strengtheneth you The holie Trinitie in one deitie gouerneth you and wil not leaue to giue you grace and fortitude to endure what affliction so euer for the glorie of his holie name Furthermore it should be to you no litle cōforte to recognise the manifolde benefites and blessinges of God which you enioye whiles you kepe your selues within the shippe of Christe Christe hath but one shippe that is one churche one in vnitie of faithe one in vnitie of profession one in vnitie of sacramentes one in vnitie of head They that be not of this one churche of this one faithe vnder this one head enioye not the healpe of the father enioye not the prayer of the sonne nor the assistance of the holie ghoste To be of Christes churche in Christes vnitie is of such importāce that a constant christian shoulde rather chose to die thē to aparte from it It is no lesse glorie to suffer martyrdome for the conseruation of vnitie thē it is not to offer to idolles yea rather it is a greater martyrdome for in the one eache man suffereth for him selfe in the other eache man suffereth for the whole churche Now then you that be in vnitie suffer for this vnitie and chrise happie be you whō god maketh worthie so to suffer They that forsake the general faithe of Christes churche and truste to some one article leape out of the shippe and seme to catche at a litle bourde ther of The beleuinge of any one article wil not saue vs the not beleuinge of any one wil cōdemne vs They that forsake antiquitie vniuersalitie consente and vnitie enter into the streames of schisme driue at the rocke of heresie whiuer vp and downe at euerie blaste of doctrine and populer flaterie and shal neuer finde place of reste or quiet porte to arriue Beholde in how many greate perilles they be whom this trobelous storme hath shaken out of the shippe Do they not endomage and hasarde their soules whē they enter into schisme and rōne out of schisme into heresie As by schisme they bereue them selues of charitie so by heresie they bereue thē selues of faithe How can they separat from the bodie but they aparte also from the heade They can hardelie dismember them selues frō the churche and firmelie holde the righte faithe seinge faithe is the gifte of God that floweth from Christe as from the heade into his bodie and mēbres An easie leape it is out of schisme into heresie and as easie to procede frō heresie to Apostasie for in heresie there is no stoppe nor staye Scantlie shal you finde an opinatiue heade that falleth into one heresie but slideth frō poynte to poynte into a multitude vntil he dislike euerie poynte of the catholike faithe which poynte perdie is plaine Apostasie And thē from Apostasie into Atheisme and Epicurisme the waye is made plaine As then it cā not but comforte you to conceaue that you kepe with in the shippe out of schisme in vnitie so it cānot but recomforte you that you be vnder vnitie of heade in vnitie of faithe that faithe which Christe preached that faithe which his Apostles receaued that faithe which the christiā worlde beleueth that faithe which our forefathers liued in euen that Catholike Romaine faithe which now you liue in and for which you suffer Of this faithe you haue the righte sense and felinge when you holde Christe in the foundation when you confesse the substance of Christes doctrine vnderstanded by that holie spirite which firste penned it Greate is the obediēce of your faithe in al doctrines in al sacramentes in al articles and in al Apostolike and churchelie traditions In obedience of this faithe you beleue that Christes worde is Christes worke and that by the mightie power of his word he is made presente with you and geueth remission and grace In obedience of this faithe you praye vnto Christes sainctes in heauen you praye for Christian soules in purgatorie that they may praye for you in heauen In obedience of this faithe you grounde your hope that God wyl not leaue vnrewarded your prayers your penance your fastinges your almes nor any good worke els what soeuer When you suffer nowe for the general faithe of Christe you suffer for euerie poynte that christian iustice bindeth you to confesse And this is a ful confession of the faithe catholike wherin you haue to acknowledge the blessinges of God that maketh you worthie to suffer for faithe in obedience of faithe for vnitie in vnitie for charitie in veritie And here vpon haue you to muse and meditate when greefes recurre that you suffer for the churche of Christe and for the faithe of Christe with Christe that suffered paineful deathe to make his churche glorious They that be not of this churche and of this faithe be whithoute charitie nor can they be pertakers of Godes charitie which be enemies of his vnitie Thoughe they receaue the sacrament of faithe thoughe theire faithe