incurre feare to indure the discōmodities disturbāces of banishment such like things They could wel finde in their hearts to goe into paradise by that large wide way gate but Iesus christ saith that this is the waie that leadeth to destruction that the narrow waie strait gate leade to eternall life So that these men are the more guilty before God the lesse excuse they haue But furthermore you wil obiect that I am too rigorous and that I haue no regarde to mans infirmitie that there is none so good but he doth offend c. I answere that your fault cannot be sufficientlie exaggerate it is so monstrous and scandalous and it is most necessarie that you be brought to the sight of your maladie and miserie that you maie be cured And as for the infirmitie of our flesh I know I praise God that it is greater than I can expresse the Lord knoweth it better than we and he taketh pitie and compassion thereon but yet for al that he wil not take our excuses which wée alleage for paiment for it ariseth from a corrupt fountaine that is from sinne yea it is sinne in it selfe and principallie hee condemneth it when wee nourish it cherish it and entertaine it in our selues when wee take pleasure and flatter our selues in it when we wil make a buckler of it to couer and defend our faultes we ought rather whē we procéed against our selues to begin here that is first of al to condemne our infirmitie as beeing a fruite of our corruption and afterward our sluggishnes and slacknesse in that we despise the means which God setteth before vs to strengthen our selues with al in the power of his spirite If during the time of your prosperitie at which time the Lorde graunted you grace to take some rest or at least to take some breath you had wel known your infirmity and that this knowledge ingendering in you a distrustfulnesse of your selues had stirred you vp to craue help at Gods handes euen the strength of his spirite you should not haue fallen into this inconuenience If you saie that the loue of your fathers mothers wiues and children their prouocations their cries their teares the desire of their good and commoditie and the feare you had to leaue them opē to all manner perils and dangers or to suffer and indure anie harme if you alleage I saie that al these thinges were of great force to make you stagger and to abate your courage I graunt that these are great trials namely to those that haue a tender heart and that a man must be furnished with singular strength from aboue that he may be able to ouercome al those things I saie moreouer that this humane natural affectiō is laudable approued of God whē it is wel ruled for he that careth not for those that belong vnto him is worse than an Infidel saith the Apostle 1. Tim. 5 but I saie therwithall that this affection hath not onelie béene disordered in you Deut. 6. Mat. 24. but also strāgely disordered vnbrideled For you know what that meaneth which the Lord requireth at our handes that we loue him with all our heart strength thought and vnderstanding that is to say that there be nothing in the world neither without nor within vs that may be able to turne vs aside how little soeuer from the intire and perfect loue which we owe vnto our God and father moreouer that we loue nothing in this world of all that which we can and ought to loue no not our selues but onely in him and for his sake or to speake plainely that there bee nothing which we loue properlie but him alone You know also what Iesus Christ saith that if we preferre the loue of our fathers mothers wiues children brethren sisters and of our owne life before the loue which we owe vnto him yea if we hate not all these thinges for the loue of him we can not bee his disciples and we are not worthie of him This was then a marueilous excessiue and disordered affection that carried you away so farre as to make you forget the loue of your God and father and of your sauiour and redéemer Iesus Christ Furthermore I aske you this question what greater good and commoditie yea what greater honour you could desire and procure for your wiues and children then to shew them an example of true godlines and of the feare of God of patience and Christian constancie To carry thē with you if néed had beene into some place of safetie where God might be called vpon serued and honored And there to learne in good time to beare the crosse of Iesus Christ that they might haue this honor together with you namely to weare the liuerie and coller of his order that you might together be partakers of this blessing of the sonne of God Ma◠5. Blessed are they which suffer persecution for righteousnes sake for theirs is the kingdome of heauen and of that whereof S. Paule speaketh that if wee suffer with him we shall raigne with him and shall be glorified with him furthermore how could you better saue them from danger and prouide for their safetie and your owne then to bring them to this stronge dungeon of the house of God that is into the church which is without rifts and frée from vndermining and which is founded vpon a rocke and garded by the celestial armies which lye incamped round about Mat. 16. Psal 34. Ps 125. being couered and inuironed on euery side with the fauour of the almightie being garded fortified