to instruct people in the way of saluation require of them againe meate drinke and clothing for his paines doth he require a thing vnreasonable or doeth he demaunde anie more than is his due right Yet did Paul the déere seruaunt of the Lorde hunger and thirst after this righteousnesse and had it not For vnto this houre saith he of himselfe we both hunger and thirst and are naked are buffeted and haue no certaine dwelling place c. Yet was he méeke patient his affections orderly for all this yet he had not his right as you sée What did Dauid againe desire at Sauls hande but that since he had voutsafed to make him his sonne in lawe hee would likewise vse him so or at least as a true subiect and seruant with safetie of life til he deserued worse And was not this right and his verie due Yet pleased it God Dauid should hunger and thirst for this righteousnes and not haue it And yet you sée I saie againe it was his right What did Ioseph hunger and thirst for but to be reputed honest when hee was honest and not stained with that crime which his soule abhorred Yet did he want it What did all the Prophetes and Martyres desire but Gods glorie to be increased and their owne liues saued when they deserued no death Yet did they want it Nay what did euen Christ himselfe hunger and thirst for whilest he here liued but the rising vp of Gods kingdome in the heartes of men and the saluation of their soules Yet euen this right and due to him and this great and endlesse good to men themselues could hee not obtaine but hungring and thirsting after it was despised and scorned and in the end killed Yet were all these méeke and gentle and quiet in their affections notwithstanding all this and neuer fretted themselues at the crooked course of a cursed worlde but staied thēselues and at the Lordes handes they were all satisfied in the ende according to this promise Ye haue heard that it hath bin saide an eie for an eie and a tooth for a tooth but I say vnto you resist not euill but whosoeuer shall smite thee on the right checke turne to him the other also Yea euen yet further they thus wronged in the worlde spake of méekenesse and commended it both to themselues and others For Learne of me saieth our sauiour Christ that I am meeke and lowelie in heart And them that be meeke saieth Dauid shall the Lorde guide in iudgement and such as be gentle them shall he teach his way Wherefore I conclude if it pleased the Lorde thus to deale euer with his children and euen with his owne déere son yet satisfying them in the ende and hath in mercie made a faithfull promise to deale no worse with vs in the ende if we will be content truly then no want of iustice euer in our most righteous sutes and demaundes should make vs intemperate but rather driue vs to this promise and in it wee to bee content with all méeke mildenesse both of heart tongue and countenance till the Lorde sée his time to satisfie vs. And I pray you Frailtie consider of it You sée it with your eyes your excuse is nought be your right neuer so good and your wrong neuer so great But wee can not doe what we should doe euer and especiaily in these harde conflictes Yet as néere as we can let vs be ruled and drawe to this heauenly vertue dayly more and more of méekenesse and patience If we will not surely as we liue when the Lorde hath tried vs a while with mercie séeking our good and cannot bowe vs he will at last scourge vs in anger fiercely breake vs. If the iudge should say it or anie mortal man be content and I will satisfie you we would be quiet and shall the God of heauen earth so saying not be heard trusted and regarded The Lord shew his worke vpon vs for otherwise if there be a hell or he be a God this intollerable contempt of so swéete a promise and so sure a blessing will haue a scortching rewarde at the last I can say no more Frailtie but bid you looke upon his owne wordes he saith you are blessed when you are oppressed for want of right if you will be content and you shall of his owne selfe be truly and fully satisfied if you will mildely tarie for it Nowe if you will call him lier to his face and say you are miserable because you are so dealt withall or not happie neither shall it be better with you vnlesse you wil leaue his lawes and ioyne felowshippe with the wicked you may worke your owne woe and who can helpe it But I hope better of you and I wish better to you which you shall neuer misse if you will be méeke And so let the Lorde worke with you you sée his worde and you knowe my minde The fifth temptation against mercifulnesse by reason of vnthankefulnesse Frailtie SInce then you are so plaine and comfortable I will yet further bewraie my secrete assaultes vnto you if I shall not be troublesome and craue your strength as in these hoping when the remedie appointed of God is vsed it will preuaile with mee I doe then ouer and beside all these find manie other infirmities and euen in any thing that God hath commanded somthing or other fast creepeth vppon mee to slacke mee from that duetie which I knowe to be enioined mee As first in dealing with such as haue neede of my helpe as a good Christian shoulde truely you will not beleeue howe the ingratitude of the world quencheth my hart and stayeth my hand For I see the course of men and the naughtinesse of natures in these euil daies Let a man lende his poore neighbour something to helpe him withall as God commaundeth or let him euen giue cleerely for euer to him yet shall he neuer a whit be better loued of a number for it but if he lende be driuen to sue for his owne and if hee giue haue rather vnkindnesse and a taunting scornefull speech than any other commendable and thankefull consideration for his goodwil Whereby I am often I confesse my corruption driuen euen to the point of this worldly and wicked conclusion with my selfe Let them sinke or swimme for mee I wil seeke to liue my selfe out of al mens daungers and I wil neither borrow nor lend giue nor take make nor meddle Let other mens wantes be other mens woes and God helpe them there are manie waies to make a man poore though his hand be harde ynough Now this I know is vngodly and I was not borne to doe thus yet Frailtie I am and by reason of the monstrous ingratitude that the worlde aboundeth with perforce I confesse it I am often driuen towardes this rocke Againe I see euerie man euen from the head to the foote so giuen to halting cogging glosing lying soothing smoothing flattering and
blessed and experience make vs mercifull then whensoeuer the Lorde giueth vs anie tast of woe he doeth but schoole vs vnto happinesse But I passe it ouer and now let vs consider what a verie monster and vglie beast in nature he is who hauing himselfe drunke of the beggers dish and tasted the smart of néedy want yet neuer the more is mooued in tender kindnesse to others when God hath made him able to helpe them but as brasse or yron turneth both hande and heart away when pitifull sutes are made vnto him for some comfort And then viewe we in like manner the force of sight in such examples as wee haue commended to vs in the scriptures When Pharaohs daughter sawe little Moses in the basket she pitied it when Iesus sawe the multitude he had compassion on them and healed all their sicke when hée sawe their want of teachers he pitied them when he saw the woman wéepe whose sonne was dead he pitied her when the Samaritan saw the wounded man he pitied him when the Lorde sawe his debter fall downe he forgaue him all and hée that séeth his brother want and turneth his face awaie O howe is the loue of God in him with a number such So that sight I say aboue either hearing or manie other meanes is a vehement worker of this vertue in vs if wée be the Lordes and of this vertue not in part but in whole for if you marke the examples againe you shall neither sée pitie without helpe nor helpe without entire compassion in them but both together the one folowing euer after and vpon the other which if it be so then shoulde wée take a view of our selues occasioned by this doctrine and diligently weigh what either sight of other mens woes or hearing or anie other meanes worketh in vs and if we find a fiintie heart within vs whatsoeuer we sée or heare iudge then betimes what will be our case at one time or other when blessed shall be the mercifull Surely we shall finde what the Lorde hath spoken that iudgement without mercie shall be vnto vs because wée haue shewed no mercie And if we finde the contrarie as greatly may it ioie vs againe on the other side But I forget my selfe in following this discourse too farre and therefore here will I cutte it off once againe desiring you neither in this vertue nor others euer so much to regarde what the worlde doeth thinke as what the God of heauen that made the worlde doeth iudge For if you doe you shall neuer whilest you liue kéepe a straight course in any good The Lord saieth the mercifull man shall be blessed therefore shame vnto the face that once auoucheth it that mercy maketh miserable The Lorde accepteth it let the worlde neglect it the Lorde rewardeth it let a senselesse worldling be neuer so vngratefull and what the Lorde rewardeth it can neuer make a man worse if he vse it therefore be mercifull What should I saie Certainely Frailtie till God become false till his blessings become cursings his promises vnprofitable and his rewardes not worth hauing the féeling heart and the helping hand head tongue or anie member gift or abilitie in vs can neuer impouerish vs beyond our good as you plainely sée and therefore your temptation is answeared and your weaknesse strengthened if the Lorde graunt you féeling and vse of his word which I trust he will and beséech him that he may Strength against Dissimulation the sixt temptation YOur next temptation ariseth by dissimulation and a mighty motion you finde