be whole and sounde it doth not auaile them so longe as soundnes of charitie is killed with the dedlie wounde of schisme by whos onelie deathe what euer thinges be sounde of them selues be drawen to deathe And schismatikes may doo good workes but good workes doo not profite them Thoughe they praye thoughe they faste thoughe they geue almes thoughe they liue continent thoughe they kepe virginitie al doth not helpe al doth not profite because they breake vnitie Put to this so longe as they be deuided from Christes churche they receaue not the life of his holie spirite for oute of his churche his holie spirite geueth not life The churche is the mystical bodye of Christe they must be of his bodie that wil liue of his spirite Heretikes liue not of his spirite schismatikes liue not of his spirite excommunicat persons liue not of his spirite and why Because they be not of his bodie What lyfe thē haue they they haue the lyfe of theire bodies but lacke the life of theire soules they liue in their fleshe and die in their spirite they die aliue they liue without faithe without charitie without churche without aulter without prieste without sacrifice without God. Consider then the lamentable losse of them that bee leapte out of the shippe now in the time of this tempeste Consider the domage and dainger of them which dismember them selues frō Christe and his churche Schisme bereueth them of vnitie and charitie schisme seperareth them from Christe and his churche schisme ioyneth thē to the synagoge of the diuel schisme spoyleth them of sanctification and grace And where there is a communiō of prayers and of al good workes common to them that be vnited in Christe schisme bereueth thē of the frute of al prayers of al good workes and of al sacrifices finallie schisme excludeth them frō heauen and leadeth thē to hel Beholde you that be of one vnitie in the house of God beholde what they lese by schisme and see what you gaine by vnitie You I saye that be in
eschewe error and to saue veritie The euil afflicte the good against lawe and order to serue their intended purpose to preferre their faction and to maintaine heresie In the cause of religiō the good afflict the euil for disobedience and breache of iustice the euil afflicte the good for kepinge obedience and holdinge with iustice And here in the name of iustice is implied truthe of doctrine which standeth in inward belefe and outward profession And this profession may be eyther in wordes or in workes so that who so suffereth for any facte wherbye he cōfesseth the faithe and beareth witnes of Christe suffereth for truthe and iustice So dyd Iohn Baptist suffer so do they nowe suffer that be persecuted for the catholike cause they that be persecuted for seruinge of god they that saye Masse they that heare Masse brefelie al they that suffer for the confession of Christes churche suffer for iustice You therfore o you persecuted catholikes to you I speake againe you directelie suffer for iustice sake You abide by it you stande in the face of the persecutors to you belongeth the promis of Christe yours is the kingedome of heauen You glorious confessors what honor shoulde Christe haue nowe in our miserable countrie yf you were not open cōfessors of his honor You suffer this affliction for his honor you suffer for the honor of his sainctes you suffer for the honor of his sacramentes you suffer for the honor of the vniuersal churche You blessed sufferers endure you to suffer so longe as God woulde you to suffer and blessed be you that suffer for yours is the kingedome of heauen And you afflicted catholikes you that lie and liue as straingers scattered in dispersion to you nowe I speake you leese not the name of confessors Many of you stode in the firste fronte of the fighte and confessed your dewtiful obedience before the face of the maiestrate Many of you fledde without preiudice but not withoute minde to fight againe You haue ben afflicted by degrees you haue bē forced oute of your countrie into this countrie where in time you were brought oute of credite by them that wished you wel neyther at home nor abrode Cōspiracies were made terrible treasonnes contriued the factious parte rebelled and nowe beganne ciuil and vnnatural warre What ouertwhartes foūde wee into how many suspitions rāne wee What obloquies and termes of treason sustained wee that meāt not vniustlie If wee looke to the common trobles of thes countries they haue not bē so cōmon to this people as proper and personal to vs The sackage and spoyles which the giltie deserued fel vpon vs that deserued them not Wee haue ben greued not onelie by the heretike whos treasons wee misliked but by the catholike also to whō wee fledde to be releued And wee haue bē so greued by bothe that necessitie forced to chainge our