and defended by the inuincible force of the spirit of God To be briefe what better thing could you do for those that are of your bloud and for your own soules then to further and procure the saluation the life and the eternall felicitie of you all But you haue taken a cleane contrarie course for you haue procured their perdition their dishonour and eternall confusion together with your owne and haue drawen them and your selues into farre greater danger then if with your owne handes you had deliuered them vp to the moste cruel bloudie cutthroates of the world or els if you had committed them to the mercie of Lyons Tygers and Beares or of other bruit beastes which are mercilesse For first of al of what benefites fauours blessings of God haue you depriued your selues together seing you haue cut your selues off frō the church of Iesus Christ from the communion of saints wtout which there is no blessednes felicitie saluation neither anie life whatsoeuer but all vnhappines cursednes death ruine and destruction What duetie haue you done to edifie them when you shewed them the example of your cowardlines trecherie and disloialtie What account will they make to come to Christian religion séeing you make so small account thereof What reuerence will thy giue to Iesus Christ and his doctrine seeing you renounce the same so cowardlie
conscience Consider then my brethren into what a danger of destruction you haue throwen your selues headlong and how shameful cowardly and vile your renouncing whereby you haue renounced the doctrine of the gospel is so to returne to those corruptions which you had before cast vp and to welter againe in that filthie mire from which you were once washed Open your eies and behold how great the foulenes and filthines of your fault is Surely the more I consider the same together with all the circumstances thereof the more damnable do I find it to be both before God and also before men for it cōprehendeth in it an infinite number of the most monstrous crimes that coulde be committed against the maiestie of God You may iudge of it as you shal think good but it is so you know how greatly wee are bound to loue him who hath so dearly loued vs that he hath as one would saie forgotten himself to saue vs and to bring vs from that cursed and miserable estate wherein wee stood through our owne fault Hee hath not spared his onlie and welbeloued sonne but hath deliuered him vp to death yea euen to the death of the crosse for vs that were his enimies the sonne also for his part who would haue thought it no robberie to make himselfe equall with God as saith the Apostle did notwithstanding abase himself ful low that he might lift vs vp on high Phi. 2. he became poore to inrich vs he couered himselfe with our confusion and shame that he might make vs partakers of his glorie hee became mortall that we might haue immortalitie to be short he put himselfe in our place he presented him selfe giltie before Gods iudgement seate and descended into hell that he might bring vs thence and exalte vs to the heauenlye inheritaunce Nowe then ought not this infinite bountie this incomparable loue this incomprehensible fauour this deapth of compassions and mercies inflame vs with a mutual loue toward our good God and toward his sonne Iesus Christ And what doth this loue import saue onely that being dedicated and consecrated to his seruice we should glorifie him in all and through all thinges preferring his honour and glorie the sanctifying of his name the aduauncement of his kingdome the feare the reuerence and the obedience which wee owe vnto him before all thinges that are pleasant to the eye good precious and excellent in this world yea euen before our verie life it selfe But marke I pray you how you haue done your duetie in this point You haue preferred the loue of the world and of your selues before the loue of god you haue dishonoured and defamed the Lord so much as in you lyeth a thousand thousand waies For ouer and besides that you haue infringed and broken his couenant you haue denyed him to be your God and father you haue abiured his holy and sacred truth you haue allowed and receiued in stéede of it that which is falsehood you haue denyed the sonne of God and taken Antichrist for your head you haue polluted your bodies which he had chosen to be his temple by abhominable idolatry you haue made the holy ghost and the holy Angels heauie and sorrowful and grieued the whole Church of God which is ashamed and confounded by reason of your backsliding and euen sobbeth and lamenteth for the same besides all these euils I saye there is this also that is that nowe you open the mouth of the vnbeleeuing to blaspheme more then euer heretofore the holie and pretious name of God whereon you sometimes called Knowe you not with what floutes scoffes and scornes worldly and profane men were wont vnreuerently to speake of Christian religion euen then when they had but small occasion But nowe how great occasion do you minister vnto them by your backsliding Will not they say that the religion whereof you made profession is not so good so true nor so well grounded vpon the word of God as you haue professed Will not they speake euill of the doctrine of the Gospell yea and