before the Lord and call God to witnesse vnto my soule that it is the truth of God and not anie deuise of man You did beléeue it you receiued it not as the word of men but as it is indeede the word of God Become not now vnfaithful although you spie many infirmities in your teachers although you sée them fal into offences and ware couetous and giue euil example in their life and conuersation Although you sée the faith of manie shalten and that they haue put away from them a good conscience and turne backe from the loue of the gospell which they once séemed to professe and so are gone out from among you yet stande you vpright Hold fast y e doctrine which you haue receiued and continue in the things which you haue learned and be perswaded that they are able to make you wise vnto saluation through the faith which is in Christ Jesus Christ saith woe be to the worlde because of offences whosoeuer shal offend one of these litle ones which beléeue in mée it were better for him that a milstone were hanged about his necke and that hée were drowned in the deapth of the sea And againe hee saith Blessed is he which is not offended in me Therefore worke your own saluation in trembling and in feare Blessed is he that abideth with Christ in temptations and continueth faithfull vnto the end V. 16. Nowe the same Iesus Christ our Lorde and our God euen the father which hath loued vs and hath giuen vs euerlasting consolation and good hope through grace 17 Comfort your hearts and stablish you in euerie worde and good worke After his exhortation that they would stand fast and continue faithfull vnto the ende hée turneth himselfe to God and praieth him to looke vppon them mercifully downe from heauen and to fulfill the worke begunne and to increase and multiplie his grace in them So ought al Preachers and seruantes of God to doe in their sermons For alas what are we what is our worde what is our labour without the assistance of God We are onelie the voice of a crier
they wil be protestants in company of others they are quite become contrarie They come to the church and receiue the holy communion they resort secretely to corners where they heare masse They like the one and like the other They like the light and they loue darkenesse and make no difference betwéene them These are readie to serue Christ and also readie to serue Antichrist faithful neither to God nor to Baal And this is among many counted the highest point of wisedome to be able so to colour and hide himselfe that you shal not know what profession he is of to what church he ioyneth himselfe what religion he holdeth whose worde or Gospel he followeth in what GOD he beléeueth Such there are And they onelie bée the singuler men reckoned the sine wittes and cunning fellowes of the worlde This is to be lamented that in a christian estate there should be any such That they at whose handes God shal require a straiter accoumpt than of others because he hath giuen them the vse of greater talents either of wit or of learniâ—…g or of preferment or of riches should so mispende the good giftes of God or vse his talents to such euil purpose that they more than al other shoulde deuise meanes how to deny Christ among men and as much as in them lieth to seeke to crâ—…e againe the Lorde of glorie The lewes deale not so wickedly the Turks deale not so traiterously The Jeâ—…e although his case bee miserable and his heresies most dangerous yet hee is earnest in his folly he wil not dissemble his profession The Turke is faithful vnto Mahomet and wil not denie or forsake him These false brethren and dissembling christians are worse than Iewes and Turkes They are voyde of conscience voyde of sayth voyde of feare of shame and of the grace of GOD. They are filthie swine shamelesse dogges and the enemies of the crosse of Christ. These hinder the passage of the Gospel and blaspheme the holie worde of their saluation and do al that in them lyeth to abolish the light of Gods truth S. Paule telleth vs al men haue not faith many hearts lie naked and voide of faith many séeme to liue and yet are dead Howsoeuer these men carie out their doings in this life they cannot mock God He knoweth who are his Christ shall say vnto these running witted dissemblers depart from mée ye hipocrites I knowe you not You shal receiue your portion with the diuel and his Angels Pray that we may be deliuered from such vnreasonable and euil men that they stoppe not the frée passage of the Gospel that they may haue no power against the glorie of God Then shal it appeare that God is faithful in al his wordes and holy in al his workes that his truth and mercie shal last for euer He wil establish vs in al goodnesse and defende vs from al euil he wil kéepe vs from al the power of Satan he wil kéepe vs from al temptation that the wicked shal not preuaile against vs. And we are perswaded of you through the Lorde that ye both doe and wil doe the things which wee warne you of You knowe what commaundements we gaue you by the