place hardelye were wee suffered to remaine in place and not without troble in whatsoeuer place Thy iudgementes o lorde be secrete thy mercies be greate to thee we must singe mercie and iudgemēte for thou hast kepte vs and stil doest comforte vs in thes cōtinewed trobles O you holie fathers and Monkes of Scheme o you deuoute brothers and virgins of Sion you prelates and priestes you lordes and ladies and you that be of pope Gregories famous seminaries at Rome and Reimes the risinge helpe and hope of your decayed countrie al you of what note so euer you bee that be banished catholikes and beare affliction for the catholike cause al you do testifie to the worlde that the workes of the worlde be yl al you reporte to good mennes consciēces in open truthe that you suffer for iustice sake How many of you were at home in good case and place to serue God and your coūtrie But when Godes honor was displaced you chose to relinquishe al and to truste to his holie prouidence You that haue enioyed muche worldlie prosperitie refuse not nowe to sustaine aduersitie and to saye with holie Iob. Dominus dedit c. our lorde gaue it our lorde hath taken it avvaye blessed be the name of our lorde What euer the iudgemēte of the worlde be it is no syn to be in banishment it is no shame to be poore for Christes sake Better is the poore that liueth barelie thē the ritche man that walketh crokedlie And better is a litle with the feare of God then greate treasures without his feare Humiliation is the christian exaltation therfore is the christiā willed to reioyse in it Whē he is broughte to be poore when he is made an outecast not reputed he must reioyse in pouertie in ignomie and in pressure for thes be the exaltations of christians thes be the prefermentes of sainctes who be exalted of God when they be contemned of the worlde And thē the comforte is that God maketh them poore in substāce to make them ritche in faithe the comforte is that our lorde leaueth them not hopelesse This saith our lorde Probaui te in camino paupertatis I haue tried thee in the fornaice of pouertie It is often sene that our lorde taketh from his freindes the worldelie partes and pelfe wherin they trusted that they might put their whole truste in him What soeuer God hath taken from vs yet hath he not lefte vs destitute such is his merciful prouidence Wee be in pouertie but not vtterlie withoute somwhat we be persecuted but not forsaken we be caste downe yet we perishe not God gaue vs liuinges some in one degree some in an other Some had muche some had litle al had inoughe How muche be we al bounde to render daylie thankes vnto God who of his goodnes vouchesafed to geue vs somwhat that we mighte leese for his sake Let vs confesse in Godes name the rechelesnesse wee had of Godes house and the ouermuche care wee had of the worlde God knewe vs to be wantonnes and farre rōne out of that course of righteousnes which our holie fathers had in Christes churche Yet doth he not beat vs cruellie as he might of iustice but hydeeth the feareful scourge of his greuous correction and sheweth the softe rodde of his sweete discipline Blessed be the name of God that aduersitie hath opened our eies which prosperitie had shut And blessed be his name againe and againe that we may iustlie saye Our lorde is at hande Our lorde is our helper at our neede and in our tribulation We may iustlie saye Virga tua baculus tuus c. Thy rodde and thy staffe hath cōforted me Thoughe God beate vs with his rodde yet he beareth vs vp with his staffe He beateth vs with the rodde of his outwarde correctiō and gideth vs with the staffe of his inwarde direction the direction of the holie ghost who in our correction directeth vs geueth vs grace and strengthe to beare that we murmure not nor despaire in affliction As for banishement why should we thinke it punishement seinge al the
him is that defendeth vs then the power of him that persecuteh vs. This moued that couragious capitaine and glorious Martyr S. Gordius whē he was exhorted to kepe his faithe secrete in his hearte and to denie it with his mouthe opēlie to saye corde credimus we beleue in hearte to iustice and cōfesse with mouthe to saluation God is my helper I feare not what mā cā doo That noble woman and holie martyr S. Iulitta complained to the iudge of iniuries dōne vnto hir soughte for iustice at his hādes His answer was that nor shee nor any suche as shee was which adored not the emperors gods which were not of the Emperours religion shoulde expecte iustice or pleade wronge Why then sayde she I haue done farewel my liuinge adewe my life Consider you nowe you afflicted catholikes that God maketh you worthye to suffer for his loue and to render your supreme obediēce to his holye name wherin you haue to cōforte your selues that God