to do as the world doth But Frailtie would you leaue to thinke gaine to be godlinesse and beginne to thinke onelie godlinesse to be gaine as the Apostle teacheth and a little to weigh with your selfe what in euerie age euerie honest man and woman hath thought of this beastly vice were it neuer so generall surely you woulde finde strength against it in your selfe and a maruellous hatred kindled in your heart of it I beléeue verily For there is nothing that pulleth any bodie into this Metamorphosis of nature but a carelesse contempt of al opinions of vs so wée may flourish and get our desire of this cursed worlde Which I must say againe is a beastly vice in man or woman because it so maketh them that vse it this being euer the propertie of a man to preferre honestie before all vtilitie Nowe if you aske what hath béen thought I am able to shew you euen vnder one sight both God and man against it and man not onely Christian but heathen such as beside the light of nature had no direction by the Lorde For Wo vnto them saith the Lorde that seeke deepe to hide their counsels from me That is that carie more shew than trueth as they doe which are outwardely religious and inwardly most prophane contemners of the same Helpe Lord saieth the Prophet Dauid for it is high time there is not one godlie man left but the faithfull are minished from the children of men they talke of vanitie euery man with his neighbour they doe but flatter with their lips and dissemble with their double heart And then in the detestation of so vile a thing the spirite of the Prophet breaketh out into a curse and the Lord roote out saith he such deceitfull lips Which certainely is a spéech that shoulde pierce vs déepe when wée consider and thinke of it The Apostle Peter also crieth vnto all that feare God Laie aside al maliciousnesse and al guile and all dissimulation enuie and all euill speaking opposing these to the sincers milke of the worde of GOD which al men ought to desire that they may growe thereby as things that cannot agrée and dwell together in any man And if we marke examples was it not I praie you a horrible thing for Simeon and Leuie to pretende such friendshippe to the Sichemites and to harbour secretely so bloudie conceites Did not the soule of their godlie father Iacob detest both such men and such dealings Was it not vile and vnséeming either for a king or an honest man to dissemble such liking of Dauid as that hée woulde giue him his daughter to wife and yet meane nothing therby in truth but to snare him and to worke his certaine ouerthrowe by it Such loue come to them that long for it and such fathers in lawe God kéepe vs euer from may we thinke and say if we marke it Was it not a detestable nature in Cain vnder a brothers face to dissemble a murthering heart and minde Can you abide but euen to thinke of that cursed Courtier Ioabs spéech Art thou in health my brother Amasa and leaning forwarde to kisse him secretely to stabbe him with his dagger that he died presētly These are the effects of this cruell vice these are the fruites of such vnnaturall men as haue caried faces vnder an hood moe than they would shew which assuredly the Lorde hath caused to be
for thée that when the hower commeth we may neither feare nor faint in faith but ioyfully without anie skrikes and cries of desperation and of a troubled and vexed conscience passe away in full hope and assuraunce that all our sinnes are wiped away in the bloud of Jesus Christ and we to thée in him so reconciled that life for euermore is certaine vnto vs. Last of all good father with most humble and heartie thankes for thy goodnes to vs this night let thy mercifull eye looke vpon vs this day and so kéepe vs bodie and soule that being occupied in our seuerall callinges we may be safe by thée from al our enemies liue to thée or die to thée as it best shal please thy gratious goodnes These thinges O Lorde and whatsoeuer else we haue néede of graunt vs for Christ his sake in whose name we aske them saying as he hath taught vs OUr Father which art in heauen halowed be thy name thy kingdome come thy will be doone in earth as it is in heauen giue vs this day our dailie bread and forgiue vs our trespasses as we forgiue them that trespasse against vs and lead vs not into temptation but deliuer vs from euill Amen Let thy mightie hand out stretched arme O Lorde be still our defence thy mercy louing kindnes in Jesus Christ our saluation thy true and holy worde our instruction thy grace and holy spirite our comfort and consolation vnto the ende and in the end Amen The Lorde blesse vs and saue vs the Lord make his face to shine vpon vs and be mercifull vnto vs the Lorde turne his fauourable countenance towarde vs and this day and euermore vouchsafe to sende vs his peace Amen The blessing of God alminghtie the father the sonne and the holie Ghost be amongst vs and remaine with vs both nowe and for euer Amen ¶ An other for the same at night O Immortall God creatour of heauen and earth before whome all creatures feare and tremble were it not that thou hast commaunded vs neuer durst we appeare before thée so corrupt is our nature and so manie are our sinnes But good Lorde thou doest bid and therefore we obey thou doest call and therefore we come giue vs spirites to pray aright First then héere met together déere father we yéelde thy maiestie most humble and heartie thankes for all the mercies that euer thou hast bestowed vpon vs in bodie or minde in our selues or in ours priuate or common temporall or eternall Manie and meruelous haue they béene and still are vpon vs yea euen good Lorde past finding out This day what thou hast done for vs which of vs knoweth or is able to expresse Father of heauen forgiue vs that wée cannot acknowledge them or praise thée for them as we ought and quicken vs in this duety more and more Pardon and forgiue vs whatsoeuer wée haue offended thée withal this daie or euer before either in thought worde or déede yea euen our secret sinnes such as we haue committed and knowe not of remit them vnto vs for Christs sake Change vs O Lorde and wee shal be changed Create in vs cleane hearts and renew a right spirite within vs. Breake the strength of sinne that would subdue vs more and more And O mercifull father so frame these harts of ours within vs that we may more delight to liue according to thy will than to enioy all the worlde and all the pleasures therein Laie it often good Lorde before our eies by thy remembring spirite that thou hast not breathed the breath of life into vs that we should liue as wée list but that in holinesse and righteousnesse wée shoulde walke before thée all our daies Laie it before vs O Lorde that the time will come when the trumpe shall sounde the dead shall rise and we euen wée here mette together at this time all and euerie one of vs shall most assuredly stand before thy iudgement seate with naked hearts with open and vnfolded consciences there to giue an accompt howe wée haue so doone In which daie O the ioie O the endlesse ioie that they shall haue who waining themselues from the glistering shew of this wretched world in heart trueth haue sought serued thée Come come ye blessed of my father to their comfort shal they beare possesse the kingdom prepared for you But woe woe to all carelesse liuers in that flerie daie they shall drinke the wine of the wrath of God be tormented in fire and brimstone before the holie Angels and before the lambe they shall haue no rest daie nor night and the smoke of their torment shall ascende for euermore Father of hauen haue mercie vpon vs knit these hearts of ours fast vnto thée and now whil we haue time giue vs grace rightly to thinke of these things O continue thy worde of truth amongest vs euer to our comfort Let the séede thereof nowe sowen in our hearts take such déepe roote that neither the burning heat of persecution cause it to wither nor the thornie cares of this worlde riches or voluptuous liuing choke it but as séede sowen in good grounde it may bring foorth fruite according to thy pleasure O father giue grace that whē we heare or finde by thy word anie sinne that is in vs touched we maie striue and study without delay willingly to reforme it Kéepe vs good God y t wée neuer swarue for the feare of man from our own true knowledge becōming seruers of time and deniers of thée Kéepe vs from all hardnes of hart contempt of thy word and from all dissembling of sinceritie increase true loue amongst vs more and more stay our heady wrathful and wicked affections more and more And euerie waie good Lorde renew vs to thy liking Blesse thy whole Church O God with graces necessarie this parcel of it our natiue land and countrey déere father blesse it still with continuance of thy truth Lessen in it daily the number of blinde and wilfull Papists prophane Atheists increase the number of thy true children O presse vs not déere God with the weight of our ingratitude whose liues and knowledge answeare not the daies that we haue had worke with vs hence forward for thy mercies sake Preserue vnto vs long aliue good Lord our gracious prince gouernour multiplie thy spirite vpon her that still more and more she may séeke and sette out kéepe and maintaine that which pleaseth thée Giue to her honourable counsell graces necessarie for so high a calling Blesse all other Nobles Magistrates and the whole bodie of this realme with true heartes to thée and this country Increase in Israel the number of true watchmen whose harts may séeke thée and thy people and not their owne glorie or commoditie Bring to thy tolde by them such wandring remnants as are thine and O Lorde be gracious to our kinred and friendes in the flesh lighten their heartes with the sunne of vnderstanding that they and we acknowledging
