to you that suffer for religion such cōfortes as I labored to gaine to my selfe in the greate trobles of thes countries wherin were vsed manye mischeuous meanes to deface religion Firste thē recognise you with me why and for what cause you suffer Yf you suffer for any horrible facte or enormious synne the name of God is blasphemed emong you Yf you suffer for murther thefte or sacrilege you suffer with dishonor shame and synne Yf you be felons there is an haulter yf you be traitors there is an axe yf you be heretikes there is a stake fagot and fire But the cause of your sufferinge is knowen and by your knowē actes testified to the maiestie of the christian worlde It is knowen that you suffer as christiās for Christes sake that you suffer as catholikes for the catholike faithe and that you suffer as open christians and cōfessant catholikes You stode in the firste fronte against the violent innouation of religion You were depriued of honors of lordeshippes of landes and liuelehood You haue sustained great and longe affliction you sustaine yet disgrace imprisonmet and banyshemēt And why is it a faute to be a christian Is it sinne to confesse the faithe of Christe or is it blame worthy to be a member of Christes catholike churche If you be christians yf you be catholikes yf you be afflicted christian catholikes for the catholike religion If I saye when you stande in thes termes there be no other cause why you suffer then surelie you suffer directlie for the catholike cause In the house of God there is no cause more honorable no cause more glorious thē the catholike cause This cause almightie God commended when he commaūded the worlde to heare his sonne Christe For this cause Christe came into the worlde and he suffered more tribulation then any creature is able to suffer Had there ben any cause more noble then this Christe wolde haue chosen it and suffered for it But there was no worne that made a more manifeste shewe of true vertue there was no trial so farre from al suspition as to suffer for religiō As Christe hath his sainctes in heauen that honour hym in quiet loue so hath he his sainctes in earthe that honour hym with troubled loue As there is in heauen nothinge more precious thē the glorious loue of his sainctes so is there in earthe no thing more acceptable then the afflicted loue of the iuste who for his loue suffer for his religion Yf there be no creature that serueth God in rule of religion but man onelie yf religion be a seruice propre to God and be so called because the soule of man fallinge frō God throughe synne rebindeth hir selfe againe to him by that seruice and man cā shewe to God no other supreme seruice nor soueraigne honor but religion then surelie it is religion that man hath bounde him selfe vnto and then is it religious that is to saye a matter of conscience to kepe that dōde and rather to suffer for it then to incurre Godes displeasure Nor shoulde any wel informed christiā doubte whether he might suffer for this cause iustice taketh awaye doubte and to doubte is lacke of faithe for faithe doubteth not but that we should suffer and Christiā fortitude chooseth rather to suffer thē to lese pietie Yf good mē haue suffered tormētes for concealinge the secrettes of their freindes should not wee suffer for cōseruinge the sacramentes of our faithe Yf euil mē suffer for wrōges don to the common weale shal not good mē suffer for suche rightes as belōge to the churche of Christe Manye haue died in cōbattes whiles they aduētured to helpe their freindes maye we die for mennes sake and refuse to die for God what should I speake of the Gentiles who sustained greuous paines in doubtful affaires onelie for vaine glorie Should we christians refuse to suffer for veritie what they sought to suffer for vanitie I neede saye no more Christ the teacher of sufferaunce and humilitie suffered al that he suffered to make his churche glorious and he suffered firste to shewe example to vs to suffer after And after him so manye glorious Martyrs and membres of his churche suffered for the commō cause of the churche that now to suffer for the same it should not seeme impertinēt to the dutie of a christian Yf now then you afflicted catholikes you suffer for this cause as in dede you suffer doubteles in this name you glorifie god in this name you honor god And what thākes deserue you now whē you feare god liue in his lawes obey his churche and choose rather to endure greefes to beare wrōges for cōscience sake to God thē to folowe the gospel of the worlde It were no praise for you yf you suffered for your sinnes but when you suffer for that cause wich is iustifiable to al the christian worlde which is commended of al good men and approued of God him selfe as Godes owne proper and personal cause when now I saye you suffer for that cause doubtles this is thāke worthie of god This cause is so importante that none can suffer for it but by the gratious gifte of God and God geaueth this gifte to none but to his special freindes This ioyneth you neare vnto God causeth you to set lesse by the worlde diminisheth your paines in purgatorie and encreaseth your final rewarde in heauen This is such a cause as for the which who so hath not the gifte to suffer ought to seeke it by praier and penance So longe as you suffer for this cause you haue litle cause