comfortably to endure al maner of crosses for the trueth a good conscience sith y t our holding out in them is a certein proofe y t our faith is good our obedience such as will go for paimeÌ„t before the Lord. From wheÌ„ce also we may vndoubtedly perswade our selues that wee shal not faint when the like or greater dangers fall out When we haue a case in law for any landes y t we claime we are glad to haue our euidences examined whether they be good or no before we come to the pinch if we haue golde lye by vs y t we occupy not wee are content to haue it tried before hand y t we may be sure it will bee currant whensoeuer occasion falleth out to vse it Why then be we not glad of disgracings railings complaints losse of fauour imprisonment and such like when they come vnto vs for doing of our duty righteousnes sake seeing y t by our suffering of them the Lord prepareth vs for greater matters our patieÌ„ce in these is as it were an earnest vnto vs that wee shall stand when we bee tried to the vttermost Therfore I conclude this part with that of S. Iames count it for great ioy my brethren when you fall into many tentations knowing y t the triall of your faith bringeth forth patience And let patience haue her perfect work y t you may be perfect entire lacking nothing The second effect of persecutions wherevppon they be compared to a fiery triall I sayd was this As fire drieth vp al maner of drosse in the good golde so they dry vp many corruptions that creepe vpon the godly in the time of their liberty peace For thus it fareth with the best of Gods children when they be a litle quiet the world seemeth to smile vpon them if they breake not out as resty pampred horses to open outrage disorder yet at the least ther stealeth vpoÌ„ them much vanity worldlines delight in things earthly negligence if not conteÌ„pt of things heauenly Wherupon y e loue of the word doth decrease in them and they become not so carefull and zealouse of the honour of God as they were before The examples of Ioseph Dauid Ezechias may serue to proue the trueth of this The Lord seeing the tickle disposition that is in all men to this vnrulinesse was wont to meete with the same before hande with maniâ—olde Crosses euen in such men as he made especiall account of For no doubt this was one principal end of the infinite turmoyles that Abraham and Iacob were encombred with that so they mighte be brought to despise the earth which is replenished with so many miseries seeke after eternity zealously set them selues to y e whereunto the Lorde did cal them Now as he mercifully and in great wisdome did on this wise preuent such disordered affections as were otherwise like to haue postered their hearts so dealeth he as gratiously with his children in seeking to reclaim theÌ„ by the like meanes when they haue bene ouertaken Whereuppon beside the inward afflictions of the minde he often times stirreth vp agaynst vs enemies that speake euil of vs trouble vs for well doing that so he might fre vs from enemies that be more daungerous to our souls For although the ignorant and carelesse in all the crosses that happen vnto them doe only regard the meanes and instrumentes whereby they come crying out of the iniurie of their oppressours and clearing of them selues as parties vniustly troubled Yet it is otherwise with the seruants of God that be wise vnderstanding they looke vp to the hand of the smiter whome they knowe to be the Lorde himselfe whome they straight way conclude to be righteous and so iust as hee will not punishe withoute cause and that therfore somthing is amisse in them which he woulde haue them to ament althoughe that be good commanded of God and nothing but their duty for the which they be persecuted by their aduersaries Whereby it commeth to passe that they examin them selues and their doinges more streightly finde out many corruptions which before were eyther vnknown or else vnregarded and therfore would haue proued very dangerous to their soules if they had not thus bene rouzed vp to consider of them Which they doe so profitâ—bly that in the ende they say with Dauid It is good for me O lord that thou broughtest mee lowe For euen such troubles cause them to doe their duty better to bee marueylous circumspecie of their wayes that their enemies may haue no iust matter against them and sturre vp in them a great zeale to prayer so as they do it more often and earnestly then before We ought therefore to be glad to thanke the Lord most hartely whensoeuer it shall please him to purge vs on this sort Our vessels of siluer and golde which in time doe gather soyle we desire to haue scoured and the linnen that wee vse to our tables we reioyce to haue often washed And why then do we not take in good part all maner of persecutions seeing they be scourgings and washings to our soules whereby the Lorde mindeth to make vs cleane from some vntowardnes that is in vs. Verily this is a greater mercye then any mans tongue is able to vtter and the wisdome of the Lorde in this behalfe is very wonderfull we be entred into an euill course some way or other offensiue to the maiestye of God and hurtfull vnto our selues In the mean time God concealeth those disorders of oures from men whiche peraduenture woulde procure our punishmente by their Lawes