kingdome diuided in it selfe can neuer stande And that other also of the Poet. By concorde small to muche is brought And discorde great thinges brings to nought Upon al which then gather this conclusiō that if this great vertue of peace and loue be to the Lorde himselfe so acceptable and to all estates in the world so profitable must it not néedes be in it selfe howsoeuer the worlde accepteth it a most singular thing and a most deserued praise to a man to be a peace-maker amongest men Certainelie it must But we neede not to gather it by conclusion For the Lorde Christ himselfe hath saide it in the same 5. of Matthewe as preparing strength before hande for this verie same temptation that nowe you féele That blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God And neuer as I haue nowe often saide doeth he set a blessing vppon the heade of anie thing but the same in it nature and before his maiestie is a worthie thing Wherefore this place shoulde bee to you euen a thousande argumentes to confirme your obedience in so Christian a duetie as peacemaking is and a thousande spurres to pricke you dailie to it when opportunitie is offered and occasion giuen to the same For Frailtie what can you resolue this speach of Christ into if you marke it wel but into this sense As if he should haue saide to his disciples in this order I knowe the manifolde discomfortes that shall bee giuen to all men and especiallie to you ministers in that duetie of peace-making which yet both belongeth to al men and especially to your calling notwithstanding euer to indeuour so farre as power shall serue And therefore least hereafter when it shall so fall out either you or anie other should be tempted through mens vnthankefulnesse to the giuing ouer of that so thrise néedeful a thing I forewarne you here before hande and euen giue you in charge as I am your Lorde and maister that you neuer regarde cleaue and sticke in the acceptaunce or thankefulnesse of men for your paines and trauell in this matter For if you doe you shall be discouraged But euer looke you vppe to heauen what is there thought of it and to the better sort of the worlde also whome the Lorde hath giuen eyes to discerne good things with al. And whatsoeuer you finde at mens handes for so godlie a labour you shall well knowe it finde it and féele it that with the Lorde in heauen blessed for euer shall bee the peacemakers and both of him and his true children heere in earth that knowe what is what they shall be counted taken and acknowledged for the sonnes of almightie God that shall liue with their Father for euermore Which is inough Frailtie if there be either touch or tast or anie féeling in the worlde in vs to staie vs for euer in this dutie be the peruersenesse of men neuer so much For what can we desire more than to haue our doinges accepted of the Lorde and our selues assured of euerlasting rewarde at his handes for men Let men be mad and mad againe let their crooked affections worke and writhe them whither they can and euen all vnthankefull spéeches burst from them against vs for our good-will that may be imagined my God is pleased shoulde a Christian heart thinke with my indeuour and his acceptaunce is my satisfaction his content is my rest and a sufficient requitall of all my paines Otherwise Frailtie I pray you euen earnestlie consider it What loue of God is that in vs that the loue of man driueth out of vs what care to please him is that that mens displeasure quencheth Fie fie it is too grosse and ten thousand wonders may it be that euer anie of vs can sléepe with this imagination that wee loue God aboue all and yet in such thinges as by name are commaunded and by promises commended to vs wholie guide our obedience according to mens acceptance or not acceptance liking or misliking Wherefore on still Frailtie with this dutie and indeuor to reconcile disagréeing mindes in the name of God and were the bitter gaule the spitefull péeuishnesse and all the vnthankfulnesse of the Diuell and his whole hoast in euerie man and woman you deale withall yet haue you comfort inough if either the Lords acceptance can content you or your owne promised rewarde and blessing please you or good accompt to bée one that God hath chosen for his childe with the better sort of the worlde comfort you Nowe by the way of a little digression in hope I doe not wearie you I would also wish you a little to consider that if this peace and agréement amongest neighbours in towne or countrie be such and so swéet in the sense of the Lorde as that euen the preseruers of it and restorers when it is broken are so heartily blessed and accompted for it the sonnes of God must it not néedes followe that those thinges likewise are in high accompt before his maiestie which being in men and women doe most mightilie maintaine this blessed vertue in all and euerie societis vnder heauen Surely it must néedes followe And what are they Manie and diuerse are they if one should make a curious recitall but for my part when I marke the course of thinges and the causes of good agréement in anie place I thinke but euen especiallie of these thrée First a patient and méeke nature in our selues able to beare and tolerate something without mounting into the house top immediatly and flashing out all on fire by and by vppon the sight or hearing of it Secondly a wel iudging heart of others till wée be certaine of the contrarie And lastly a good tongue Must not I say if peace be so pleasing to the Lorde these things also be pretious in his eies which all the worlde knoweth to be nourishing nurses of the same wheresoeuer they are If peace-making pull a blessing vppon vs as the Lorde liueth these so great preseruers of peace shal haue a happy reward And if this be true then on the other side againe the contrarie vices for their contrarie effect must néeds be as loathsome hatefull and accursed Namely an impatient hastie fierce frowarde furious nature y e is as short as mosse that hath neuer fought withall and foiled anie affection but cleauing still in pure naturalles is vnregenerated and euer casteth out the sauour of old Adam vpon euerie occasion be it but a trifle Secondly a suspicious misdéeming mind of euerie bodie that they say thus of vs worke this against vs or at least thinke thus of vs when in trueth it is nothing so O poison of peace in anie kingdome countrie towne house or person liuing in the worlde this misdéeming minde And to a mans selfe there is no more twitching tormēt vnder the son For it is euen a worme that is euer gnawing and euer biting and can neuer be contented Lastly an euill tongue a peaceles tongue that can neuer be
windowes of heauen and powre his mercies out vpon your La. the Lorde confirme you in all good workes giue you a true sight of this vaine world make your heart shake at his iudgementes melt with a fruitefull feeling of grace assured to holie life and the Lord to profite make you thinke you euer heare that voice ARISE YOV DEADE AND COME VNTO IVDGEMENT and yet in faith to saie with cheerefull heart COME LORDE IESVS COME QVICKLIE So be it London this first of December 1583. Your Honors most humble bounden to death Geruase Babington A Conference betwixt mans Frailtie and Faith Frailtie O Wicked worlde and wretched state I stand in O heauy hart sorowing soule how should I comfort you I haue it not I see it not I feele it not what any way might ioie mee and howe then can I giue it you The contrary I see in fullest weight and measure and wo is me ten thousand times that euer I sawe this light yea let the day euen perish wherin I was borne and the night when it was saide there is a manchilde conceiued Let that daie be darknesse let not God regard it from aboue neither let the light shine vppon it But let darkenesse and the shadow of death staine it let the cloud remaine vpon it and let them make it fearefull as a bitter day let darkenesse possesse that night let it not be ioined vnto the dayes of the yeare nor let it come into the accounts of the moneths Yea desolate be that night and let no ioy be in it Let the stars of that twilight be dimme through darkenesse of it let it looke for light but haue none neither let it see y e dawning of the daie because it shut not vp the doores of my mothers wombe nor hid sorrowe from my eies Why died I not in the birth or why died I not when I came out of the wombe Why did the knees preuent me and why did I sucke the brests For so shoulde I nowe haue lien and beene quiet I should haue slept then and beene at rest Or why againe was I not hid as an vntimely birth either as infants which haue not seene the light Woe is me I liue woe is mee I doe not die and wo I feare much more when ended is my course Faith Why Frailtie what in the name of God meaneth this fearful impatiencie or what case can there be in the life of man and woman so vncomfortable as that in regard thereof they should thus cris out Open your selfe and conceale not your griefe for the verie speaking of it shall giue some measure of ease Frailtie Alas I knowe not almost howe to doe it For my conceites doe so oppresse me and euer as I thinke of one miserie still the remembraunce of an other thrusteth it selfe so into my minde and at last the heape appeares so huge as all amazed I faint vnder the beholding of them and my cogitations are so distracted as it is not possible for me to make an orderly rehearsall of my woe Yet since I haue met with you I wil performe it as I can committing my selfe to that mercie that hath no measure and to your selfe as an instrument to applie his comfortes to me begging it euen with teares tenne thousand times at your handes I consider then that I am created heere in this worlde a reasonable creature consisting of bodie and soule both subiect to dreadfull and endlesse woe if I finde not mercie with the Lorde which I confesse vnto you I comfortablie cannot assure