Congregations vnto Christe The same is verye dillygentlye and copiously described in the Actes of the Apostles The Apostles preached then openlye the Gospell of Christe in Ierusalem only in the name of our Lorde Iesus Christ which was crucified and raised from the dead in whom if they béeléeued was remission of sinnes life euerlasting that al men therfore ought to béeléeue in him bée baptized and ioyne in fellowship of the church repent and liue a godly lyfe looke for saluation in none other thinge for that there is none other name vnder heuen giuen to men wherein they may be saued but the name of Iesus Christe These Sermons the Scribes and Seniours at Ierusalem coulde not abyde wherfore thei laide hand vpon the Apostles and shut them vp in Prison and brought them before the counsel where quarreyling and chidinge with them they forbid them to preach this Gospell of Iesus christ But the Apostles frankly professing that in this behalfe by no meanes they might obey them but that God must rather be obeyed then men were neuertheles much and gréeuously thretned by the Magistrats elders Vpon occasion hereof the Church being strock with great heauines prayed hartely vnto God for coÌ„tinuance in the Gospell And when as the Apostles went forward constantly in teachyng and Christe effectually woorkinge in them confirmed the trueth of their doctrine with great miracles that a great numbre of men followed them so that the Churche was daily increased by thousandes then the magistrates officers setting vppon them a freshe cast the Apostles againe into prison intending to put them to death But by the intercession and meanes of Gamaliel the lawyer that was Pauls master they were delyuered but notwithstanding whipped and sharply forbidden that they should not preach the Gospel of Iesus Christ Who departing out of the counsell and Court praysed God that they were founde worthy to suffer reproch for his name Shortly after blessed Steeuen burning in the spirite of Christe and with great zeale disputing in the synagogs against the skilfull in the lawe and stoutly defendyng the doctrine of Christe was cast into prison and brought to arainement and falsly accused Who although he clered hymselfe with sufficient wise and graue reply yet it nothyng avayled him for hee was condemned to die and stoned to death There followed not long after a very vehement and sharp persecution of the christian Church described by Luke in the Acts of y Apostles by these words There â—rose about that time a greate persecution against the Church which was at Ierusalem and they were al dispearsed through the Regions of Iudeae and Samaria sauinge the Apostles For Saul wasted the Churche entring into euery mans house haling forth Men and women deliuered them to prison Yea Paul himselfe concerning this his persecution against the church spake thus in presence of King Agrippa truli I was determined with my self to do many things against the name of Iesus of Nazareth VVherof partly I dyd somwhat at Ierusalem and many of the Saints I committed too Prison hauing receaued auctoritie of the cheef prists on whom also I gaue iudgment when they were executed I punished theÌ„ also in the Sinagogs compelling them to blasphem that is to denye the Christian faith whiche is a great blasphemie and raging against them aboue al measure I persecuted them vnto strange Cities Now as touching the cause that mooued Paule the Preistes and people of the Iewes to persecute the Church was almost none other but a sinister vnseasonable zeale affection which they bare for the lawe of Moyses and the ceremonies which being lead with errour they ment to retaine and preserue and could not therfore beléeue in christ nor his Gospel For thei supposed that thei should be iustified saued by righteousnes of the law Contrariwise the gospel teacheth vs y wee shal not be saued by works of y law but by faith in Christ At this stone y Iewes haue stumbled fallen perished as S. Paul witnesseth in these words I protest for them that they haue the zeale of god but not according to knowledge For beyng ignorant of the righteousnes before god and studeinge to establish their owne righteousnes they were not subiect vnto the righteousnes which is allowed of god For Christe is th' end of the law vnto the iustification of al that beleue Likewise in another place Israell whiche ensued the Lawe of righteousnesse attayned not to the lawe of righteousnes that is to say was not iustified because they sought it noâ— by faith but by workes of