reputeth you for his freindes for to his freindes he geueth this special gifte You suffer wronges you sustaine the princes indignatiō you beare the displeasure of the magistrates for your obediēce to gods churche This poynte you choose not and gladlye would you haue it otherwyse But yf you choose it for pieties sake your choice is iustifiable S. Basil in the like case made this answer Of the emperours frēdshippe fauour and furtherāce I do wel esteeme so lōge as it is ioyned with godlines without that I holde it pernitious It was saide to Maris a deuoute clerke be of the Emperours religiō and he wyl make thee an Arche bishope I may not so be saide he least I offende God that is my Emperour His promotion I wil not take because he is not of my religion This is our lordes lesson Let hym be vnto thee as an heathen and publican that heareth not the churche As the heathen which neuer came to the faithe perisheth so doth the heritike that hath forsaken the faithe Out of the churche no religion can serue no faithe can saue he that is founde out of the churche is a stranger frō the childrē of god Nor cā he haue God for his father that hath not the churche for his mother O you trobeled christians and you afflicted catholikes beholde here haue you manye greate and ghostlie comfortes to cōsider For what seeke you when you suffer for the churche Nothinge I wene but what the selfe cause requireth to wyt that you do the wyl of our lorde which you be sure to finde in his churche For of his churche our lorde sayde Thou shalt be called a citie sought for and not forsaken In his churche you can not be deceaued of his wyl for in his churche he is alwaye resiant and therfore is his churche called Dominus ibidem Our lorde is therein Note here what tempestes and trobles the churche hath had The churche hath ben laide at and shaken from euerie parte and quarter of the worlde The Archeheretikes of eache parte men of condemned memorie gaue the first onset with violent shotte of tonges and al possible policie of penne The crooked crewe of their vngratious of springe put to theire batteries and shaked the weake walles of them that were not faste in faithe The shippe nowe tottered the shippe nowe was tossed with many contrarious windes Many were shaken in the shippe and al made wrecke that kepte not within bourde The sterrers of this tēpest were fraudulente persecutors who could temper theire tale in suche wyse couer theire hypocrisie with so liuelie colours that they obtayned credite of good natures To suche men it is agreinge to racke the scriptures to corrupte the fathers and with sweete wordes to tole and baet the readers that see not the hooke of falsehood wherwith they choke them Because thes mismeaninge men haue in outwarde shewe manye poyntes common with the catholikes they intrappe incircūspecte readers and infecte the simple beleauers as it were with one droppe of poyson amonge manye softe and sugered wordes And heresie hath ben alwaye accōpanied with tyrannie that vseth worldlye wysedome and pestilēte policie to further hir proceadinges Yet coulde neyther of thes proceede so farre hitherto as to put out the catholike name They vsed many suttle sleightes with the catholikes as Iulianus vsed when he byd his souldiers that woulde receaue their paie cast frankensence into the fire as Theodotus vsed when he offered a byshoprike to Natalius as Modestus vsed when he went aboute to perswade Basil to yelde to the time and to vse the fauoure of the Emperour But faire meanes finenesse and flatterie could not preuaile against the fast firme and wel vnderstandinge catholike foule meanes crueltie and violence lacked not contempte disgrace indignities abasement were added Aulters were rased churches destroyed priestes depriued catholikes iniured by imprisonmentes and tormentes Then were not catholikes permitted to beare office in the common weale onely because they were catholikes Now were al factions and fashions of pretended religions suffered to make their assēbles and openlie to vse their religion but onelie the catholike Now were bishopes and priestes cōpelled oute of their churches spoyled of theire goodes and called before lay iudges Now were the prisōs replenished with christians that were not suffered to be releaued suche was the mercelesse tyrannie of the persecutors Certs thes were greate tēpestes thes were bothe fraudulent and violent persecutiōs yet dyd not thes preuaile And why Dominus ibidem Thoughe now the world like the bublinge sea boyie and breake out his force thoughe the potentates of the worlde execute theire furye against you feare you not faile you not fainte you not you I saye that sayle in the shippe which nowe is tempested with contrarious windes feare you not our lorde is with you you be safe Dominus ibidem