my self of as yet bicause the hand of God me thinke more heauily presseth me diuers waies than I imagin it would do if he loued me Faith And wherein I praie you doe you thinke you are pressed ouer heauily Pouertie the first temptation Frailtie ALas in manie things and yet God laie not my pleading with him to my charge To begin with some thing I must needes confesse vnto you that my lowe estate in the world is a maruellous temptation to me manie a time For God knowes I am poore and euen verie poore notwithstanding all my paines carke and care which is not a little My charge also is great for such an one as I am and their want as good reason bindeth is my continuall woe Yet if this were all me thinke I could wrastle with it and by Gods helpe get the victorie but these companions of pouertie are they that sting me so sore to wit disdaine and contempt both of me and mine of my doinges sayinges or any thing that proceedeth from me and that reiection which is made of me out of all meetings and companies those whisperinges that I heare reproches that I carrie euen at their handes that I little thought would haue done it and that scornefull pitying of me which often appeareth with such like For in deede if euer anie found it I finde it true that by wise Syrac was saide so long agoe There is euen as much peace betwixt the riche and the poore as betwixt Hyena and the dogge But looke howe the wilde Asse is the Lions pray so are the poore meate for the riche And looke howe the proude hate humilitie so doe the rich abhorre the poore If a rich man fall his friendes set him vp againe but when the poore falleth his friendes driue him away If a rich man offende he hath many helpers hee speaketh proude wordes and yet men iustifie him but if a poore man faile they rebuke him and though he speake wisely yet can hee haue no place When the riche man speaketh euerie man holdeth his tongue and looke what he sayeth they praise it to the clouds but if the poore man speake they say What felowe is this And if he doe amisse they will destroy him These these companions of my pouertie are the thinges that euen cut my heart a sunder and wil I nill I it breaketh euen vpon mee by force as it were to thinke that if the lord loue a man hee should neuer suffer him for want of worldly trash so despitefully to be intreated in this worlde and so generally This is but one thing that troubleth me besides which I haue manie moe but helpe me if you can ere I go anie further Faith Nay goe on vtter your gréefe fullie and then your minde wilbe the fitter to heare a great deale For otherwise you will be musing of the rest when I shall he speaking to you for your ease in this Frailtie An other verie daungerous torment then I must needes confesse is that continuall vncomfortablenesse which is still in me by reason of diuerse thinges as by a weightie and stinging sense of mine owne sinnes by sight of other mens loose course and grieuous dishonouring of God in euerie place giuing thēselues to flatterie dissembling and all manner of holowe dealing with God and man by meditation of the fierce wrath of God and most dreadfull iudgementes which assuredly hang ouer vs for these thinges
doe not then as mightilie ministreth it an argument againe of woe alas and endlesse woe vnto vs. Secondlie to be méeke is a true imitation of Christ for Learne of me saieth he I am meeke and lowly in hoart But he that treadeth the steps of this Lorde and God shall neuer die and therefore blessed are the méeke Contrariwise to be hastie furious and intemperate is to followe Caine Esau and all reprobates which whoso followeth shal neuer liue and therefore cursed is the contrarie Thirdlie the Lorde careth for vs if wée be méeke and watcheth ouer our wronges séeing all the wordes déedes and verie thoughtes conceiued against vs and the Lorde will pay our debtes if we leaue it to him and iustle him not out of his throne sitting downe our selues therein as iudges and reuengers of our owne causes He knoweth our vprising and downe lying he is about our bed and about our pathes and spieth out all our goinges and séeth hée not when we are wronged He hath taken a reckoning of the verie heyres of our heads he putteth our teares into his bottle and are not our wronges thinke we noted in his booke O therefore how should we our selues learne to be méeke to forgiue and to referre our selues euer to him since we haue such a iudge The wife whilest her husbande liueth quieteth her selfe from forren toyles and leaueth all incumbrances to him for he careth for them but if he by death depart from her then she her selfe because she hath lost her aide Nowe we if we be indéede as wee thinke wee are the children of the Lorde we are the spouse of an husbande that neuer dieth but in life is permanent in power sufficient in care still vigilant and therefore how should this consideration kill our affections mortifie our hastie heartes and handes and altar vs daily to an heauenly temperance patience and méekenes The Lorde is our aduocate to put vp our sute the Lorde is also iudge to giue sentence of our wrong and Frailtie then howe can any escape that hurteth vs if we would be méeke and leaue it vnto him Me thinke me thinke I could euen dwel continually in this consideration it is so comfortable What madnesse should moue vs to harbour our hurt to hatch vp our harme and to kéepe matters boyling and festring within vs vnforgiuen and vnforgotten when wee haue such a Judge God strengthen vs and giue vs victorie of our selues But why Frailtie standest thou yet so mute Beléeuest thou not all this If thou dost yet hang in the bryers of thy vnreformed passions adde hereunto some further proofe of passed practise and experience let that as mightie to perswade confirme and comfort thée to this vertue if it be the Lordes will The Israelites in AEgypt oppressed and harmed could not with right counternaile might but as patiently and méekely as God made them able abid it and cried vnto the Lord and what folowed The Lorde heard them Moses was sent they were deliuered and Pharaoh with all his host drowned in the sea Sée with your own eies the reward of méekenesse Dauid oppressed by Saul his father in lawe whom at home and abroade hee truely serued and honored sought no reuenge but euen refused it when it laie before him and with all méekenesse mildnesse and patience committed it to the Lorde and Saul had his punishment Dauid the kingdome Iacob being threatned destruction by his brother conceiued not by and by the like towardes him againe but leaueth his countrie and fathers house putteth vp the wrong possesseth his spirit in patience and meeknesse and what insued The Lorde was with him both daie and night the Angels of heauen are his seruantes the Lord giueth him wiues and wealth comfort strength euerie where and Esau liueth to die for euer as the fatted oxe is prepared for the slaughter Ioseph horribly slaundered for his faithful seruice bare his grieuous crosse méekely and honour is his ende euen great and rare honour O harts of ours then where are they What a God serue we whose mercie vppon méekenesse hath thus shewed it selfe beside in numbers moe Shall it not mooue vs Shall it not pierce vs Nay shall it not change vs God forbid wée shoulde be senselesse and therefore you sée Frailtie what must be done and what soueraigne helpe the Lorde laieth downe for your infirmitie be your occasion publike or priuate at home or abroad with manie or few affections certainely must be brideled and euen fought withall till they yéeld and become more quiet otherwise we run vpon our ruine both in heauen and earth For the one thus as you sée is prooued and truly the other is as true For what gouernment are they worthy that wil not gouerne as they possibly can themselues well What trueth can they know that can not abide to heare indifferently both parties No euery man shal frame him selfe to their humours till his turne be serued and truth shall neuer dare to appeare before them What daunger can be preuented or what guilefull guest cā be discouered when heate doth thunder out threates ere the time serue to take knowledge of the matter The enimie is armed the friend is discouraged and iudge your selfe then howe strength is impaired What seruant if God rule not in him mightily will truly serue where comfortable countenance either giueth not hope of conuenient rewarde or at least presently accepteth what is done in fauour What one that hath anie gifts friends or abilitie will euer abide with a louing and true hart where reproches and discomforts are his daily death No no it will neuer be nor it cannot be Well may a worldlie minde in regard of passed time and charge make men rubbe out and carie coales till they can do better or may get a cheate but the heart being alienated and the true faithfull kinde affection that is aboue golde worne away with oftē rebukes which being not digested send vp at times as tokens of their remaining a bitter tast all is but hollowe all is but in regarde of themselues and if time shoulde serue to néede them God knowes howe their snubbed harts would call their snubbes to remembraunce whereas méekenesse gentlenesse comfort and countenaunce maketh a seruant true in his dealings painefull willing constant in his place and readie euen to die in the seruice of them whose louing vsage hath pierced his soule with a permanēt affection if he be of any good nature and if he be not the same vertue of méekenesse watcheth loketh heareth and considereth all things wisely not bewraying himselfe till he haue found indéede a hollow seruant and then wéedeth out iustly so ill a member Therefore I saie againe whatsoeuer your occasiōs be of disorder in your affections be they at home or abroade truely Frailtie fight with your selfe and neuer suffer your infirmitie to preuaile For God requires it and euen worldlie wisedome requires it and the verie hardest things are made easie by some