Lord. I spake vnto you the wil of GOD and not mine owne I was vnto you but a messenger to deliuer vnto you such an errand as GOD sent vnto you I hope ye haue receiued it in such dutie as becommeth and that you both doe and wil hereafter obey it I am your phisitian The receipt which I haue giuen you is soueraigne and shall worke your health I trust it tarieth with you you brooke it wel I haue spoken vnto you in the name of God His name is holy He wil cause that my labor shal not be in vaine but wil make it fruitful in you Although al men haue not saith yet al men are not voide of faith Although there be many the children of this world yet there be some the children of light he that is of God heareth the worde of God They that be the sonnes of God are obedient to the wisedome of god their father God guide your harts that you may loue him that you may knowe what good God hath wrought vnto your soules that you may sée the depth of his mercie that in al your tribulation and aduersitie vnder the crosse and in your death you may looke for the day of Christ when the trumpet shal be sounded the graues shal be opened the dead bodies shal come foorth and we shal bée taken vp into the cloudes then shal he chaunge our vile bâ—…die that it may be like his glorious bodie then shal we be like the Angels of God wée shal sée God face to face and rest with him for euer V. 6. We warne you brethren in the name of our Lorde Iesus Christ that yee withdrawe your selues from euerie brother that walketh inordinately not after the instruction which he receiued of vs. The kingdome of God is like to a draw net â—…ast into the Sea that gathereth of al kinde of thinges it is like a fielde wherein groweth both corne and wéedes Sundrie Uirgines went out to waâ—…e vppon the Spouse some were wise some were foolish some had oyle in their Lampes some had none Many came to the mariage some had their wedding garment some lacked it Manie are called but fewe are chosen Some beare the name of christians yet liue in Vsurie to the spoyle and vndoing of their brethren Some beare the name of Christians yet liue in adulterie and fornication as the heathen which knowe not God These be they through whom the name of God is euil spoken of Therefore sayeth Paule I warne you that you withdrawe your selues from euerie brother that walketh inordinately Forsake him refuse his companie eate not with him druâ—…ke not with him that so he may be ashamed of his filthinesse Keceiue him not to your house nor bid him God spéede For he that biddeth him God spéede is partaker of his euil béedes Haue you no fellowship with the vnfruitful workes of darkenesse but euen reprone them rather A little leauen doth leauen the whole lâ—…mpe The wrath of god shal come not onelie vpon those which commit wickednesse but also vpon al those which consent to the working thereof Among the Corinthians one had committed incest taken his fathers wife Saint Paule sayeth Let such one be deliuered vnto Satan for the destruction of the fleshe that the spirite may be saued in the day of the Lorde Iesus Deliuer him vp to Satan Marke his â—…rdes and in what case he speaketh them For they that delite in wickednesse are sold ouer vnto sinne which are filthie and increáse in filthines They are not of God they haue no part in the Church of God The Diuel and Satan hath power ouer them therefore deliuer thâ—…m vp vnto Satan The rewarde of sinue is death the soule which hath sinned shal die For this cause hath the
hande is mightie his worke shal stande his word is forcible his hey is the key of Dauid it openeth and no man shutteth it shutteth and no man openeth God is departed from thy heart his spirite wil not dwel in a filthie soule there is no agréement betwéene God and Belial Thy soule is voyde of grace and of the feare of God What becommeth of thee in this case Whither doest thou goe into what miserie doest thou fal into the gulfe of death into the seate of pestilence and the power of Sathan and the snares of the Diuel into a reprobate minde Thy heart followeth him thy soule serueth him He is the father of al the children of disobedience and his children followe him Thou art filthie and increasest in filthinesse the feare of God is not before thée thou doest not acknowledge thy sinne because of the blindnesse of thy heart Wreake not thy selfe vppon thy neighbour that accused thée nor vppon the Iudge that pronounced sentence against thée The sentence is none of his this is not his worke he hath not iudged thée The hande of God is stretched foorth to thy punishment it is thine owne life and wickednesse which forceth indgement vppon thée The Iudge sitteth in the place of GOD in the seate of iustice hée can not blesse that GOD hath cursed hee must néedes doe right and eqâ—…ie Hee séeth the abhomination of thy life 〈◊〉 séeth the filthinesse which thou hast done in the house of God and therefore saieth In nomine Dei c. in the name of the liuing God and of Iesus Christ before whome I stande and