the lawe For they haue stumbled at the stumbling stone as it is written Beholde I lay a stumblyngstone and a rock to hurt and make men fall and who so beleueth in him shal not be ashamed In this our age likewise and for the same very cause they aboue all other haue most vehemeÌ„tly and sharply persecuted the christian church y haue bin better men then the residew and lesse giuen to carnal affection Thei hate the Gospell and persecute the professours therof bicause they confesse ernestly defende that wée be iustified and saued by faith only in Christ and not by any woorkes Supposing y by this doctrine good woorkes are taken away and nothing regarded y men are made carelesse and stirred vp vnto wickednesse which is not to bée suffred in y churche But there is a far other vnderstanding in y question of good woorkes then thei either thinke or vtter nether are they coÌ„temned and naught set by although the glory of Iustification which apperteyneth vnto Christe only bée not ascribed vnto theÌ„ For vnto faith is iustification ascribed bicause the same dependeth on Christ only y Christe only may haue al y glory he alonly be our saluation and righteousnes as wée haue in another place declared more at large But beefore wee proceede anie farther let euerie man I béeseche yée weigh with himself how great and gréeuous this persecution was against the firste Church of Christe and how that they which were not slayn notwithstandinge receaued great sorowe through the death punishment and torments of their brethren that which Luke also hath not passed ouer with silence wrytinge after this maner The holly men caried foorth Steuen and made great sorrowe ouer him What and how great sorowe greife and miserie did they féele who although they were not slayne yet were they spoyled of all their gooddes driuen into banishment and brought to extreame pouertie and beggerie Heerewithall also let euerie man consider what Church it was that suffred so gréeuous persecution forsooth euen the most holly and moste perfecte Church of al. For of this Church Luke witnesseth writinge They were all filled with the holly ghoste And of al the multitude y beleued ther was one hart and one soule and no man called anie thinge that hee had his owne but all thinges were common amonge them nether was
scriptures the diffrence of the persons in one and indiuisible substance of Godhoode the Father the Sunne and the Hollye ghost but hée impugneth and raileth at the blessed Trinitie Likewise hée confesseth that Christ was a great prophet borne of the holy and vndefiled virgin who was taken also vp into heauen but as for that poynct which is peculiar to the true and liuelye faith hee doth not confesse that Iesus Christe is the euerlastinge sunne of God very God and man the only mediatour of God and men who being crucified slayne for our sake arose again from y dead sitteth on y right hand of god being of one power w the father in heauen These things he blasphemeth and impugneth deneing y christ was crucified wherefore he teacheth also erroniously touching remission of sins which onli we obtaine by faith in christ which was crucified ye he is altogether ignoraÌ„t of faith iustification by faith in Christ deuising sundrie woorshippinges and meanes to attayne saluation namely by fastinge praying giuinge of almes sustaininge many great labours suffring mutch trouble valientlye fightinge for the Machometan religion and dyinge in batteill Hée is also of opinion that a man may fulfill the law and demerite saluation by his owne woorkes hée hath his Moonkes Priestes in whose merites hée reposeth the hope of his saluation Hée confesseth the resurrection of the bodie but hée speaketh altogether carnally and impurely of felicitie as though in Paradise wée shoulde enioye bodely pleasures meat drincke beutie of the body as if it were in the blessed Ilands called Beatorum insulae or else in a certein Vtopia Hée despiseth the Euangelicall and apostolicall doctrine as hée doth also our holly assembles and congregations coÌ„maundynge all that béeléeue in him to bee circumcised after the Iewish maner nothyng regarding our Baptisme hée raueth and rayleth at the sacrament of the body and bloud of Christ and al the fourme and ordre of the Lordes supper which was instituted and appointed by Christe hée contemneth all christian vsedges and hath instituted peculiar congregations temples rightes and ceremonies hée commandeth the sixt day of the wéeke which we cal Friday to bée kept holiday he apointed fasting