of Iesus Christe him selfe as if you had beene deceiued by him Sathan Antichriste and all his ministers as the Priestes munkes and al that rabble which fight for their bellies against the truth of god al these I saye will make bone fires for ioy will laugh with wide open mouth will triumph and depresse the true doctrine of Iesus Christ and extoll their errours superstitions and idolatries In like maner you are the cause that the Lord shal be blasphemed and disfamed that religion shall bee despised and not regarded that the doctrine of Iesus Christ shal be mocked and scorned and that the enimies shal set vp their hornes on high and triumph concerning the victorie which they thinke they haue gotten And that which more is you let and hinder so much as in you lyeth the kingdome of Iesus Christ for if you woulde haue done your duetie and haue constantlye persisted in the profession and confession of the Gospel if you had preferred as you ought the honor and glorie of God and your owne saluation before your goods pleasures and commodities before the honour of the worlde of your selues and of your neighbours and before your owne life many should haue bene wel edified thereby whereas nowe they are greatlie offended and grieued by your fall those that are straungers from the knowledge of Iesus Christe would haue bene brought nigh vnto him to tast of the doctrine of the gospel if you would haue stood to the defense thereof though it had bin with losse of your goods and liues as in times past the holie martyres wan more soules to Iesus Christ by their inuincible constancie then by their doctrine and instruction But nowe those that neuer tasted of the same will more loath it then euer seing you make lesse account of it then Esau did of his Birthright who sold it for one messe of pottage Those which began to discouer the abuses superstitions and idolatries of poperie and to haue some smel of the Gospel would haue gone forward and would haue bene confirmed by your perseuerance but now seing you forsake the which they begā to loue they wil also be out of liking with the same on the other side seeing that you receiue againe the which they begā to disdaine that shal cōfirme thē in their false opiniōs or make thē becom athists You know that in the church of God there be manie which make profession of Christian religion and yet there is in them great infirmitie whereof Iesus Christ will haue vs to haue regarde that we do not offend them these would haue beene fortified and strengthned by your good example but when the poore simple people which had but slenderlye profited and which had béene but simplye instructed saw that manie of you which had attained to so great honour as to bée called to publike charges of the Church or which were otherwise mē of accoūt such as were had
whom the sonne of God did shedde his precious bloud Rom. 14. Set before you the threatninges which are denounced against those that pollute the temple of God 1. Cor. 3. Eph. 4. which make sad the spirite of God the holie Angels and all the whole Churche Remember that which you once learned Luke 12. that the seruant which knoweth his maisters will and doth it not shal be punished double and that it shal be easier for those of Sodom and Gomorrha at the last daie Mat. 12. then for those that haue despised the day of their visitation To be brief iudge you what paine and punishment he deserueth who putteth in place of Iesus Christ the execrable idol of Antichrist abiuring the trueth of the one and approuing the falshood of the other Finallie feare least you be inwrapped in that fearefull iudgement which the sonne of God denouÌ„ceth against that cursed BabyloÌ„ Apoc. 18. into whose bosom you haue thrown your selues and returne into Noahs arke again if you will escape the floud of the wrath of God which threatneth the whole earth Heb. 10. It is a fearful thing saieth the Apostle to fal into the hands of the liuing God The temporal iudgements which the Lord did execute vpon Sodome and Gomorrha vpoÌ„ the Iewes others and which he executeth dailie vpoÌ„ his enemies are in very deed terrible fearfull and make mens haire stand vpright when they heare of them But this is nothing in comparison of the fearefull iudgement which must bee executed against the wicked after this life Es â—4 2. Cor. 2. for as the eie hath not seene the eare hath not hearde and mans heart hath not conceiued nor comprised the good things which the Lord hath prepared for these which loue honour him so likewise on the contrary we may saie that truelie that the paines the anguishes the eternal torments which are prepared for the daÌ„ned in hel cannot be compreheÌ„ded by mans vnderstaÌ„ding For if we could comprehend theÌ„ the onlie thinking therupon should cause in vs an intollerable astonishmeÌ„t feare The holy scripture doth sometimes represent them vnto vs by vtter darknes by the prison by eternal bands by wéeping gnashing of téeth Mat. 12. 