before whome al flesh shall appeare by the authoritie of his word and by the power of the holie ghost I diuide thée from the felowshippe of the Gospell and declare that thou arte no more a member of the bodie of Christ thy name is put out of the booke of life thou hast no parte in the life to come thou arte not in Christ and Christ is departed from thée I deliuer thée to Sathan the Prince of darknesse Thy rewarde shall be in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone Thou shalt sterue and wither and not abide The grace of GOD is taken out of thy heart The face of the Lorde is vppon al them that doe euill they shall not taste of his mercie As for the Iudge and Minister which giueth sentence against thée hée mourneth and lamenteth for thée When he striketh thée hée striketh himselfe We are al one flesh and one bloud and al together make one bodie and are one an others members Therefore when he doth excommunicate thée from the brethren he cutteth off an arme from his owne bodie Ieremie dealt roughly with the people that offended God and threatned them that the enimie should come vpon them the sworde shoulde deuoure them and they shoulde be vtterly destroied yet he wished that he had a streame of teares that his hart might haue wherwith to mourne for their transgressions Dauid praieth that God will stretch foorth his hand vpoÌ„ the wicked Scatter them abroad by thy power and put them downe oh Lorde our shield Againe Let them be chaffe before the winde and let the Angel of the Lord scatter them And againe Let their table be a snare before them and their prosperitie their ruine Againe Let his praier be turned into sinne Aide him not heare him not when hée calleth vnto thée Yet he saith I saw the transgressours and was grieued because they kepte not thy word I pined away and consumed to death the griefe was so deadly vnto my soule Christ cried out woe vppon Corazin and Bethsaida vppon the Scribes and Pharises yet when he came nigh to Ierusalem he wept ouer it saying Oh if thou haddest euen nowe at the least in this thy daie known those things which belong vnto thy peace but nowe are they hidde from thee Thine enimies shall make thee euen with the grounde they shall not leaue in thee a stone vpon a stone because thou knowest not the time of thy visitation Euen such a sorrowe also had Saint Paule for those that offended God Who is weake and I am not weake who is offended and I burne not My bodie is shaken my heart is wounded for them such a care haue I for the church of God It is reported of Iohn the Euangelist that hée commended a yongman to the education of a certaine Bishop nigh to Ephesus and when he heard that he was fledde and followed the companie of such as were dissolute riotous and giuen ouer to al manner lewâ—…sse hée was carefull for him and sought him out And came to the place where he and ill companie were When the yongman knew him he was astonied and â—…ed awaie from him But the olde man followed him and cried Oh my child turne againe turne vnto me I am thy father I haue begotten thée in Christ Iesus I come not to hurt thée there is yet hope of saluation I will make answere vnto Christ for thée Fall to the ground holde vp thy hands aske mercie of God he is mercifull and will receiue thée At these wordes the yongman cast downe his weapons and trembled and wept bitterly and was conuerted When Dauid heard of the destruction of that wicked wight Absalon he wrong his hands and wept saying O my sonne Absalon my sonne my sonne Absalon woulde God I had died for thee oh Absolon my sonne my sonne Such a care such a loue and zeale hath a godlie minister ouer his people if he be a true pastor which hath taken his calling from God and hath due consideration of his charge He wéepeth for the sinnes of the people as did Ieremie he gusheth out into teares and consumeth awaie as Dauid bicause of the vngodlie he is wounded at heart and trembleth as Paul to sée them perish He séeketh for them calleth after them that they maie returne to him as did Iohn the Cuangelist and is willing to die for their sake if so be he might redéeme them as Dauid was for Absalon The people are his children he is their father Albeit they be wicked and filthie yet he presenteth himselfe before God for them and poureth foorth his praiers and saith sanctifie them oh Lorde sanctifie them with thy trueth thy word is truth Let their hearts sée the wrath to come and thy heauie displeasure which they haue deserued and hangeth ouer their heads They are thine saue them and let not satan preuaile against them Turne them oh Lorde and they shall be turned Giue them a newe heart and renew a cleane spirite in them that they may feare thée al the dayes of their life Turne away the captiuitie of their soules Bring them to the fellowshippe of the Gospel make them liuely stones méete for thy building builde vp the walles of Hierusalem So careful is a good minister for the people of his charge be they neuer so vngodly Yea the more they lack