daies purging with water hée commaunded them to pray fiue times in a day he forbid to pray vnto saincts creatures but vnto God only which is trueth in déed but hée teacheth to pray vnto others beside Christe Sutch praiers are not acceptable vnto God bicause they are not made through Christe through whom wée pray vnto God our father in heauen wherat hée mocketh But S. Iohn saith Who so hath not the Sun hath not the Father Hée altogether prophaneth holly matrimonie for vnto men hée giueth licence to marie as many wiues as they liste and that which is iniurious and dishonest to forsake them without cause at their pleasure and discretioÌ„ Hée forbiddeth them after the Iewish maner to eate swynes fleash hée debarreth them also from wine howbeit the ritcher sort haue deuised certen costlye kinds of drinks wherby they becoÌ„e nolesse drunk then with wine And this is the doctrine of the diuell wherof Paul intreateth in the first of Timothy the. 4. chapter And whatsoeuer I haue sayd of the Machometan faith the same ar al to be vnderstood of the Turkishe religion or supersticion which at this day is vsuall among the Turkes And as for these thinges I haue reported them verye bréeflye that those that knowe not the Turkish religion may haue a brief extract not of the whole relygion but of the chiefest poynts and opinions therof Now through indifferent view of these things which we haue recited who doth not vnderstande that through the moste gréeuous yet most iuste wrath of God the world is by him most sharply punished since y he hath suffred so absurde filthy wicked relygion to take place and here withall let vs also beholde and weigh what a cruell and continuall persecution which indureth also to this day this impiouâ— â–ª and Machometan faith hath raised againste the holly Church of Christe and the true faith Machomet that false prophet and murdrous seductour of the worlde had persuaded his Sarracens that they are the true children heiers of sarra wife to Abraham and that in respect therof béelonged vnto them all the promises made vnto Abraham namely that his séede should rule all the world and therfore hée exhorted the Sarracens that takyng weapon in hand they should valyently assay to possesse al the kingdoms of the world as their owne inheritaunce The Sarracens were a barbarus and rough people of Arabia whiche before that time were called Agareni the same receauinge stipende of the Romanes fought vnder them in the warre against the Persians But when hée which bare the name of generall had the charge of the army in geuing them their pay had reprochefully called them dogs saying who shal giue mony enough to this coÌ„pany of dogs thei reuoulted froÌ„ y RomaÌ„s and beinge perswaded by Homer their cheifteine they chose Machomet to be their prince speciallye since he had perswaded them that they shoulde not bée called Agareni of Agar the handmaide but rather Sarraceni of Sarra the lawful wyfe by reason whereof as it is sayde they were the Lordes and heirs of all kingdomes These things were done in the yéere of Christe 623. But this seditious murderous and wicked villaine Machomet so soone as hée had obtayned the Empire began to enlarge and set foorth his abhominable religion with the sword and to enforce men to receaue it persecutyng also and opprâ—ssing the true Christian faith And for the better ratefiyng hereof hée continued in this trauaile the space of 9. yéeres vnto the yéere of our Lorde 632. Vnto al that would follow his relygion he promised felycitie glory Empire victori ritches and after this life the pleasure of Paradice And by this menes he gat vnto him great multitudes of men specially when at the beginning things prospered so wel with him for why the common people followeth good fortune victory and ritchesse hatinge as mutch the crosse and persecutions Hée willed them moreouer to persecute all sutch as spake agaynst and reprehended the Alcoran Wherfore many reuoulted from the Christian faith and all vertuous and true Christians were oppressed with gréeuous persecutions this was the begiÌ„ning of the Sarracens kingdome After the death of Machomet the Sarracens called their chief princes Amiras which as some saye signifieth as mutch as the name of Emperour Whose names and most famous conquestes are described in histories vnto the yéere of Christe 870. They made many great warres and fought sundry battailes and obtayned conquestes against y Emperours of ConstaÌ„tinople and other kinges and princes They subdued Persia Babilon Syria the citie of Ierusalem and gat sundry great victoryes in Asia and Affrica in whiche places they terme their Princes Souldans or Sultans and Caliphas