vse Nowe you haue a God to helpe you beside vse who with his blessed mouth hath promised help and with his mightie spirit shall assist you if you praie Frailtie Yea but the course of the worlde serueth not for this counsel For I tell you nowe adaies who suffereth a little shall suffer more and who putteth vp one wrong shall put vp 20. Men can not liue nowe and either get or keepe if they be so gentle as you woulde haue them Faith O Frailtie howe are you deceiued And howe still sauour all your spéeches of your nature I pray you tell mée if God would saie to you be méeke and I would confirme thée in this world both with sufficient maintenaunce and continuance in the same be the practises neuer so péeuish against thée would you not beléeue him Frailtie Yes for I knowe he is able to doe it if he saie he will do it and I am not yet so weake to doubt his power Faith Uerie well and I pray you what followeth in this verse of Christ which now we handle Is it not a flatte promise that the méeke shall inherite the earth If you will then stande to your speech and beléeue the Lorde vppon his worde doe it nowe then and euer hereafter for here you see his promise The whole world may rage against vs and yet shal we inherite the earth in dispite of them all if we will be méeke That is we shall both get and kéepe that portion which the Lord thinketh méet for vs will they nill they that doe trouble vs neither euer shal the force of foe further preuaile against vs than shall be good one waie or other for vs. Blessed father of heauē what a promise is this and how contrarie to mans reason and sense yet repeated ouer and ouer in the scripture for further assuraunce as you may sée if you reade but that one psalm the 37. confirmed to vs by Paul who saith he had nothing and yet possessed al things and by the experience of all the godlie that euer was Therefore euen a thousande times marke it Frailtie and laie it vp The worlde pitieth these méeke ones and calleth them Gods fooles but the Lord blesseth them and his blessing maketh wise The worlde iudgeth méekenesse the verie high way to beggerie and yet you heare the Lord euen flatly say they shall inherite the land that haue the same were all the worlde against them Therefore to go no further conclude nowe with your heart Frailtie to vse this remedy of the Lordes laid downe to bridle fraile affections and trust his worde Certaine now you sée it is for the Lord hath said it Blessed are the meeke And euen by that holde that I for my parte haue taken of this promise I pronounce vnto you againe that the very day and houre of your birth you may blesse if the Lorde giue you victory ouer your affections and make you méeke and so I leaue you to his mercie The fourth temptation arising of want of iustice in our causes c. Frailtie I Cannot denie but your perswasions are vpon true warrant they ought greatly to mooue yet me thinke you doe not fullie marke my case For if I sought anie thing either at home in my house of my familie or abroade in the worlde of others which were not bothe meete for a Christian to demaunde and in trueth mine owne flat right I could see mine anger to be faultie patiently learne to put vp the matter I trust in time But I tell you Faith I doe not so I seeke nothing but as I haue saide mine owne due what I ought to haue and what I truely pay for and therefore I tell you in this case my choler hath more warrant than you well marke For it woulde touch anie bodie to loose his right And a man were better out of this worlde than to bee robbed thus of iustice and lawfull fauour as I am It makes mee wearie of my life and I tell you I feele it stirre within mee euen to strike handes with the wicked and to doe as men may like me that I may be quiet Faith Softlie Frailtie softlie your tongue tumbleth too fast and your nature I tell you plaine breaketh out too much Shall I loose my labor with you and preuaile nothing with either spéech or good will Are you not ashamed with this affirmation that if you sought anie thing vnlawefull you could beare in méekenesse the deniall Why no thankes to you Thus could a Turke or Heathen doe and almost the Diuell common reason woulde make them But I tell you except your méekenesse excéede this you shall neuer be saued For the scripture is plaine there is no praise to bee patient when a man deserues of mā his paine but if when we doe well wee suffer wrong and yet be méeke patient this is acceptable to God saieth the Apostle And euen in your verie case of sutes and demaundes that are but right if iustice be not had yet must this vertue of méekenesse remaine in vs as may euidentlie appeare in the verie next verse of Matthewe For there the Lord knowing the nature of fraile flesh how it would startle and storme at this matter and be tempted by it to forsake his trueth as it were of purpose hitteth your obiection on the mouth with his hande and biddeth it stande backe as not worthie to appeare and be hearde For Blessed saith he are they that hunger and thirst after righteousnesse for they shall bee satisfied That is blessed are they that notwithstanding they so moderate their desires as neuer they seeke or wish but what is iust and right and their owne due debt yet as hungrie and thirstie liue in patience cannot be satisfied with recept of iustice for their owne Blessed I say are these and they shalbe satisfied Where you sée euē with both your eyes except you wil winke y e euen in our owne right we must want right somtimes in this world yet must be méeke and godly and faithful stil And in the ende we shalbe satisfied either of man or God or both as surelie as wee liue Therefore Frailtie if it bee possible cease to be Frailtie and gouerne affections by these swéete promises of eternall trueth No want of iustice no wrongfull oppression no crosse and vnconscionable dealing of men must make vs fall out with our God or strike handes with the wicked God forbid Shall we serue God no longer than hee will rule his wisedome by our wisedome and serue our desires fitly But wordes bee but wordes and yet I tell you these wordes are true reason Notwithstanding consider you for your confirmation what godly men in the scriptures haue euer done and if God will haue mercie vpon you reform your nature to their alowed course I pray you if a man serue at the altar is it not reason that he liue of the altar that is if a man spende himselfe his bodie his minde his goods
dissembling and so thereby to winne fauour to winne wealth to winne friends countenance in their dealings that me thinke I cannot stand anie longer in the innocencie of a good conscience but I must doe as they doe that I may get what they get Yet knowe I this to be diuelish but I am Frailtie by name and I feare mee by nature I shall be no lesse Thirdly when any vnquietnesse growes in towne and countrie or any iarring vnkindnesse I see such hazard in dealing betwixt them such subtilties and fetches to make a man a partie in that which his soule hated and so to trouble him and let the best be supposed I see vsually so small thanke gotten of either partie but euen the cōtrarie that I assure you I sit still and let them bate the fire that made the fire and themselues waste one an other and a thousande moe too for mee if they wil. Notwithstanding my conscience accuseth mee secretly that this is not wel doone of mee And thus indangered without and accused within me thinke my case is harde and grieuous But I wil not wearie you with any moe of my infirmities For I euen shame to shewe you these but that you are Faith a friend where you take strong and comfortable and gaue me libertie to be thus boulde with you before Faith In déede Frailtie you are when these things thus flowe vpon you yet Frailtie may you cease to be by the grace of God if you wil diligently wey what strength in the scripture is ministred against them For to begin with you first letting store of other scriptures passe to kéep me stil in this fift of Matthew euidently it may there appéere that the Lord knewe it would assault his children and therefore vttered this sentence no doubt of purpose to confirme them still that Blessed are the mercifull for they shall obtaine mercie Wherein if it were well marked there is comfort hidden euen sufficiēt against this vile suggestion For shall the Lord of heauen set a blessing vpon the head of a thing and we not be mooued with it Nay shall it not more mooue vs than al the spéeches or conceites in the worlde to the contrarie tending What though a dull heart say let all men perish so I may be safe or what though a thousand policies pricke to a priuate regarde aboue measure of priuate welbeing doe we not heare with our eares and sée with our eies the spéech of truth which shall stand when heauen and earth shal fall Blessed is the merciful Either then make God false or this blessing assured to the vertue euer And if it be assured then neuer regarde the conceits of a witlesse world but consider the vertue in it selfe and what it shall pull vppon you Then to the imagination of want that may growe by this grace and to the sting that ariseth vpon their ingratitude whom we haue béene mercifull vnto oppose the promise that followeth in the place For they shall obtaine mercie Doth a man obtaine mercie when he is in this world made worse and in the world to come no better No you know he doth not and therefore it must néedes folow that this promised mercie implieth a greater good than euer can come harme by a liberall and mercifull hande in order either in this world or in the other or in both And it hath confirmation also of scriptures beside For I haue beene yong saieth the Prophet Dauid and nowe am olde yet sawe I neuer the righteous forsaken