and intending to reclayme vs to bring vs to himselfe againe hee sturreth vp some against vs and to our great honor causeth some afflictioÌ„ to come vnto vs for well doing that was due vnto vs for our sinne and disobedience O the ritches of his grace who is able to conceiue it Certeinly the Lord his retiring of Saul from pursuiug of Dauid causing the Pailistines to inuade the lande was not so ioyfull to the wearied man as this should be ioifull vnto vs when after this manner he stoppeth vs in our euill course and causeth vs to retire from that which is not good But ynoughe of this fruite of persecutions and the purpose of God in the same It remaineth that each man in all such troubles sturre vp his heart and pray to God that he may profite by them as we haue heard It followeth But reioyce in as much as you are partakers of Christes sufferings that when his glory shall appear ye may be glad reioice In this verse he requireth more then in the former There he would haue vs not to bee astonished at our persecutions for the truth sake here he sayth that we must reioyce be glad when any such thing commeth vnto vs. And least he shoulde seeme to call for any thing without rendring a reason therof in this
A comfortable treatise vpon the latter part of the fourth chapiter of the first Epistle of Saint PETER from the twelfe verse to the ende By O. PIGGE 1. Cor. 49. ¶ I thinke that God hath set foorth vs the last Apostles as men appointed to death for we are made a gasing stock vnto the world and to Angels and to men 1. Peter 4. 15. Let none of you suffer as a murtherer or as a thiefe or an euill doer or as a busibodie in other mens matters Seene and alowed AT LONDON Printed by Robert Walde-graue fot Iohn Harison the yonger and Thomas Man 1582. TO THE RELIGIOVS AND VERY worshipful knightes Sir ROBERT IERMYN of Rushbrooke and Sir IOHN HEIGHAM of Baroe in the countie of Suffolke Grace and peace be multiplied from God our heauenly Father and from our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christe YOVR worships remember that at the beginning of the last newe yere I presented to you in wrighting that which the Lorde a little before had giuen me to speake in two short Sermons at BURIâ— adding not muche to that which was then vttered as the diligent hearer of me can testifie The reason of my so doing I alledged as the trueth was that I might haue somevvhat according to the maner of that time vvherewith to testifie the good affection vvhich of duty I owe vnto you both as vvel for the manifold blessings vvhich the church of God and the common wealth in these partes of Suffolke enioyeth by your meanes as for your care for my particuler safetie and for the great comfort which by you from time to time I haue had sithence my comming into this countrie The Lord register them in his booke that they may come into your good accounts in the day of his sonne And because it pleased you then to giue such liking of the treatise that both of you desired to reteine the coppie and requested the same at my hands vvherof also I made promise the best vvay for the performance of this I supposed vvas the putting of it in print which I was the rather contented to do because the matter deliuered in it beeing necesâ—arie to be taught beleeued I hoped might be profitable and comfortable to others vvhich also vvas the iudgement of some godlie and learned men that reade it ouer My purpose when I preached of the text was to sturre vp my self and the hearers to beare patiently comfortablie and profitablie al afflictions that might fal out for a good conscience sake my purpose in sending it a broade and in making it more common to the churche of God is the same The doctrine is necessarie to prepare vs for those times of trouble which the abusing of our peace the contempt of the gospell the euill handling of the ministers the infinite abhominations of the land haue most iustly deserued according also as vve haue these many yeares beene vvarned and threatned not only by our prophets teachers but also by fearefnll signes in heauen earth that fortesl vnto vs further euils vnlesse in time from the highest to the lovvest vve repent take a better course and turne from our disobedience Yea in respect of the time present this argument is not altogeather vnnecessary for although we haue iust cause dayly vpon our knees to praise God for her maiesty the most honourable of her counsell and the rest of the gouerners in the Churche common wealth by whose gracious meanes wee haue good lawes established executed for the liberty of true religion for the comfort and incouragement of such as meane well yet wee see howe in euerye place where the worde is taught cold protestantes earthly minded men papistes and Athiests seeke deuise all possible meanes they can to hinder the course of the gospell and to disquiet the preachers professours which oppose them selues againste their corruptions and refuse to ioyne with them in their disorders A matter too to vsual in these euil dayes as the faythfull seruants of God knowe and in many places finde true by miserable experience If the preachers in any towne be carefull to do their duty what quarrelles doe wicked men pick to stop their mouths weary them and to driue them away and if any of the flocke