was possessed with a diuell railinge and reprochinge his doctrine which they could in no wise abide béecause it was quighte contrarie vnto theirs For they spake litle or nothinge of faith but of woorkes only how wée were iustified by the lawe or obseruing the law but specially by sacrifice likewise they taught litle of Charitie but applied all to their auarice makinge of the lordes house a verie shoppe of Merchandize For in the temple were shéep and Dxen and doues to bée sold for sutch as offred sacrifice and for their farther gaine they had set vp tables for vserie and exchange But Christe making a scourge of small cordes draue them all out of the temple as well the shéepe oxen and doues as those that sold them as also the bankers and exchangers and all that sold religion for monie Wherfore for this cause only they dayly persecuted Christe goinge about to stone him or kill him and hée oftentimes conuaid himself away flying out of Iudea in to Galile and sustained paciently sundrie afflictions reproches and traueyles And last of all hée was béetraid and sold by one of his owne disciples apprehended and brought into the ecclesiasticall iudgment of the priestes and by Pontius Pilate the Romane Lieutenant condemned to the death of the crosse for no other cause but for that as indéede he was hée affirmed himselfe to bée the verie sunne of the liuinge God the trew Messias or Christe the only and eternall sauiour of al the world But before that he was brought vnto the Lieutenant the seruāts and ministers of the priests shamefully mocked misused him in the high bishops hal they blindfolded him spet in his face buffeted him reprochfully and disdainfully intreating his diuine wisdom and maiestie In the morning when they brought him before the lieutenant they falsly accused him to bee a seductor of the people a seditious fellow well worthye to be hanged on the Crosse But Pilate when he had diligently examined all the matter vnderstanding the cause sundrye times pronounced that hee was not guiltie and that hee could not condemne him by lawe and notwithstanding that hee was innocent yet was he handled dispightfullye For he was led vnto Herod by him contemptuously abused flouted of his courtiars and galantes with all scornfull demeanure He was compared vnto Barrabas the most notorious théefe and murtherer of that age whom the Jewes preferred before Christ supposinge that hée was woorse then that wicked villayn whome all the worlde hated Hée was scurged also and crowned with a crowne of wreathed thorns and being in this sorte miserably handled and tormented was brought foorth into the sight of the vnthankfull people But for al this there was no grace nor pardon to bée found specially amonge the preistes egginge the Lieutenant to cōdemne the innocent and the hée shoulde permit them to leade him to execution to crucifie him béetwen two théeues And when hée was in moste gréeuous paines and the very panges of death he was moste outragiously intreated with blasphemous frumps scornes and reprocheful vsages For the préestes with many other mo walking before the crosse vttred foorth sundrie horrible and gréeuous woords against him which are by S. Mathe diligently set downe in writinge Amongst which most gréeuous temptations and iniuries in the midst of these sorowes Christe yéelded vp the ghost vpon the crosse Whilst Christe suffred these thinges his disciples were miserably dispersed and all the faythfull conceaued wounderfull and incredible sorowe for the passion and death of Christe Manie fearfully doubted least at that time the doctrine of the Gospell were wholy extinguished So that this persecution which was against christe both touched and troubled the whole Church and all the faithfull And although the enemies of Christ hoped that they had gotten the conquest and destroyd the doctrine of the Gospell notwithstandynge their victorie made not the pharisaicall doctrine one iote the better nor the doctrine of the Gospell the woorser For it is no good consequent the Pharises put Christe to death wherefore their doctrine is true and Christes false The cause which moued the Pharises and al other enemies of Christ to persecute him surely was none other then the they were desierous to retaine their owne erronious doctrine oppresse the gospell w the followers therof wherby they might with securitie enioye their raigne