1. Pet. 3. Apoc. 20. Mat. 13. Es 66. Mat. 9. mat 19. mar 9. by the worme that gnaweth without ceassing which neuer dyeth and by fire that neuer is quenched not that there is any proportion betwéen the eternall tormentes and the most extreme dolours and distresses that a man can imagine in all these thinges but to the end it may apply it selfe to our dulnes and giue vs some vnderstaÌ„ding of those infinite and vnspeakeable paynes which the damned shal suffer it describeth them vnto vs by similitudes taken from thinges which are terrible and fearful Now this is not to the ende we maie be put in anie vaine feare as litle children are made afraid with scarrebugs but that we maie be throughlie afraid indéede of the iudgements of God that we maie walke before him in feare that we maie hate sinne which inflameth Gods wrath against men and that it may make vs séek peace and reconciliation with God when wee haue offended him This is iâ— also the ende for which my brethren I put you in mind of these things forasmuch as I desire your coÌ„uersion and saluation What must you do theÌ„ you must set before your eies the greatnes the foulenes the filthines and deformitie of your fault that you maie be confouÌ„ded and ashamed in your selues that you haue shewed your selues so cowardlie and so vnthankful towarde so good a father that you maie be beaten downe with terrour and trembling and with feare of the iudgement of God which you haue deserued 1. Cor. 11. that you maie iudge and condemne your selues that you bee not iudged and condemned of the Lorde to make short that you maie come like poore offenders with ropes about your necks to craue pardon at Gods handes casting downe your selues at his féete by true humilitie yea euen plunging your selues as men say in the déep dungeons of hell Marke héere where your conuersion must beginne to witte at true repentaunce if you desire to bee receyued into fauour for an ancient father saith Hell is the waie to come to heauen that is to saie that such casting downe and humbling of poore sinners confessing and detesting their faultes accusing and condemning themselues and which think themselues worthie to bée drowned in the déepe pitte of Hell is the true preparation and disposition to receiue the grace of GOD. For hée which humbleth him selfe shall bee exalted The Lorde is nigh to heartes that are desolate Mat. 23. Luke 14.4 Pet. 5. Psal 34. contrite and humble Hee saueth those that are broken in spirite c. Afterwarde being prepared by suche a compunction and contrition of heart proceeding from a right knowledge and displeasure conceyued of and for your sinne and therewithall from a true knowledge of the iust iudgemeÌ„ts of God you must come out of this depth by the meanes of faith which shall comforte your broken heartes and will assure your fearefull consciences and wil comfort your desolate soules it will teache you that the Lord wils not the death of a sinner Ez. 18. but rather that he bee conuerted and liue also that hee hath promised to poore and miserable sinners which shall turne from their wicked wayes that hee will cast all their sinnes into the bottome of the Sea so that they shall neuer bee anie more remembred Turne you turne you Mich. 7 Ez. 18.33 from your wicked waies why will you die you house of Israell sayth the Lorde Returne then and repent of al your transgressions and your iniquitie shall not be imputed and laid to your charge Turne you vnto mee with all Io. 2. your whole hearte with fasting wéeping and mourning Rent your hearts and not your garmentes turne to the Lorde your God for he is gentle mercifull slowe to wrath and of greate pitie and suche a one as is sorie for your afflictions Es 1. Though your sinnes were as redde as scarlet yet shall they be as white as snowe and though they were as purple yet shal they be made as white as wooll But who is hee that shall make them white Faith shall teache you that it is the bloud of the sonne of GOD which cleanseth you from all sinne that it is he who died for our sinnes and rose againe for our iustification The fault which you haue committed is great and monstrous and deserueth great and grieuous condemnation as you haue alreadie hearde and as the trueth is but yet not so greate but that you maie haue forgiuenesse of the same vnlesse you through your obstinacie and want of repentaÌ„ce do make it irremissible The Lorde is iust yea and a seuere punisher of the offences of all those which doe obstinatelie perseuere therein Psal 103.
to waxe out of loue with it that we may so much the more desire to attain to eternal life by this meanes we are prouoked to pray earnestly to cal vpō God to put our trust in him our faith our patience are exercised proued fined to be briefe afflictions are a meane whereby the Lorde procureth and furthereth our saluatiō so manie waies that those which flie from thē which abhorre thē shewe thēselues not only vnaduised but also altogether blind sworne enemies to their own good and saluation Furthermore Rom. 8. like as afflictiōs as also all thinges els whether prosperity or aduersity fal out to the good saluatiō of those which loue feare the Lorde so likewise on the contrary we may say that al things turne to a curse to those which are out of Gods fauour Wherefore this rest this ease these good thinges these honors and these temporall commodities which the world promiseth you to hinder you from turning to God ought not to preuaile with you And surely if you suffer your selues to be made drunkē with such deceiuable allurements