to feare the power of your mightie aduersaries VVhat is to them cause of perditiō God vvil turne to your saluation for vnto you it is geuen not onelie to beleue in Christe but to suffer also for his sake Marke the gifte and consider the grace God that is the geauer of giftes and graces God that hath called you to his eternal glorie by Christe Iesu wil make you perfecte wil strēgthen you and establishe you after you haue suffered a litle affliction In dede it is but litle Yet doth it prepare vnto you an excedinge and eternal vveight of glorie For what seke you in this sufferinge Not to folowe the lawes of men which be corrupte and crooked but to do the wil of God that is iust and righte And for what suffer you not for felonie or thefte not for murther or treason not for heresie or sacrilege but for truthe and iustice for vnitie and veritie for faithe and religion You suffer not for vice but for vertue you suffer not for the thinges that be temporal but for the thinges which be eternal Reioyse you constant christians reioyse you afflicted catholikes You that be novve pertakers of Christes passion shal reioyse muche more at the reuelation of his glorie What Christe suffered in the bitter passage of his deathe he suffered as head it remained that he was to suffer in his
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
This comfortor gaue them strengthe to beare al that the malice of the worlde was able to laie vpon thē It came to passe as Christe foretolde they were caste oute conuented and reuiled did they grudge at it did they murmure for it The storie saithe They vvent oute from the coūsel house reioysinge that they vvere vvorthie to suffer reuiles for the name of Iesus Paulus and Silas vvere put in prison and vvhipped cruellie they did not repine the storie saithe They sange at midnighte praienge and praisinge our lorde This ioye in this correction this iocunditie of spirite in this tribulation came of the holie ghoste that sitteth at the foreparte of the shippe and geueth comfort in al tempestes and tribulations This promise of comforte extended not onelie to Christes disciples but in them to theire ofspringe and to the whole corps of Christes churche whersoeuer it be scatered in dispersion Who emboldened the persecuted Christians to stande in the confession of their faithe so constantlie to professe theire religion so confidentlie euen to the face of the tyrannes when they made thes stoute asseuerations Ego Christianus sum I am a christian Catholicus sum I am a catholike Arianus non sum I am not an Arian Haereticus esse nolo I wil not be an heretike They were nickenamed called men of Galile called Homousions and murtherers of Prophetes The tyran exclamed against them Ad bestias awaye with thes wretched christians awaye with them sende them to the beastes haue them to the lyons hale them to the leopardes awaye with thes naughtie wretches to the mynes let them digge metalles Now were thes miserable men sent ad campum Martyrū where they were done to deathe Now did the cutthrotes scoure theire swordes in the bowels of the christians Now did the bloud-suckers dyp and washe their hādes in the bloudde of the sainctes Who now did cōforte them who now did strengthen them but the holie ghoste that gouerneth the foreparte of the shippe and comforteth the windeshakē in al tempestes and tribulation To caste a litle more to this this comforte hath wel appeared in thes latter persecutions of our times What halteringe what hanginge what hewinge downe of christians what murderinge what quateringe what martyringe of catholikes hath there ben since the partie protestant began his newe no gospel What mischeuous machinations haue the sectaries practised to vnderproppe theire ruinous religion What lamentable tragedies haue they made that nowe shake so mightelie the whole frame of Christes faithe And yet notwithstandinge al theire possible oppressions al theire pernitious plottes faithe endureth the churche standeth the catholike encreaseth And of this you that be in this storme tottered and tossed do see what you comforte your selues in As there be manye in manye quarters of our countrie that suffer for the catholike cause so be there manie that be broughte by theire sufferinge to knowe the catholike name to enquire of the catholike churche and to learne to confesse the catholike faithe Yea there be many that neuer knewe the catholike religion which now in the common trobles of catholikes come vnto it receaue it beleue it and suffer for it It may be presumed by common intendement that there is not lefte amōg you any nomber of the catholike race In dede it is rather miraculous then maruelous there should be any consideringe ther hath not ben for some number of yeares any outwarde face any open exercise of the catholike faithe consideringe there is no place where catholikes be not pried for apprehended and imprisoned no prison so vile where they bee not harbored yea those places which were ordayned for theifes murtherers bankeroutes heretikes and treitors be made the lodginges of holie fathers of reuerend bishopes of priestes of gentlemen and gentlewomē finallie cōsideringe the lawes of the realme be againste the catholikes and that catholikes be depriued spoyled hated disgraced persecuted and some of them executed Notwithstanding al this Godes