lustes and pleasures And likewise in our age many of the Papists do persecute the faithful for none other cause This is a comfort vnto vs that in so great afliction when the disciples were scattered Christ of all men forsaken yet only Iohn amōgst al the other discipls durst boldlye approche to the crosse of Christe and ioyne himself vnto Mary the vndefiled and perpetuall virgin the mother of our Lord and Mary Magdelen Cleophas with other moe Heere by their infirmitie the power of God is declared Likewise Ioseph and Nicodemus valiently béehaued themselues Like as at this day also it falleth out for wher as the trueth is taught to bée so greuously pressed with persecution that there séemeth to be no man that taketh regard or care therof then most times by the meanest sort and not seldome by noble and great personages there bée newe and fortunate fowndations laid wherby the trueth is wonderfully increased Wherfore wée must not in the greatest persecutions cast of our hope and comfort Here béefore althinges this is to bée obserued that wée iudge far otherwise of Christes death and passion then of the death and affliction of Iohn and other sainctes who haue suffred persecution for God and the truethes sake and with their bloude borne recorde to the heauenly trueth but wée ought far more excellently to accompt of the blood and death of Christe For as hée is the euerlastinge sunne of God and life vnto all those that béeleue in him so his blood death and passion are a clensinge sacrifice and a propitiation for the sinnes of the whole worlde For by his death wée obtayne life and by his bloodshed wée get remission of sinnes And vnto this opinion all the doctrine of the Prophetes and Apostles bear witnes specially the epistle of Saint Paule to the Hebrues Wherfore our life and forgiuenes of sinns is reposed in the deth and passion of Christe only and not in the martyrdom or passion of any sainct Since therfore Christe is the head of his Church and hée suffred so manye thinges by his example the church also learneth that it must suffer many things as it is abundantlye shewen in the writings of the Euangelists and Apostles Of the thirde Tragical Acte or persecutiō wherin the Apostles were taken and scurged Steeuen was stoned the Church and congregation of Ierusalem banished dispersed Chapter iii. THe third persecution of the church began alitle after the Ascencion of christ into heauen which is the feast of Pentecost or Witsontyde when the Apostles earnestly preached the Gospel and had gathered together great and worthye
of Rome But vndoubtedlye the Lorde will come shortlye to iudge both the quick and the dead But to the end that this matter may the better bée vnderstoode and for the more exact knowledge therof it cannot bée denied that many errours and abuses not now first but sumwhat béefore haue crept in and haue bin receaued into the Church so that through continuance of time they haue growen into custome Which thinges with manie other moe in processe of time are confirmed and cheifly by the Popes forced vpon men and by subtile practises but specially by the swoorde inlarged and preserued in so mutch that many perceauynge the errour yet durst not openly withstande it for they saw well that they might not so do without daunger of their owne bloud But cheifly in these later times this custome hath preueyled which I wil now recite In the dayes of the emperours Lotharius and Conrade the .iij. or as other some say of Fridericke about the yéere of Christe 1130. Gratianus Bononiensis a Munke of the order of Benedictus gathered together the sentences of the counsels fathers and popes touching sundry matters apperteinyng to religion the Church and setfoorth that work abroad which is commonly called Decretum or Decree After Gratianus certein popes as Gregory the. 9. Bonifacius the 8 Clemens the. 5. Iohn the. 22. following the example of Gratianus haue gathered also with y help of certein munks and Doctours they patched together seÌ„tences and iudgements of Popes concernyng rites and institutions and businesses apperteinyng to Churches and ecclesiasticall orders The same are called Decretales and Extrauagantes and were added vnto Gratianus Decretum and all of them togither do make the body of the Canon law This law béegan to bée taught in schooles which all other followed in doing the like in their ecclesiasticall iudgmentes and administration of the Church â—y which menes Schooles and vniuersities whiche are called the Schooles of lawes Canons came