it wil goe ill with you for he which maketh you such faire promises hath no power to performe them so that you shal be frustrate of your vaine hope shall become twise miserable But put case you should enioy al these things peaceably you should yet be more accursed for they shal be giuen you in the wrath of God the vse thereof shal be accursed to you so long as you continue separate frō Iesus Christ and his Church Furthermore what profit shuld you reap by this to haue the full and whole fruition of all beautifull precious excellent thinges that are in the worlde if you loose your owne soules and what wil you giue in recompence thereof saith Iesus Christ Mat. 26. What is there in this world which we ought to count so deare so precious as the eternal saluation of our soules The sonne of God made so great account of it that to purchase the same for vs he shedde his most precious bloode suffered a most cruell a most horrible death not only in his body but also in his soule forasmuch as he was put euen as in the presse of Gods wrath and suffered the heauie burden of his iust iudgement for vs so that he was in a manner oppressed with it so that hée saide My God my God why hast thou forsaken me We must thē néeds say that our saluation is a thing of great price seing it cost the sonne of God so deare Will you then shew your selues so vnthankful towardes him as to contemne treade vnder foote so precious so inestimable a treasure Wil you be so cruel and so vncurteous to your selues as to depriue your selues therof for euer to inioy transitorie cōmodities and to escape certaine light and smal discommodities which are not woorth the naming What man is he so mad that wil stick to forgoe thrée or foure pence to gaine a treasure of one thousande crownes Or who is he that is so daintie as that hee cannot suffer a little pricke of a pinnes point the paine wherof is gone in the turning of a hand that he maie be blessed enioye perpetuall pleasures during his whole life In like sort what man is hée that is so foolish as to hazarde the losse of all his goodes vpon hope to get one poore peny or rather a thing of nothing what man is he that is so madde and voyde of reasō who to enioy a quarter of an hours pleasure would binde him selfe to goe vp at the end thereof vpon a scaffolde and there to haue his head cut off or els to be tormented vpon a whéele And what are al torments yea euen the most cruel tormentes that a man can endure in this world being compared with the eternall torments as hath bin said For the honor of God therfore my brethren bethink your selues Come out of the cursed Babylō return to your fathers house who is ready to receiue you as his children to kil the fat calf to the end to feast you to make you good chéere yea to apparel you with the precious ornamēts of his son Iesus Christ after that he hath forgiuen you al your offences Take héed that you driue not off from day to day abusing his patiēce for feare least his wrath waxe hoater hoater against you least he shut the gate of his grace against you when after you haue stopped your eares against his aduertisemēts you shal come to séek him in vain folow him now seing he calleth you to him hardē not your hart against the swéet voice of this most merciful father You haue dishonored him by your falling away honor him now and giue him glory through your conuersion you haue cowardly forsaken the banner of Iesus Christ gather fresh strength and courage now so that it may appeare that you gaue backe to thend you might leap better and that you might fight more valiantly then euer heretofore you haue denyed and renounced him before men and haue abiured the truth of the gospel make now a quite contrarie abiuration and denyall renounce Antichrist in the face of the whole world abiure all his impieties and abhominations cast vp al his filth and infections out of your stomach you haue offended dishonoured and grieued the poore Church of Iesus Christ edifie it now and repaire the honour thereof you haue made sad the holy Ghost and all good men and haue made glad Sathan and Antichrist together with their ministers do now the quite contrarie make glad all those to whom you haue ministred matter of sorrow and let all those be confounded and ashamed which reioyce at your fall and which triumph ouer it you are gone astray and are againe entred into the way of destruction whence the Lord had drawne you returne now againe to the right way which you haue forsaken Mat. 12. for feare least that wicked spirit which was gone out of your heart returne againe that he may enter in againe with seauen other spirites worse then himselfe least after they haue gotten possession of you they make your last estate worse then your first that is most cursed and most miserable Now the father of all mercie vouchsafe in mercie to behold you the high shepheard and bishop of your soules vouchsafe himselfe to looke out his wandering shéepe and to bring it againe to his flocke The spirit of strength and of wisedome vouchsafe to strengthen and prudently to direct you in all your actions that all this may redounde to his honour and glorie to your good and saluation and to the edification of his church for the loue of his sonne Iesus Christ Amen