churche hath hir faitheful flocke that confesseth the catholike truthe openlie maugre the diuel heresie and tyrannie And hot withstādinge al worldelie disgraces ouertwhartes iniuries persecution and execution yet is there lefte some good number that neuer bowed theire knees to Baal neuer receaued the breaded communion neyther went to the schismatical seruice Yea some nomber that be readye to render their goodes to the worlde and their soules to God as willinge in this quarrel to dye as to liue Blessed be the name of God that hath raysed a catholike youthe to supplye the ruful ruine of them which haue perished with Chore Dathan and Abirō It is the blessed wyl of God that the glorye of his militant churche should multiplie in persecution should encrease vnder oppressiō and that out of the bloud of one catholike sufferinge deathe for Christe should aryse manye holie christians The bloud of the martyres saith S. Cypriā is the seade of the churche wherof aryse and encrese mo as of the seede in the felde springeth newe corne The churche was amōge the Israelites when they laye vnder the cruel bondage of Pharao and of them it is written The more they vvere oppressed the more they increased The churche was but a litle flocke when the fyrst persecution began at Hierusalē and yet ther of Christes gospel spred mightelie It is Godes gracious gifte that his churche should prosper when she is persecuted When she is oppressed then she is increased when she is iniured then she ouercometh euen then she cōquereth whē she semeth to be ouercomed The churche is lyke the palme tree the greater waight is laide on it the broder it spreadeth The churche is lyke camomil the more you treade on it the thicker it waxeth It is written of the persecuted They were imprisoned tyed in chaynes whipped killed and torne in peeces yet they encreased The storie mentioneth of a notable womā who hearinge that manye christians should be put to deathe tooke hir childe in hir armes ranne to professe hir faithe and to dye with them The officer meetinge hir demaunded whither she wente she tolde hym to the place of the christians Why sayed he they shal be al put to deathe And I goo quoth she to dye with them But why sayed he doest thou carye thy childe with thee she answered my childe shal take suche parte as the mother doth You that be nowe tēpested in the shippe of Christe you that beare affliction for the churche of Christe abide in the shippe leape not oute be not tipte ouer bourde your gouernours be sure skilful and sufficiente to saue you in al tēpestes your twelue roers wil driue you into a safe porte where no malice of man nor machination of diuel shal ouertrowe you You haue the helpe of God the father that gouerneth you haue the promise of Christe his sonne that praieth you haue the comforte of the holie ghoste that strengtheneth God the father helpeth you god the sōne praieth for you God the holie ghoste
desire kindeleth of delaie and vnderstādinge encreaseth of desire We must aske we must seeke we muste knocke Our lorde hath saide Aske you and you shal receaue Seeke and you shal finde Knocke and the doore shal be opened Wee must perseauer eager and feruente in prayer not doubtinge but in tyme we shal receaue what we aske in tyme we shal finde what wee seeke and after wee haue knocked the doore wil be opened That sweete ladie of consolatiō and quene of comforte with al the heauenlie courte to whom you so often poure forthe your mourninge plaintes wyl not wante to make intercession for you before the throwne of his maiestie Theire praiers wyl not faile but gaine you comforte in your distresses And assure your selues that God wyl heare you and them for you for he is al wayes nighe to them that be afflicted Christe may seeme longe a sleepe to you that be afflicted to you it may seeme timelie that Christe take pitie of his churche so pitiouslie afflicted with heresie and tyrannie But it is not our parte to appointe him time he knoweth beste what is necessarie for vs To him wee muste humble our soules and praye for suche times as may be moste for his honor It was saide to them of Bethulia Vnderstande you that God vvil heare your prayers yf stil you perseuere in fastinge and prayer God almightie hath appointed tyme and knoweth when and how to deliuer the Godlie out of temptation After a storme he maketh fayre wether After weepinge and heuines he geueth mirthe and ioye The shippe hath ben shaken with no lesse stormes at other times then at this time Christe quieted those and Christe wil quiet thes Doubte you not but he wil bringe his trobeled freindes throughe the middes of thes tempestes and repose them in quiet hauen I conclude with thes considerations Christians are nowe put together as it were in apotte ouer the fire to be tried as goulde is tried from other metalles The fire flameth the pot seetheth the waters be thicke the scombe is caste awaye Catholikes are in the forge vnder the workemans hande to be refined They are in the forge not as coles that burne and turne to ashes but as golde that is tried The forge is the worlde you are the golde tribulation is the fire God is the worke man. The Christian catholike life consisteth in sufferinge wee must not therfore doo our owne wil but the wil of god And amonge men wee must eyther suffer the rulers wil or theire power