vnder the Popes iurisdiction wherein the scholars Maisters and Doctours muste take an othe to bée obedient vnto the Pope and the 〈◊〉 of Rome or vnto sutch as are obedient vnto him or against his lawes and institutions â–ª Yea this matter hath proceded so farre that the emperours also as well as all other bysshops must take an othe vnto the Pope The fourm of which Othe is extant in the Decrées Decretals And by this meanes the Pope hath made subiect bound béeholding vnto him al sortes and orders of the Church Héereunto oppertaineth that at the same time with Gratianus not longe after accordinge to the supputation of other about the yéere of our Lorde 1172. Peter Lumbard whom they call maister of the sentences wroat and setforth 4. bookes of the Christian faith and doctrine which were receaued into the Schooles as was the body of the lawe so that like as Gratianus is aucthour of the Canonistes doctours of the Pontifical lawe so Peter Lumbard is aucthour of the scholasticall diuinitie For the Doctours of those times and cheiflye mendicant friers read Lumbardes sentences openly in schools and haue written vpon the same as Albertus Thomas Bonauenture Scotus and many other And according vnto these sentences they ordred the doctrin of faith and all other affaires of the Church At which time the Christian doctrine was wonderfully torne cut into sundrie questions wherof they coÌ„monly disputed and argued in the scholes and holy sermons or rather skoulded wherby the Christian doctrine béecame altogither vnlike vnto th'auntient Apostolike singlenes integritie Althings were referred and subiected to the sea of Rome and y pope vnto whom al the Canonistes diuines were bound by an othe And this is the conspiracie of the clargie which they cal vaunt to be the consent of al the church in faith doctrine Howbeit in veri déed it is none other but this conspiracy which we haue héere recited Wherfore out of this fountaine and welspryng flowed y greuous papisticall persecution against the Christian Church For whosoeuer misliked with the Popes Monarchie and conspiracy of the clergy which they terme consent and agréement of the church and did not speake althinges according to the intent of the Canonistes and Theologistes vpon those they ran in flockes and through the Popes helpe and asistance of the seculer arme they proclamed them euerywhere hereticks persecuted and oppressed them Touchyng which purpose in the Decretals there is extant a decrée of Pope Lucius the third the effect whereof is this Whosoeuer thinke otherwise of the Sacramentes then the holy Church of Rome thinketh and lykewise all whom the Pope shall condemne let them be accoumpted for heretickes and excomunicate persons Ther is added also an explication how the ciuill Magistrate shall procéede against sutch which if hée wyll not doe how they shall procéede against the disobedient Maiestrate The thirde booke the seuenth Title of Heretickes Chapter Ad abolendum To abolish c. Hereunto accorded the counsell which as wée haue before admonished the Popes had vnder their owne power for by occasion of them they haue alwayes kept their consent and agréement and all that euer resisted the same those haue they oppressed put to flighte or quight rooted out For whatsoeuer were decréed in the counselles the same must be brought to effect immediatly put in execution whereunto all Maiestrats wer bound and as many as were able to beare armour In the yéere of our Lorde 1215. Pope Innocentius the third held a great counsell in Lateran at Rome the manner and forme of the indiction Abbas Vrspurgensis hath expressed in his Cronacles whiche comprehendeth verye many thinges the cheife summe wherof bée these First of making warre vpon the Sarracens and recouering Ierusalem and the holye Sepulcher The second of rooting out heresies The third of mendinge of manners and refourming the Church The same Chapters were propounded almost in al counsels which haue bin holden from that time hitherto They all intreate of thrée poyntes Of repressinge the force of the Turkes of rooting out of heresies and of refourming the Church But although they haue celebrated many Counsels within the precinct of 300. yéeres and more yet haue they in none of them refourmed that was amisse wherby it might deserue the name of a reformation For errours and superstitions with sundrye abuses moe are not taken away but more increased mutchlesse haue they reformed anye whit in the head as they speake or members of the Church And although the whole world during the space of certen hundred yéeres haue woorthely accused the abuses and most corrupt state of the ecclesiasticall order with other enormities of the Church which well deserue to be taken away and mended Notwithstandinge they haue not touched them with their little finger and therfore oftentimes arise some greater discordes and they fall farther of from the Christian discipline Yea all such as séeke for and require to haue some