take part with their teachers and professe obedience to the trueth they want no euill words frovvning lookes and hard practises againste them from popish vvorldly irreligious men The practises of our country of Suffolke to let pasâ—e other parts of the lande witnes this to be true cry alowde for vengeance in the eares of the Lorde of hostes as your vvorships very vvell know VVe haue many godly learned wise faithful painful pastors I suppose that diuers Counties of the Realme being put together can scarse afforde so greate a numbeâ— They teache the trueth of God vvith all manner so dutifulnes and holy loialty to her maiesty and the state they be carefull to liue vvell to the vttermoste of their povver and the Lorde be thanked that hath giuen them some good measnre of grace in that behalfe They lacke not countenance comfort and reliefe from the honorable and worshipful in the commission of peace for the shire so farre as they maye with a good conscience and according to the lawes of our most gracious souereigne VVee prayse God therefore and thinke our selues bound to pray daily for you all But I pray you what impes hath Sathan sturred vp amongst vs almost in euery Towne vvhere the vvorde is preached to hinder this vvorke of the Lorde hath there bene any vvay vnattempted to shake some of the preachers and in them no dout al the rest They vvhich seeme to make any account of the teachers and to professe more holinesse then others though alas not so much as they should doe escape not the vennom of poisoned tongues The pore people here and there in the country that be more carefull then the rest to resort to sermons to heare the vvoorde learne their dutie and vvith a good conscience to discharge such duties as by oth are layd vpon them bee not vvithout their crosses Some by the malice of naughty insufficient ministers other vntovvarde men to redeeme peace glad to leaue the tovvn vvhere they dvvelled Others frovvned vpon for doing othervvise then their superstitious landlordes doe vvould haue them Others maliced for indicting and complaining of papists other vvicked men for not resorting to the church not comming to the Communion and for misusing of the prechers some molested one way and some another And this I speak not of any thing done by any magistrate or gouernour in the church or common vveale let no man take me so but by vvicked papistes and godlesse persons that be scattered abroade in the counrry as Goates among the sheepe and darnell among good corne VVho contrary to the lavves peace Crovvne dignity of her highnesse and the kingdome purpose and practise miâ—chife and violence sometime couertly
will iudge all the worlde He hath prepared life and blessednesse for them that feare him and vengeance for them that knoweth him not nor obey his gospell I perceiue therefore it is necessary that I care for the life to come prouide for the safety of my soul after deth If I take the course of the world I run to eternal destruction If I embrace the word the only way vnto heauen eternall life I must make my ful reckoning of that which al the faithful professors therof haue tasted before me I must prepare my backe for stripes I must looke to bee euil spoken of iested vpon scorned at to lose the fauour of those that bee mighty to be cast in prison lose my goodes yea and my life also For I see this is the estate of the true seruants of God in this worlde Hee that shall thus debate the matter with him selfe and with an heart careful of his owne saluation cal vpon God for his direction wil soone be resolued with Moses to chuse rather afflictitions with the people of God then to enioy the pleasures of siâ—ne here for a short time Moreouer when stormes arise the windes bâ—ow and the floods beare vpon his house y t is when troubles and persecutions come he shal be able to beare them more patiently and with greater comfort sith in tâ—ueth he may say I thought so Loe it is come to passe as I looked for long since It is a common saying euils that be thought vppon before doe hurt lesse when they come Then they pearce vs deeply wheÌ„ they come vpon vs at vnwares and when wee neuer before suspected any such matter Therfore to couclude this poynt sith the crosse is in seperably ioyned to the profession of the trueth let him that wil stand with comfort in the time of his trial before hand make his reckoning and looke for no better It followeth in the text Concerning the fiery triall or triall by fire the wordes do beare either Now the apostle doth on this wise terme the persecutions of Gods children According as hee doth before in the first chapter The speech is metaphoricall or borrowed signifying thus much As fire trieth the pure golde from that which is counterfait and naught fining it moreouer burneth wasteth sun dreth y t drosse rust from y t which is good so troubles and afflictions for Christes sake doe discerne the faythfull Christian from the hypocrite and time seruer and wasteth away the corruption of sinne that creepeth and stealeth in vppon the faythfull in their peace and prosperity making them more pure and fine to the Lord. For the first there lurketh so great selfe loue hipocrisie in vs and there are so many deceitfull corners in our heartes that it is a meruelious harde matter to be vndoubtedly