nor his seede begging their bread But the righteous is euer mercifull and lendeth and his seede is blessed And againe in another Psalme A good man is merciful and lendeth and he shall neuer be moued but had in euerlasting remēbrance Whereby it is plaine plaine inough that let the worlde and her chickens be as churlish as they may be yet mercie is gainefull by the promise of the Lord vnto the mercifull And more should we regarde what our God liketh loueth blesseth than what with worldly wretches getteth rewarde Yet euen here also it hath his praise as you may sée by proofe in Iob and others manie though not peraduenture euer in all that are most bound vnto it Wherfore euen a thousand times we shoulde contemne this rude nature of vnreformed worldlings and lette them be as vnkinde as vngratefull and as peruerse as their corruption can make thē if the Lorde soften our hearts and giue vs this vertue of mercie our rewarde is certaine the bill of our blessednesse is signed and we as we could euer desire assured to be gainers Sincke it then Frailtie in your heart if I may obtaine anie thing of you and heare not these things without any profit Ponder the good promised in your minde and ponder the trueth of him that promiseth it God of heauen earth If the good counteruaile your hurt as a thousād times it doth your temptatiō is strengthned and if he neuer deceiued that hath giuen his worde for payment of you it is more strengthned but both of these are true and therefore God giue you vse of them the blessing of mercifulnesse to al that truely néede your helpe is assured This were inough then if you be not vtterly fallen out with mée and will credite nothing that Faith telleth you to stay your steps in this godly duety of mercie yet regarding your nature rather than the néede of the thing adde vnto al this but some litle view in your minde of the vertue it selfe in it selfe and it may be you shall finde strength increased by it Is it not in his nature thinke you an assured vertue that God maketh euer anie promise of rewarde vnto Or can it make miserable that the Lord saith maketh blessed Or is it not cause ynough to continue you euer in the practise of it that the Lord so often so earnestly and so generally to all estates commaundeth it Surely it is and therefore mercie in it nature is a most notable vertue Is it not to be honored that maketh men in whome it is so renowmed as that all ages speake and write of their names and natures for it But this vertue of mercie hath béene such to many and therefore in all truth a notable vertue For proofe of my assertion I let passe the multitude of the faithful whome either scriptures or stories or present practise as yet amongst vs honorably speake and think of And I remember you onelie of his name whose nature in this action being an heathen hath often well liked me Alexander the great Whom when one Petillus humblie besought to helpe him with some money towardes the bestowing of his daughter in mariage by and by he commaunded 50. talentes to be giuen vnto him and when the man refused so great a gift saying that ten talentes would suffise beeing tolde of it he also aunswered that it behooued a good nature not onelie to consider what an honest friende
heare the Lorde I say that neuer lied Blessed are the pure in hart for they shal see God you heare his seruant Dauid againe Blessed is that man in whose spirit there is no guile no guile I say againe and the Lord giue vs strength Against discouragement from peacemaking the seuenth temptation YOur next complaint is of slackenesse that créepeth vpon you daily more and more in laboring to pacifie disagréeing neighbors against which your conscience crieth and indéede with cause for it is a great offence hatefull to God and hurtfull to the common wealth in generall and to manie a man in seuerall But in the name of God Frailtie strengthen your selfe by an earnest consideration of the great excellencie of that Christian vertue of peace and vnitie and fix not your eie so much vppon the acceptaunce of men that haue euer had their corruptions and euer wil. The vertue you shall finde in verie high degrée commended vnto men by the holy scriptures of God in many places and by manie arguments but I will referre the noting and naming of them to your owne diligence and content my selfe in a short spéech with a verie fewe Beginning first with that notable Psalme of the Prophet Dauid wholie spent in this matter Where the first argument is this That which is good ought euer greatly to be regarded and maintained amongst men but much more if it both be good pleasant too for these both do not euer concurre together But such a thing is peace and loue amongest men For beholde howe good and pleasant a thing it is brethren to dwell together in vnitie behold I say and euen marke it earnestly Therefore it ought to be regarded and maintened euer to the vttermost of our powers amongst vs. His second argument is this that which casteth a comfort from it like the precious ointment that was appointed for the priests of the Lorde Aaron and his successors and euen such a comfort as that ointment hath when it is not sparingly dropped but euen plentifully powred and so plentifully as that it runneth down euen from the top of the head to the skirts of his clothing that is a notable thing amongst men and by all meanes to be retained and sought but this is peace and vnitie loue and agréement amongst them Therefore to be regarded and maintained greatly His third argumēt is this That which being had is to men as the dew descending from the mountains to y e ground and being wanting is as the want of moisture to the earth that is thrice néedefull gainefull and good to men but such is vnitie peace and loue euen like the dew of Hermon that fell vpon the hill of Sion Therefore to be regarded and maintained greatly His last and not his least argument wherewith hée endeth both this matter and that Psalme withall is this That which pulleth vppon men euen all the temporall blessings of God and life for euermore that is a thousand times profitable both to them and theirs but such saith the prophet is peace and vnitie loue and agréement amongst men therefore to be regarded and maintained greatly Thus you sée one mans iudgement and that such a mans as had abundance of Gods most blessed spirite to direct his heart to thinke and penne to write and as in trueth was euerie waie then renowmed and now remaineth by the Lord himselfe in high degrée aboue others commended to vs. Unto whome if you adde some other Scriptures you shall more peraduenture be cōfirmed with diuersitie though this indéede were sufficient Consider therefore also those often repetitions of Christ in the gospell My peace I giue to you my peace I leaue with you loue one an other for this is my commandement that you loue one an other as I haue loued you and hereby shall men know that you are my disciples if you loue one an other yea a new commandement I giue you that you loue one an other Woulde euer the Lorde Jesus haue thus gone ouer and ouer it againe and iterated charge vpon charge in this order if it had not béen a most excellent vertue in euerie countrey towne and house loue and agréement Marke againe that most earnest exhortation of the Apostle Paule vnto the same in his epistle to the Ephesians desiring them in his bondes for the Lordes cause that they would support one an other thorowe loue indeuoring to keepe the vnitie of the spirite in the bonde of peace And why For there is one bodie and one spirite one hope of calling one Lorde one faith one baptisme one God and father of all c. A most vehement and vrging reason if I should folowe it and laie it plainer open And marke a multitude of other places to the same conclusion which assuredly the Lorde would neuer haue vttered but that the price of peace vnitie and loue is verie precious in his eyes and to all estates a most soueraigne good in the worlde Sée also howe sensiblie thinges in nature carie vs to this consideration For by experience we finde it that if the heauens agrée to moysten the earth and the earth being moystened to giue her increase we are all the better for their vnitie and if they should but euen a litle while either of them denie his office quickly and greatly should we féele the smart of it also Therefore iudge by this the fruite of good agréement Againe if the humors in mens bodies be at an agréement not one aboue an other but verie equally as is best proportioned and mixed all the whole bodie is comfortable prospereth and doth well but if once any one aboundeth or wanteth and their swéete harmonie is broken then by and by the whole bodie féeleth it and if a reconciliation be not made with conuenient spéede it perisheth Therefore iudge by this the fruit of good agréement Againe if the members of the bodie well agrée to doe their seuerall duties all is well but if either eye denie to guide foote to goe hande to reach stomacke to digest or so foorth streight the whole bodie falleth to hurt And therefore sée by this the fruite of good agréement Last of all euen in musicall instrumentes marke how well we like the noyse so long as euerie string doth kéepe his iust proportion how presently we stop our eares from hearing if any one be out of tune twitched vp too high or let downe too lowe and all the musicke is marred All which and manie moe in nature sounde vnto vs and as they can deliuer it out that great is the fruite comfort and good of peace and loue amongst men and as great the euill as odious the sight if any one member in his own vaine conceite be twitched ouer high or negligently slacked ouer much whereby that fit proportion is not kept that euer soundeth sémeth swéet For then will followe assuredly ere the time bee long the proofe of Christ his spéeche A