Asee who is that lorde by whom you be gouerned in this shippe Christ the sonne of God is hopsted into the mast of the shippe that is on the crosse God the father gouerneth the hinder parte the holie ghoste sitteth in the foreparte There be xij roers in this shippe to wyt the twelue Apostles and thes driue forwarde the shippe bringinge hir through the straightes of this troblesom sea into the quiet porte Christe our lorde that prayed for his churche doth stil praie Thoughe this shippe be tossed yet can she not be drowned because Christe praieth Thoughe this shippe be shaken with the violent windes of seculer attēptes yet is she safe from wracke because Christe gouerneth And the holie ghoste our lorde that sitteth in the fore parte of the shippe strengtheneth al such as bee windeshakē the holie ghoste dilateth the heartes of thē that be in tribulation When Christe tolde his disciples that they should be accused conuented and reuiled for his names sake he tolde thē also that he would not leaue them comfortlesse I vvil sende you a comfortor
of dignities offices liuelehood and libertie Why be you in bondes and bondage in prysonmente and banishemēt why be you yet displaced abased and defaced in the worlde I speake vnto you o you worthie confessors and cōfessante catholikes that lie at home in chaines and feede on the noysome ayres of vnsauerie prisonnes I speake vnto you that haue suffered a longe and lingeringe martyrdome and stil do suffer paineful fighte not ouercōmed Doubtles you bee daylie crowned the longer you fighte the more is your victorie the greater is your rewarde And you that beare aboute you your paineful endurance to whom al your countrie is but a prison and you that haue your heartes wrapped in heuines to see religion abandoned to se godes honor contemned to see Godes seruātes punished al you do testifie that the workes of the worlde be yl Repose you therfore your comforte in God his workes be righte he disposeth al thinges sweetelie and worketh to good ende He permitteth not you to suffer for his cause but to the ende you mighte take profite of it and suche profite as tendeth to the healthe of your soules In this suffering you can not but take comforte in the equitie of your cause againste which men haue no more power then God geueth no more then God permitteth for al power is of god Yf God permitte euil men to plage the good that turneth to theire comforte yf they consider that God worketh good of theire yl and suffereth the euil to liue eyther to be amended or that the good by them mighte be exercised God dealeth with you as the angrye father dealeth with his childe whom after he hath beaten casteth the rodde into the fire maketh muche of him and leaueth to him his patrimonie It is godes ordinarie mercie to instructe the good by the euil and to expercise those that shal be saued by the tēporal power of thē that shal be dāned In this exercise this is the comforte that he vseth euil men but for a tyme as the father vseth the rodde to beate his childe This is the comforte such as be nowe called flagella Dei suche as be punishers and persecutors of goddes people haue but theire time in the ende they be caste into the fire as Pharao was as Herod was as Assur was of whom it is saide Assur the rodde of my furie The churche hath nowe hir Pharaos hir Assurs and hir Herodes which be the roddes and whippes of Godes people God wil caste thes roddes also into the fire for he is bothe merciful and iuste knowinge their malicious machinations and seinge theire wicked attēptes againste the throne of his maiestie against the wealthe of his holie churche he wil trippe them in their turne and turne them into the fire in good time This saith our lorde The reuenge is myne I vvil so paye them in tyme as they shal faile of theire standinge Arise o lorde in time let al the kinges of the earthe feare thy name Arise and haue mercie vpon Sion for it is time to haue mercie vpon hir pea the time is come There is risen a great tempeste in the sea thy shippe is couered with waues thy churche is sore afflicted The enemie soweth darnel in the lande of our lorde Belial would haue felowshippe with Christe Alexander the copersmyth doth the sainctes muche yl What shal I saye Barrabas is lowsed Christ is bounde the lawes be chainged catholikes that now be afflicted for iustice sake suffer by lay lawes suche punishementes as traitors and heretikes suffered whē the churche lawes were in place But recomforte here your afflicted spirites o you afflicted catholikes consider you the difference of the cause in sufferinge When good and euil men do the same thinges and suffer the same paynes they are not to be discerned by their doinges or sufferinges but by the causes why they so doo or suffer marke the point Pharao afflicted