persuaded in our consciences of our integrity and vprightnesse to the Lord and his trueth while the profession thereof is commanded by Princes and hath countenance liberty profite wayting vpon it For then how earnest soeuer wee seeme to be peraduenture wee loue our selues not the Lord it is our own estimation preferment y t we seeke not the holding forth of the trueth with a pure conscience Then in deed we know our selues when we haue bene tried And if in the middest of al temptations we continue without fainting and turning back we may be bold of our obedieÌ„ce y t it is good y t we be such as haue built our house vpoÌ„ y e rock and y t neither heighth nor depth principalities nor power life nor deth things present or things to come shal be able to seperate vs froÌ„ the loue of God While our sauiour Christe was at liberty Peter thought himself maruellous stout he affirmed very confidently y t he would not shrink froÌ„ his maister although all the rest should runne away yea when the officers came to attach him he drew out his sword smote of a seruaunt of the high priest his ear But when y e matter came to y e pinch in deede we knowe how all his courage was quailed the very speech of a damsell caused him to abiure the sauiour of y e world to whoÌ„ he had before so earnestly vowed him self By him wee may learne to suspect our selues and our owne weaknesse and not to imagine that wee bee without all feare of reuolting because in the liberty peace of the gospell wee make proâ—ession of the same The sandye grounde nourisheth his blade so long as the weather continueth seasonable and calme which neuerthelesse in hot and scorching wether withereth and is vnprofitable That onely we approue for good ground indeed which in the extremity of heat we haue seene bring forth the eares with full corne Euen so it is nothing in these daies to proâ—esse the true religion the same being commanded by the lawes and countenanced by so many good means but if for our sinnes God should take away the prince if popery shold be established again or a mingle maÌ„gle of religioÌ„ permitted as in France then y â— true faithful professors shold be easily discerned from the hypocrit and dissemvler When all the enemies of Dauid were subdued round about and the whole kingdome of Iudah approued him for their only and true souereigne ther was no great trial of the fidelitie of his subiects But when Sheba the sonne of Bichri blew the Trumpet and sayd we haue no parte in Dauid neither haue we inheritaunce in the sonne of Ishai euery man to his tents O Israel And this drew away great numbers of the people to make an insurrection Then such as in the middest of those rebels by word or practise testified their subiection to Dauid with the hazard of their estate gaue vndoubted testimonies of their fidelity We can not say for a truth that al such be faythfull to her maiestie whiche in this her great prosperity wherein no enemye dare quech seemeth so to be they which in the dayes of Westmerland and Nort humberlaud stoode vnto her in those partes of the North agaynst their Lordes to their daunger were faythfull in deede and the land might make a good reckoning of theÌ„ in any other the like occasion As therefore by suche meanes as these loyall and true hearted subiectes to their prince be tried so when troubles and persecutions arise for the word they which be sincere vpright in the feare of the Lord be discerned from the counterfeite whiche in their profession â—aue sought nothing but their aduauntage â—nd ease And then in deed we haue put the church of God and our owne consciences out of al doubt concerning our entegritye when in the middest of afflictions for the gospell sake we haue continued with boldnes to professe the same We see therefore y t it is not without good cause why persecutions be called a fiery trial Now euen this should teach vs patiently
much And if we looke to the whol nation of the Iews first in Egypt and then after in the lande of Canaan we shall finde that the Lorde punished them alwayes first and that to so sharply as the like vengeance and destruction lightened not vpon any people As it is mentioned in Daniel And as Ieremie sayth I beginne to plague the City where my name is called vpoÌ„ The reason of this proceeding of the Lorde is best knowne vnto himselfe it suffiseth vs for this text to be perswaded of this trueth whiche we may vnderstand by the recordes of the scriptures Although it mighte bee briefly sayde that hee hath an especiall care of the saluation of his people and therefore punisheth them aboue and before the rest to reclaime them from their sinnes that they shoulde not bee damned with the worlde Moreouer because his mercies towardes his Churche are beyonde all comparison more then vnto others It is equall and righteous that it offending should both be first punished and more seuerely then the rest But as this hath beene the ordinary course of the Lorde toward his Churche from the beginning so was it especially true of the time wherein the Apostle writ after the manifestation of the sonne of God in the flesh For both then euer sithence the Lorde was and continueth so sharpe to them that truly worship him be carefull to please his maâ—esty in the meane season seeming often times to spare