quiet from prittle prattle from scanning this neighbours wealth that neighbours wit this mans doings and that mans sayings and from coursing euen the whole country ouer til al men haue béene within the spéech of our tongues drawen out of vs by the power peraduenture of a pot too much or such a like influence Must not these things I say and the owners of them be accursed as sure as they liue if peace and loue and good agréement amongst men be of the Lorde blessed They must they must Frailtie For all the world knoweth the venome of these things in anie towne and their mightie working against vnitie and therfore I praie you and I praie you heartily consider of it and cast euen a long looke vppon them such an one as we doe when we would marke a thing indéede and beare it away And I doubt not but God shall giue you strength against your temptation There is no one thing so great a nurse of two of them namely of a misdéeming mind a pratling tongue as idlenes is when a man hath nothing to doe and to applie himselfe vnto but to sitte on a bulke in the stréete or bench in a tauerne or an ale house and to wet his tongue with drinke and drie it with talking or when a woman hath no setled gouernment of her selfe in house but is in the number of those that the Apostle Paul speaketh of which beeing idle learne to goe about from house to house Yea they are not onely idle but also pratlers and busie bodies speaking things which are not comelie Therfore whosoeuer wil be a preseruer of peace he must be an enimie to these curses assuredly and heare more with two eares than he speaketh with one tongue But I weary you with this digressioÌ„ which is longer than I meant and therefore I cut it off againe and againe requiring of you that you neuer hang vpon the accompt of men in anie thing that euer you goe about béeing commaunded by the expresse worde of God but fullie suffice your selfe with the acceptance of God and that which you haue here an assuraÌ„ce of if you be a peacemaker Blessed shall you be and euer accompted both with God and his true children the son of God And if this wil not coÌ„tent you quicken you strengthen and stay you in this vertue but that worldlie ingratitude shall quench you and drawe you to such extremitie as you spake of certainely Frailtie you deceiue your selfe there is no true godlinesse in you but euen your name is too gentle for your nature you are become plaine infidelitie But I hope the best and performe you no lesse if you regarde your owne comfort Sufficient is this yet once againe if you be the Lords Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God The eight Temptation Frailtie ONce more woulde I trouble you Faith if I might before we end it is in this I feare my nature if persecution shoulde arise for religion And what shoulde I doe to obtaine strength Faith There are manie treatises of this point godlie and comfortable wherevnto for larger discourse I referre you and wish you to peruse them For mine owne part whensoeuer I thinke of this matter these and such other considerations séeme most swéet vnto me as yet Further trial shal giue further assault but God will be euer good to Israel First it is ratified decréede and established by the Lorde our God that through manie tribulations wée must enter into the kingdome of heauen And therefore since it must be so so be it in the name of God be it vnto vs as it pleaseth him necessarie things are to be borne necessarily and with chéere For in vaine doe we grudge to doe what wée must néedes doe or grieue to beare what we must néedes beare Heathens and Pagans haue made a comfort of necessitie and shoulde Christians in better cause bewray more weakenesse No God forbid But let it euer be our spéech rather than theirs in such matters as our God sendeth and laieth vppon vs Ferenda quaecunque sunt They are welcome what soeuer they be Secondly this decrée course that the Lord hath laid down for his children thus to kéepe procéedeth not of anger and displeasure or of a minde delighting in our woe and séeking to punish vs but of great loue and most fatherly affection toward vs and in déede wonderfully worketh our better being and therefore tenns thousand times welcome shoulde this good will of his be to vs and very farre from shaking vs from the true profession of his name and trueth For his affection we heare his owne mouth speake it that whome he loueth he rebuketh and chasteneth many a time repeating the same that we might remember it And for the other we sée it and knowe it by the proofe of euery daies experience For what maketh vs sée the gaule of Sathans heart towarde vs and euen our euerlasting ouerthrowe sworne of him by his diuelhood if by anie meanes hée can worke it to the ende we may perfectly hate so perfect a foe and yet so â—â—â—ring a friend The crosse What rowseth vs out of dull securitie and colde conceit of our owne wantes or the necessitie of Gods protection and succour and maketh not only our tongues to speake but the fire to kindle and burne within vs and so our prayers to haue spirite and power before the Lorde The Crosse What killeth this intemperancie of our affections and this blustring impaciencie of our natures and maketh vs méeke milde humble gentle and like lambes not lyons appointed to the slaughter The crosse What worketh the decaie euen of the whole olde Adam in vs with all his lustes concupiscence and venome and daily raiseth vp as a meanes the newe man with al his swéete motions heauenly and reformed actions The Crosse What maketh vs spitte in the face of this flattering worlde whose loue causeth losse both of body and soule in the worlde to come and to be content to part with her paps and to bid al her pleasures adue The crosse Lastly what maketh vs teare our bellies from the earth whereto they cleaue so fast and lift vp our heades to heauen long for the life that lasteth and desire heartily to be clothed with our house which is froÌ„ aboue The crosse Wherfore then since it is decréed and that in loue to our so great good that all which will liue godlie in Jesus Christ must suffer persecution what cause haue we would the Lorde voutsafe vs eyes with the crosse to be discouraged and driuen from the Lorde Thirdly it neuer hapneth to vs by fortune and chance or by ignoraunce in our God or inabilitie to let it if it pleased him but by his knowledge by his will and by his hande and he is our father bounde vnto vs in league and couenant of loue that of his part shall neuer be broken while wee hang of him The mother may forget
y e childe that is her flesh before he can forget vs and aswell can a man suffer the apple of his eye to be pricked as he vs to be hurt if we cleaue to him then iudge if his crosse shoulde euer dismaie vs. Fourthly it is no strange thing or vnhearde of or vnséene before that befalleth to vs when we are persecuted but such as all our brethren haue tasted founde and felt before vs and why then should we faint when we drinke but of the same cuppe that the déerest saintes and soules nowe blessed with the Lorde haue begunne to vs in Cast your eyes about sée the course of times although I knowe you knowe it well ynough Beganne not Abell vnto vs in this cup and course assoone as euer the Lord bewrayed his loue vnto him before his brother Followed not the Patriarkes and Prophetes men and women elde and young in their times and measures euen till Christ came Then was it not the cuppe that his owne selfe beganne to his children in and the baptisme wherewith he was baptized Followed not his disciples sent out into the world as shéepe amongst wolues whipped and beaten checked and snubbed imprisoned and cheyned c. Followed not againe after them those thousandes of his children vnder the primitiue persecution some scalded some burned some broyled some hanged some headed some throwne down from the rocks vpon stakes some stabbed in with forkes some racked and torne in péeces their tongues cut out their eyes bored out their fleshe twitched off with pinsons womens brestes seared off with hoat yrons pricked vnder the nayles with néedles and a thousande waies tormented Yea was it not euer true with the godly In hoc vocati estis For this ende were yee called And good Lorde then why should not a common case be a cōmon comfort Why should any man or woman that loueth God séeke or wishe a priuiledge aboue all the children of God that euer were and euen aboue the sonne of God himselfe Christ Jesus Is it not honor ynough mercy ynough and fauour ynough to be dealt withall as they were Therefore the communitie of it to vs with all our brethren and sisters and euen with our eldest brother Christ Jesus should stay our hearts whensoeuer it pleaseth the Lord to sende it Fiftly the cause being not ours but the Lorde our Gods and good should also confirme vs. The short time that it can indure were it suppose as long as we liue should comfort vs. For our life is but a flower as grasse as smoke as a bubble of the water and as the vainest fickle fading thing that you can imagine Againe that passed promise from the Lorde of life and trueth sealed with the bloud of his owne sonne vnto vs the swéetenesse whereof all the tongues of men and Angels can neuer expresse That hee will neuer lay more vppon vs than hee will make vs able to beare should be like a thousande staies rounde about vs to houlde vs vp The promises of peace comfort and quiet for euermore aboue measure and concept of man in heauen if we continue faithfull to the end should hould vs vp That sentence passed in the Lords court of bastardie and consequently of depriuation of all inheritance if we be without correction should hould vs vp And what should I goe any further The examples of our brethren of al rallings of all ages men and women that haue constantly caried their crosse and neuer deliuered it vp till they deliuered