their wil to order vs or theire power to punishe vs And then the consequēce is eyther to haue victorie in this worlde or to surrender this life to inherite the life euerlastinge The sureste waye to come into the peaceable porte of our countrie towarde which wee saile tossed in many tempestes is to remaine in the shippe and in the same to trace the true wayes of them that haue gon before to treade in their steppes and to become heires of their vertues Hard thinges may be mollified straite thinges may be loused and heauie thinges shal litle greue them that can beare them hansomlie Thoughe God suffer for a time the wicked to rage and the hypocrite to raigne yet the same hande that woundeth heyleth the same hande that presseth refresheth Godes pitiful grace wyl quenche the firebrandes asswage the rage and releue the innocentes The wisedome of the worlde maketh worldlie heades deffecte from god Good mens heartes be create of God and be resteles in the worlde but when they reste in God. As there is but one God one faithe and one baptisme so is there but one Christe one churche and one religion No faithe can profite but that one which is the catholike Romaine faithe confessed in the catholike Romaine churche that is but one vnder one heade The Lutheran the Caluinian and Puritan faithe is a newe no faithe a newe no religion founded vpon mannes fancie without Godes worde or authoritie It hath no churche no bishoppe no prieste no aulter no sacrifice and consequentlie no God. And they of this newe no faithe hauinge no grounde in Christe nor of his churche dissente in their owne groundes without vnitie from veritie You haue the groundes of Christe You haue the authoritie of Christes churche You haue the testimonies of Christes sainctes You haue the confirmations of general councelles With you is the vniforme consente of the people of god With you is the publike practise of the Christian worlde You should not be discomforted to suffer for such a cause as hath so manye greate so manye good and so sufficience groundes for suche a cause I saye as with which concurre so manye comfortes As that you sustaine the greateste cause under the cope of heauen the common cause of Christes catholike churche the cause of religion which is the supreme seruice and soueraigne honor that you can offer vnto god That God maketh you worthie geueth you grace to confesse and fortitude to suffer That you enioye in the vnitie of Christes churche the bountie of his blessinges That you be safe in this churche throughe the mightie power of your guides and rulers That you be pertakers of al praier of al sacrifice of al good workes and shal be pertakers of Christes deathe and merites That in sufferinge you be daylie crowned that you haue victorie and shal haue rewarde That in sufferinge your vertues be exercised and your merites encreased That you suffer directelie for iustice that you suffer but for a time That by suffering God maketh you lowe to bringe you to the highest maketh you ritche in faithe and turneth your temporal punishemēte to your spiritual benefite That you ouercome the worlde that you shal not be condemned with the worlde That you be open confessors That you haue secrete martyrdome that you haue al possible comfortes with which faithe is strengthened to make you opē Martyres Yf any of you take comforte in any of thes comfortes geue the praise to God and cal vpon him in al your pressures and sufferinges God wil be your helpe and God muste be your hope Yf there be remedie it wil once fal yf there be none thanke God of al. Beleue wel and liue wel Do wel and die wel that you may die to liue with god God the father of al mercies and the God of al comforte comforte you in al your tribulation with the same comforte wherwith our selues are comforted of God. Fare you wel At Louaine the last of September 1579. A Prayer Almightie God father of al mercies and God of al comforte haue mercie on vs the afflicted members of thy catholike churche Forgeue vs our synnes geue vs tyme to do penance grace to resiste synne and peace to serue thee in holynes Comforte vs that be thy prisoners reliue vs that be straingers in dispersion succour al that be afflicted for confessinge thy holie name Make vs worthie to suffer geue vs strengthe to beare and constancie to confesse Let no feare
A CONSOLATORIE EPISTLE TO THE AFFLICTED catholikes set foorth by THOMAS HIDE Priest Be strong and take a Good hart vnto you al you that put your trust in our lord Psalm 30. ECCE AGNVS DEI. Imprinted at Louaine by Iohn Maes for Iohn Lion. 1579. VVITH PRIVILEGE Subsig Strick The ouen proueth the potters vessel so doth temptation of trouble trie the righteous Eccles 27. Our lord knoweth how to deliuer the godlie out of temptation and how to reserue the vniust to be ponished at the daie of iudgmēt 2. Pet. 2. You must suffer patientlie that you maie be knowen to be his disciples for whom you suffer Zepherin epist. A CONSOLATORIE EPISTLE IT is writen that Christe and his disciples vvent into a shippe vvhē sodainelie arose a greate tempest in the sea so that the shippe vvas couered vvith vvaues Christe slept His disciples avvaked hym and saide maister saue vs vve perishe Christe saide vnto them vvhy are you feareful you of litle faithe Then he arose rebuked the vvindes and there folovved a greate calme