to mutch be wedded vnto temporall thinges but with more ernest desier séeke for thynges eternall Vnto which purpose and meanyng S. Peter writeth Deerely beloued bee yee not troubled in this heat whiche now is come among you to trie you as though some straunge thyng had hapned vnto you but rather reioyce in as mutch as you are made partakers of Christes passions that when his glory appereth yee may be mery and glad Peter the first Epistle the. 4. chapter Wherunto also tende the wordes of the Apostle S. Paule We reioyce also in tribulations knowyng that tribulation bringeth pacience pacience bringeth experience experience bringeth hope and hope maketh not ashamed Paule to the Romans the. 5. chapter Agayne when the Lorde layeth the Crosse vpon those whom hée loueth and suffereth men which are not altogether wicked to bée afflicted but sutch as feare God and serue him although notwithstandynge they haue some blemishes therwithall hée sheweth what wicked men the children of this worlde must looke for Like as the Lord himself witnesseth who bearyng his owne Crosse when hée was lead to execution sayed It it be thus in the greene tree that beareth frute what shall bee in the drye and vnfrutfull And Saint Peter For it is time saith hée that iudgment begin at the house of god then if it begin first with vs what shalbée the ende of those y obey not the gospel of God And if the iust bée scarce faued where shall the wicked sinful man shew his face By persecutions also God draweth vnto him and directeth in the right way those which before that time walked not strait in the waies of the lord And hée complaineth by his prophetes and blameth his people y being put in mind of their duty with many stripes yet wold they not turne vnto him Moreouer in persecutions afflictions there is geueÌ„ vnto vs matter occasion of trouble that we may bring foorth good works w pacieÌ„ce w a good hope y we may cal vpon god in our passioÌ„s neuer waxe wery with calling like as the lord Iesus hath manifestlye taught vs in Luke the. 18 chap. And in very déed we finde this dayly to be true that wée are slouthfull and cold in prayer when wée are gréeued with no persecution nor touched almost w ani kind of aduersity Last of all God exerciseth the faithful with persecutions swiping from them as it were the dust of worldly desire or fleshly lusts that they should not perish in their sins w the wicked worlde For it is sure and true which S. Paul writeth But wheÌ„ we ar iudged of the lord we are chastined that we should not be damned with the world 1. Cor. ca. 11. Now when we be thus instructed we must humble and submit our selues vnto the mightye hande of the Lord who when he seeth his time can deliuer vs againe when it shall séeme conuenient vnto his good plesure Wherof we haue an example in Dauid who wheÌ„ he was persecuted by his owne sun Absolon among other thinges he saide If I haue found fauour in the sight of the Lord he will restore mee But if he say vnto me I haue no delight in thee Behould I am here let him doe vnto mee that which is acceptable in his sight The same Sainct Peter willeth al men to do which suffer persecution writing thus VVherfore let al them that suffer afflictions according to the will of God commit their soules to him with well doyng as vnto a faithfull creator These causes and effectes of the persecutions of the Christian Churche I haue bréefly chosen out amongst many lest that the store and ouer long reciting of them at large should be gréeuous vnto any The End Herode the great firste persecuted our sauiour A cruell slaughter Math. 2. Curious questions touching these Children The cause of this persecution Iohn Baptist firste preacher of the Gospell What Iohn preached Iohn 1. Iohn taken Iohn beheaded Sundryâ—e opinions of this dede Causes of Herods parsecution Christes doctrine Pharisaical doctrine Christes persecution Accusation aginst christ His passion Apostles Sermons Sorrowe and praiers of the church Steuen stoned Actes 8. Actes 76. Rom. 10. Rom. 9. Cause of persecutyon at this time Actes 8. Actes 4. Actes 2. Wee muste not ask why God suffereth his churche to bee persecuted Iames Apostle slayne 2. Tim. 2. Actes 9. 