soule and all to their God should hould vs vp Wherefore Frailtie euen as Iudas the Machabee could incourage his men not to feare the multitude of their enemies neither to be afraid of their assault but to remember howe their fathers were deliuered in the redde sea when Pharaoh pursued after them so say I to you and to my selfe let vs neuer feare affliction nor the euill day for our momentanie crosse causeth an euerlasting weight of glorie But let vs remember the firme faith of our fathers of our mothers of our brethren and friendes let vs looke vpon their paciencie vppon their constancie their hope beséech the liuing God we may followe their good steppes and staie in strength vppon his mercy whatsoeuer he sendeth vs knowing it as we know we liue that though our braines cleaue to the wales though our bones be strowed in the stréetes and our bloud runne downe euerie chanell yet shall we rise againe restored by the power of our God be gathered into his barne as his pure wheate our bloud reuenged we crowned and our tongues sounde the praise of him that sitteth vpon the throne with maiestie and honour aboue all concept of anie earthly heart Frailtie O but Faith the worlde will giue such a spitefull censure of a man or womans life religion honestie wisedome and such like as that it is euen a hell to heare them when the Lorde doth exercise vs. For it was euer and I thinke euer will be the concept of flesh and bloude that a good man and woman truely religious truely honest and sufficiently wise cannot bee so plagued as they tearme it of God at anie time and therefore the crosse must needes testifie to the worlde a want in all these Faith It is most certaine and daily found what you say yet is there nothing vnder heauen more absurde than that opinion For loued not God Abell Abraham Isaak and Iacob loued he not his Prophets loued he not his owne sonne and all that followed his steppes to this day Were none of them of a true religion of an honest life and wise ynough to take that course in the worlde that God allowed Yet all of them plagued he as they call it And neuer any further humbled in this world than Christ himselfe and therefore prosperitie or aduersitie may not be taken for signes euer of fauour or displeasure But the worst man most quiet often in this worlde and most honored loued promoted and renowned his deserued torment being deferred to an other day and the truest christian most troubled tossed reiected and humbled his comfort and rewarde remaining for him in an other worlde But beside all this plaine demonstration of a tried trueth vse with your selfe Frailtie to oppose against that concept of the worlde the sentence of the Lorde our God next following in the fifth of Matthewe after those that nowe haue béene considered of Blessed are they that suffer persecution for righteousnesse sake for theirs is the kingdome of heauen And thinke with your selfe as I haue nowe often sayde that if our God set a blessing vpon it what skilleth it what the whole worlde and ten thousande worldes moe if they were extant doth iudge Shall the voice of man be the guide of our course and the line of our life Shall mans iudgement or Gods iudgement stande in the later day O Frailtie we may not hang vppon so broken a réede as flesh and fleshlie wit is Wee may not be lifted vp with
mans liking vnlesse it haue further warrant nor cast downe with his disliking vnlesse wee knowe hee so déemeth iustly And therefore againe I say consider of this comfort Consider of this worlde and consider of the world to come the one is transitorie the other permanent the one full of woe and secret sorowe in the verie middest of pompe the other ful of ioy comfort and solace and that without all ending Then whether is here good to be happie and there vnhappie here iudged miserable and there founde most blessed iudge your selfe euen with verie reason Certainly therefore it is a comfort sufficient so knowne to be by Christ that gaue it and euer hath and shall comfort the children of god against worldly conceit blessed are they that for a good cause suffer persecution for theirs is the kingdome of heauen That is all comfort possible to be thought of and tenne thousand times more This was Paules comfort in the middest of all his miserie and therefore he boldly and chéerefully saith he neuer counted the afflictions of the world worthie the ioy that should be reuealed This comforted Dauid also that he perished not in his affliction as himself witnesseth and as that spéech by comparisō may shew I should vtterly haue fainted but that I beleeue verily to see the Lorde in the lande of the liuing And what should I name them this euer hath comforted first or last lesse or more yet euer sufficiently anie that were the Lords But sée further how not onelie thus in generalitie against persecution it pleased Christ to strengthen our weakenes but euen in specialitie also against those kinds which most bitterly tast vnto vs and shake vs sore if we be not strong to wit reproch and report For Blessed are you saith he when men reuile you and shall falsely say all manner of euill saying by you for my name sake reioice and be glad for great is your rewarde in heauen a saying neuer to be forgotten of vs whilest the life is in vs. For the gaule of these Crosses is not little and the power of this assault hath appeared not as féeble in great Prophets and members of the Church The verie words also of Christ his comfort insinuate a secrete force aboue manie others of this temptation For hée biddeth them reioice and promiseth great reward in heauen as forséeing a great downefall both of heart and countenance in man when he is once touched either with reuiling spéeches to his face or false reportes behinde his backe Wherfore to conclude and leaue you nowe to your other readings of this matter I praie you Frailtie open your eies or rather desire the Lorde to open them that you may both nowe in the day of peace and whensoeuer also it shall please the Lorde further to trie you sée with your eie heare with your eare and beléeue with your heart your offered comfort in the worde both against al other and against this temptatiō by name of persecutiō The word teacheth and we know it is decréede by the Lord to be the lotte of his déere ones euer in this worlde and therefore welcome be it The worde teacheth it and we knowe it much good is wrought in vs by it therefore welcome be it The worde teacheth it and we knowe it no chance nor fortune but the will of our heauenly father laieth it vpon vs and therefore welcome be it We knowe it is no new thing or vnséene before but the old portion of the godly that haue euer béen before vs therefore welcome be it The cause is not ours whē it is a truth but his that made vs and therefore welcome be it We haue a promise wée shall not be oppressed with more than we may beare and therefore welcome be it Wée knowe wée are children if as children we be corrected and therefore welcome be it Wée are told we are bastards if we be without it and therefore welcome be it And all our forefathers haue patiently carried it and nowe are rewarded therefore welcome be it Welcom I say the crosse in generall and persecution for truth all or part as it pleaseth God and welcome in particular this kinde of crosse if so our God will reuilings reprochings reportings false and vniust For we knowe our case the plea is ended and sentence is giuen neuer to be reuoked blessed are we good cause wée haue to reioice and be glad for great is our rewarde in heauen O the God of heauen and father of mercy strengthen vs that these swéete promises may preuaile with vs and that our eies may sée the comfortes of his worde What should feare vs Frailtie that haue such a God and that stande in such a state I pray you looke vp and clasp your God in your armes embrace his mercie beléeue his truth and as you liue though you be afflicted on euerie side yet shall you not be in distresse though you be in doubt yet shal you not dispaire though you be persecuted yet shall you not be forsaken though you be caste downe yet shall you not perish and though euerie where you beare about in your bodie the dying of the Lord Jesus yet shall the life of Jesus appeare in your body and there is neither life nor death Angelles Principalities nor powers things present or to come height or depth or anie other creature that euer shall be able to separate you from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus Frailtie The Lorde chaunge me and I shall be chaunged and greatly both ought I and doe I thanke you Faith for this conference beseeching you still to praie for me as for one whose name and nature you knowe but too well I can promise nothing but seeing what I woulde doe I leaue my selfe to his mercie that is able to make me doe both what I ought and would doe And so the Lorde keepe vs both Faith Amen Frailtie Amen And the Lord giue vs eies to sée what it is to haue a true heart to God and to imbrace true religion Is it not to stand in possession of all these heauenlie promises whatsoeuer befalleth to vs in this worlde to be happie and blessed in it and by it Be it pouertie be it sorrowe be it oppression or whatsoeuer And contrariwise what it also is to be of a prophane heart of an vncircumcised life Surely euen to stand as depriued of all these comfortes and if we be poore to be also accursed in our pouertie in our sorow and whatsoeuer befalleth vnto vs gréeuous in this world The Lorde I saie giue vs eies to sée it and harts to thinke of it For full well wée knowe that were euerie one of vs a Monarch of a whole worlde by himselfe they béeing as this world is the glorie both of them and vs must passe away like a shippe in the water whose tract cannot be séene againe like an arrow through the aire or a weauers shuttle through his work like a