the wicked and vngodly that in the iudgment of flesh and bloud it was better with suche as sayd vnto God departe from vs we will none of thy lawe what is the almightie that we should feare him then with those that stood in awe of his commaundements and sette naught by all the pleasures and tormentes of the worlde in comparison of the fauoure of God and keeping a good conscience beefore him Consider the estate of the Apostles and professours in the Actes The condition of the Church hath not amended any thing sithence but as the glorye of it approcheth neerer neerer so the warrfare of it vpon the earth hath increased sharper sharper The persecutions vnder the Romaine emperours the Turkes and last in the vsurped dominions of the Prieste of Rome doe sufficientlye prooue the truethe of this matter Let vs remember what hardnesse Cranmer Latimer Ridley Hooper Bradforde and the reste indured of late yeares with in our owne realm when as it was peaceable and quiet with all the wicked of the lande And how hath it gone more lately with the true Christians and faythfull seruants of God in our neighbour countries of Flanders France and Spayue as their stories doe witnesse when as in the meane time brothels witches adulterers incestuous persons murtherers blasphemers ruffians and abhominable Idolaters were vntouched And was there euer suche a iudgement vnder heauen as after that marriage at Parise fel vpon those zealouse and sincere professours of the trueth S. Paul therefore sayth truely of all faithful Christians that if the hope of the life to come were taken away of al other men they were most miserable If in this life onely we beleeued in Christ we were sayth he moste wretched of all others Neither spake he this without good matter to lead him vnto it For whereas the wicked liue peaceablie in the worlde because the worlde loueth it owne be free from aduersity and in their prosperity reioyce them selues the faithful seruants of God bee alwayes hated and persecuted one waye or other they no sooner creade awry but the Lord calleth them agayne into the way with some scourge in the middest of their greatest peace they be humbled with inward temptations sorrow for sinnes past griefe for present and dayly falles doubtes terrors so as they alwayes woorke out their saluation with feare trembling Insomuch as indeed the most wicked were in better case then they if their fayth hope good conscience had no other recompense but in this life But the life to come is their comforte because they know that if the tabernacle of this earthly house be put off and dissolued they shall haue a building giuen them of God that is an house not made with handes but eternall in the heauens Therefore let vs not be discomforted in oure troubles as though for them wee mighte conclude wee were forsaken of the Lorde and did not belong vnto him Wee see here the apostle telleth vs that iudgement beginneth at his owne house It followeth If it beginne first with vs what shall be the end of them that obey not the Gospell of God We haue heard before of the troublesome estate of Gods Church people vpon the earth and how the Lorde seemeth to fauor the wicked because for a time they florish and be spared in their sinnes Now least the faythfull shoulde be deceiued with the prosperity of the wicked and imagine that the Lord would euer beare with them in their naughtinesse here the apostle telleth vs that they likewise must haue their course and that necessarily there must be a time wherein they shall be plagued For thus doth he reason from the lesse vnto the greater If God correct them that imbrace his gospell and be careful to doe him faithfull seruice if he begin first to scourge such is it possible that they should escape moste fearefull vengeance which be sworne enemies to his maiesty superstitious idolatrous ignorant and disobedient to his wil The time certeinly will come God being iust when they shall bee rewarded seuenfolde into their bosoms Therefore let not wicked men presume vpon their safety because they be spared for a time let them not insult vppon the Seruauntes of God because they are afflicted and kept vnder when themselues enioy the desire of their heartes and often times be the Lordes roddes whereby he whippeth his chosen For when the Lorde hath worne them to the stumps aboute the backes of his children to their greate good then muste themselues be throwne into the fire of destruction because the Lorde hath no more vse of them This did Isaiah the prophet prophesy to the comfort of the church in his time when sayth he the Lord hath acomplished all his worke vppon Mount Sion and Ierusalem he will visite the fruite of the proud heart of the king of Ashur As though he should haue sayd although God for a time giue vp his church to be chastised by the king of Assiria a wicked man so as he may seeme to haue cast of his owne people for euer and to haue taken the proude and irreligious Assirians in their stead Yet the time will come when they shall bee restored to their beautye and the wicked king with his people broughte to confusion and ruine Euen when the Lord hath by them accomplished that correction of his Church which hee hath determined According to that which he sayth in another place Woe to thee that spoylest and wast