godes people with greuous labours Here the persecutor was a wicked man the persecuted were the people of God. Moyses afflicted the same people for their disobedience againste God and him Here the persecutor was a good man the people persecuted were euil Pharao and Moyses dyd the like thinges bothe afflicted the people but bothe had not like purpose and entention The one afflicted with tyrannical affection to oppresse them the other punished with charitable zeale to amende them Semblablie Iesabel slewe the true prophetes of God. Elias slewe the false prophetes of Baal Christe whiype the Iewes the Iewes whipped Christe The Apostles were deliuered to the power of men to be punished the Apostles deliuered mē to the power of the diuel to be tormented In good times when God was feared and the churche lawes reuerenced catholikes punished heretikes nowe heretikes persecute catholikes In this similitude of punishementes the cause of punishemente is to be discerned and so be the mindes of thē that be punishers for the punishemēte may be like yet the cause vnlike the punishemente one the cause not one In the cause this is to be noted who be the doers who be the sufferers who do for iustice and veritie who suffer for synne and iniquitie who do to hinder and who do to profite Betwene the churche of Christe and the synagoge of the diuel this is the differēce the churche afflicteth for loue the synagoge for hatred the churce to correcte the synagoge to deiecte the one to reuoke from error the other to prouoke into error Sara corrected Agar hir maide that fledde from hir and was willed by the Angel to returne In Agar schismatikes and heretikes be represented who set them selues proudelie againste the churche that is theire maistris and mother and therfore be corrected by hir that after they be made humble by holsome discipline they mighte returne to hir Our lorde geueth a manifeste note how to discerne them that suffer for his sake wher he saith Blessed be they that suffer persecution for iustice sake because theirs is the kingdome of heauen When he addeth For iustice sake comfortinge them that so suffer with the promis of his heauēlye kingedome heretikes be excluded from this rewarde because they suffer not propter iustitiam for iustice Where there is not a sound faithe there cā not be iustice for the iuste man liueth by faithe Nor can schismatikes enioye this reward because where there is not charitie there can not bee iustice When therfore the doers do like and the sufferers suffer like wee must discerne the mindes of them that be doers and the cause of them that be sufferers Certaine it is that bothe good and euil do some tyme afflicte vse the like punishementes and pretende the same cause euen the cause of religion The difference is bothe do it not in like order with one minde nor to one ende In the cause of religiō the good afflicte the euil by censures and churche lawe to represse diuision to
sawe men and by and by to open the eyes of your soule to see your sauiour Christe Howsoeuer it pleaseth Godes holie wil to deale with you endure you vnder correction ▪ for God offereth him selfe therin vnto your as to his children There is not a childe of his vvhom he correcteth not vvhom he loueth he proueth In this endured correction you haue this comforte that God geueth you grace to confesse him and fortitude to suffer for him You haue this comforte that there cōmeth nothinge to you but what you may make your profite of Amonge manye profites this is not the leaste that it bringeth you to ioyne your selues near vnto God it moueth you to do more penance to make more prayer to receaue more often the holie sacramentes by meanes and vertue of whiche God assisteth you God strengtheneth you and wil make that perfecte in you which he hath begonne Aboue the reste of comfortes which you haue in this endured affliction the moste soueraigne comforte is to remember that what euer the iniquitie of time or malice of men shal worke againste you for your religion you can suffer no more then Christe him selfe suffered to make his churche glorious no more then Christes sainctes suffered when they cōfessed Christe and his religion euen to deathe Nor can you suffer for a better cause then for which Christe and his sainctes suffered And how muche better is it for you so to suffer then to liue in a false felicitie of the worlde and to die from God in schisme and heresie How lamētable should your losse be yf nowe you shoulde folowe the newe no faithe of the worlde and lacke God in the worlde to come because you lacked iustice of faithe You se how the storme endureth the sea is trobeled the shippe is tēpested and how Christe sleapeth in the shippe What now muste you doo but goo to Christe as his disciples did awake him as they did say vnto