2. Cor. 12. Actes 13. Actes 14. Actes 17. Actes 18. Actes 19. 1. Cor. 1. Actes 〈◊〉 Act. 23. Act. 25. Act. 2 7. Act. 28. Rom. 15. Paules affliccions 2. Cor. 11. Deut. 25. Al the apostles after afflictions were put to death Peter and Andrevv Iames the elder Iohn Euan. Phillippe Bartelmew Thomas Mathew Iames the lesse Simon and Iude. Mathias Note Nero persecuteth the Christians Rome punished with fire as Sodome was Nero imputeth the fire to Christians Wee must not dispute with God. Diuelyshe pride Note Iohn the Euangelist Read Cyp. against Demetri Traians persecution God is iust and the faith true Polycarp Pionius Iustinus Iraeneus Phoianus Maturus Sanctus Blandina Atalus Triumphyng of the people Quadratus sereous Granius Aristides In the eccles Hist boke 4. cha 9. Iustinus Asianus Appolinaris Milciades Athenagorar Apollonius Tertulian Note Origen Helchesaites heresie Babilas seradion Martirs prouoked with pleasure to reuolt Origin all of Monkes Friers and heremites Eusebius bisshop of Caesarea Abuse of peace Mauritius Foelix and Regula Edictes against christians Done at Nicodemus Nicomedia the Emperours Pallace burned Persecucion in siria In Tyrus In Egipe Phileas A wofull deede Dorothea Sophronia siluanus â—etrus Lucianus Christian Relygion 2. Pet. 4. Abuse of peace Arrius heresye Athanasius Iulians reuoltyng Gentilisme encreased Christians termed Galileans The Romane Ensigne changed A francke confession Although he were very ritche Iulian sendeth the Iewes build the Temple at Ierusalem Dan. 9. Mat. 24. Luk. 21. 80 Legats miserably brent Athanaricus King of the Gothes Genserick King of the vandals To whome Fulgentius wroat The beginning of the false prophet Machomet Alcoran what it signifieth Iohn 9. 2. Thes 21. The whole summe of the turkishe religion God. Christe Remission of sinnes Faith and iustification Workes Eternall lyfe Congregations rites and Sacramentes Holydayes Prayers 1. Iohn 2. Matrymony and deuorcement The wrath of God. What the Sarracens were Machomet is made King. souldanes The holye warre The originall of the Sarracens warre Claromont counsell The. 1. expedition The. 2. expedition The 3. expedition Ierusalem taken The. 4. expedition The. 5. expedition The. 6. expedition The. 7. expedition The 8. expedition The Lateran counsell The. 10. expedition See howe the Pope helpeth the Christians The 11. expedition The. 12 expedition Counsell at Lyons vrspurgeÌ„sis pag. 240. Originall of Turkes The popes Iubilee Original of Othoman the firste Prince of Turkes Orchannes the. 2. Amurates the. 3. Baiazetus 4. Machomet 5. Amurates 6. The reward of periurie Machomet the. 7. The firste Emperour of Turkes Constantinople taken Machomets great victories Baiazet 2. second emperour of Turkes Selimus 3. Emperour Soliman 4. Emperour Rhodes Vienna Buda Lige 〈…〉 selimus 5. Emperour Note Motions vnto these persecutions Dan. 2. Mat. 24. Luk. 21. The firste Bishops of Rome were Martirs Papa or Pope what it signifieth 1. Cor. 4. The auntient Popes aucthoritie Apostolick Sea. Tertul. de prescript haeres FroÌ„ wheÌ„ce the Romish church receiued her power How the Byshoppes of Rome vsurped Popes rose against Emperours Anno Domini 739. Emperour of Constant by Popes driuen out of Italy an honest practise Charles made Emperour by the Pope Emperours swere to the pope vrban 2. Paschalis 2. Popes oppresse the emperours 2. Thes 2. Anno 1271. Kinge of Rome without Rome Se Theodor Nyem of scismes 3. booke 43. chap. and sleidan de Monar Pag. 120. 171. 172. Excommunication The popes Legates Warres and sedition Counselles Cruciata or Croysados Mendicanâ— Friers Preachyng Friers The Pope vaunteth himselfe to be Empe. Iohn the. 22 against the emperour Ludou 4. Zurick excommunicated Warres for sicill and Naples Popes rulers of faith and the Church Errours crept into the Church Originall of the Cannon law Gratianus Scholes and Vniuersities vnder the pope Swere to the Pope Peter Lumbard Agreement of the Church A popishe decree Counselles do consent The sum of papisticall counsel Counselles Whom the Pope calleth heretieks Counselles cause wars and persecutions The counsell of Constance The Counsell of Basile The Trident counsel Persecurtions of our time Note Iob. Captiuitie of Babilon The godly suffer persecution The trueth is knowen by persecutions Persecutions are tokens of the iudgment of God vpoÌ„ the wicked 1. Peter 4. Persecutions awake vs. 1. Pet. 4.