him as they did O lord saue vs Feare you not so to do for you haue Christe in the shippe with you he is the gouernor of the shippe he gouerneth you in the waye And your faithe I doubte not is nowe stronger then the faithe of Christes disciples was when they were in the shippe with him for they had not yet sene the crosse the deathe the resurrection and ascension of Christe They coulde not but be waueringe as men that were not yet confirmed nor comforted with the holie ghoste Your faithe is strengthened by the frutes of thes your faithe is confirmed by the doctrine of the Apostles by the preachinges of the Confessors by the deathe of the martyres by the vniforme consente of your forefathers finallie by the general practise of the whole christian worlde You that be so manye wayes cōfirmed in your faithe can not but goo vnto Christe with good currage and boldelie awake him and frelie saye vnto him Domine salua nos And to him muste you become humble suppliātes that he vouchesafe to quiet the tempestes of the sea as he did at the prayers of his disciples As Christe then in raysinge that tempeste did prepare the mindes of his disciples to beare trobles and enforme their vnderstanding to make theire refuge vnto him that he mighte shewe the mightenes of his power Euenso doth he stil dispose that greate trobles come vpon his faitheful seruantes which yet he quieteth in good time after they haue prayed vnto him And that we shoulde praye it is his holie wil. This hath he saide Thou shalt cal vpon me in the daye of tribulation and I vvil heare thee He shewed vs an example hereof when he went in to the monute Oliuet before his passion to praye And certain it is that prayer is of valour eyther to take awaye tribulation or to geue strenghte to beare it Holie writers affirme that to geue strengthe is a farre greater grace then to take it awaye and that our lorde doth more benefite vs when he geueth strengthe to sustaine persecution then when he taketh persecutiō from vs. No doubte but Christes disciples which be nowe in the shippe windeshaken and sore beaten with the cruel tempestes of the sea cal vpon him make theire contineual praier that he vouchesafe to arise to rebuke the windes and to make calme the tempeste No doubte but they saye and daylie saie Arise o lorde saue vs and helpe vs oute of tribulatiō But for that Christe heareth not theire praiers by and bie for that Christe releueth not their miseries presentlie Christe semeth to them asleepe wheras in dede it is his merciful dispensation and diuine power not to recomforte the afflicted so sone as they cal but firste to exercise and to proue theire vertues to proue theire faithe theire hope theire charitie to proue theire humilitie pacience and constancie It is written Our lorde God tempteth you to knovve vvhether you loue hym or no. that is God maketh you to knowe whether you loue him He knoweth you you knowe not your selues he maketh you to knowe your selues by iuste trialles and proufes And yet doth he not tēpte you to knowe you but permitteth you to be tempted to make you to be knowen to your selues and to othes how muche you haue profited in his loue which doubteles men can not vnderstande but when God trieth you And Christe our lorde is saide to sleape when of his mercie he prolongeth iustice when of his mercie he suffereth synners vncorrected and iuste liuers to be punished when he suffereth the euil to be exalted and the good to be deiected thē to haue prosperitie and peace of the worlde thes to finde aduersitie and trobbles in the worlde But the holie scripture muste nedes be true He that kepeth Israel doth not slumber nor vvil sleape And therfore muste not the afflicted leaue of to praye thoughe God protract his mercie for a time to trie the constancie of theire faithe and to exercise their vertues Some thinges be not denied thoughe for a time deferred And God deferreth for a time to geue them in more conuenient time God deferreth that the yl affection of our heartes might be better purged and that the thinges which wee longe for might be better welcome when they be obtained Thinges that be obtayned easelie be lesse regarded God kepeth for vs in store what he wyl not geue by and bye that we may learne to longe for greate thinges with longe and greate desire I crye saith Iob and thou hearest me not I stande and thou lokest not on mee In tyme of persecution the holie churche standeth in faithe and crieth in desire But God almightie such is his hidden iudgement and secret coūsel vseth to defer the praiers of them that be persecuted to the entente their merites might encrease and they be heard rather to their merite then to their desire And it helpeth to encrease the vnderstandinge of godlie mē whē their desires be not accōplished but after a tyme For