We must so conceiue of Christes workes that we beleaue them to be don in veritie and to implie an other thinge in signification to shewe one thinge by power and to signifie an other in mysterie It lacketh not mysterie that Christe and his disciples went into a shippe and that this shippe was tēpested You haue heard de Christes facte marke the mysterie This shippe resembled the churche militant wherin al christiā passengers do saile and be tossed with tempestes whyles they driue towarde theire countrie the quiet hauen of heauen that is the churche triumphant The sea resembleth the course of the worlde which is alwayes troublous And by the tēpeste is signified al suche pressure and persecution as they must expecte that folowe Christe into this shippe It was reuealed to sainct Iohn the wel-beloued Apostle of Christe that the churche should haue greate persecution Beholde the diuel shal cast some of you into prison to be tempted and you shal haue tribulation ten dayes By the terme of ten dayes is signified eyther the ten persecutions which the churche suffered vnder the Emperours or els the whole tracte of troubles which she shal endure in hir peregrinatiō There hath ben no age of men nor course of time sithēce Christe wherin this shippe that is to saye the militant churche of Christe hath not ben tempested The vngodlye drevve out their svvorde bente their bovve to cast dovvne the simple and to slaie such as goo the right vvaie Thes wordes of the prophet were verefied after Christes ascension when there arose greate tempestes to wit diuers persecutions against the churche open persecution and secret persecution persecution violent and persecution fraudulent persecution of tyrannie and persecution of heresie the one openlie the other secretlie the one by sworde the other by worde Of these tēpestes heresie was more contrarious to the churche then tyrannie For heresie transformethe hir selfe into the Angel of light proceadeth gilfullie deceiueth the simple striketh greuouselie with the sworde of the tonge and shedeth bloud cruellie by killinge Christe in his mēbers Tyrānie dealeth not with scripture not with drifte of learninge nor by order of iuste proufes but by crueltie and dint of sworde Yet hath the churche gayned more by tyrannie then by heresie for tyrannie maketh martyrs heresie begetteth Apostats Of them that persecuted the churche with tyrannie and heresie they were most ingrate and greatest persecutors who beinge some time christiās and fallinge from christianitie became professed enemies to the christian religion so was Valens the Emperour who of a catholike became an Arian so was Iulianus who borne of christian parentes and brought vp by learned christians became Apostata so was Licinius who of a christian became a persecutor There lacked not in this parte some nomber of the feminine tribe to put to their shrewde heades and helpes as Theodora Iustina Philomenes Prisca Maximilla and Lucilla It is not my final intention to enlarge of persecution nor of persecutors but brefelie to shewe to the persecuted catholikes of our tyme that yf now they finde al possible oppressions vnder heresie and tyrannie it may not seme strainge vnto them yf they consider how Christes shippe was couered with the waues how the churche hath ben persecuted euē from hir infancie and that she lacketh not at this time hir Valentes hir Iulians hir Liciniās hir Theodoras hir Iustinas hir Lucinas This pointe I wil touche a pointe not impertinent to note why Christe permitteth his churche to be so sore tempted and why the diuel raysed so manie blouddie battailes of cruel persecutions in the verie prime of the churche It is the corruption of our sinful nature to forget our dutiful seruice to God when we be secure and holde our desires in quiet We gase vpon the gaie glitterings of the wanton worlde wee feede our appetites with the delicate cherishinges of the fleshe so that our heartes begine to be estrainged from God and to leese the sense and feelinge of godlines vntil God sende vexation that geueth vnderstādinge When prosperitie had brought in libertie and impunitie of synne corrupted discipline when christians declined from deuoute conuersation and committed greate disorders God waxed angrie and sterred against thē against their churches against ther priestes and pastors the puissante power of persecutors to reuenge his conceiued anger When longe peace had corrupted Godes heauenlie discipline and feruour of faithe beganne to coole in the house of God God began iudgement in his owne house and by seueritie of correction erected faithe that laie a sleape and as it were in contempte Semblablie God dealeth now with his people knowinge the lewsenes of theire life and seinge the drines of their faithe he rayseth vp a greate tempeste wherin they be pitiouslie tossed with manye hurles of the vnquiet sea Certes for many hundred yeares the christian worlde the christian religion the faithe catholike was not so mightelie shaken as it hath ben in thes later tempestes of our times when bothe violent and fraudulent persecution haue assaide euen by penal lawes to rase out of christian mens heartes the general faithe of Christe and to persecute them that further not such a special faithe as the spirite of the worlde teacheth To you therfore derelie beloued countrie men to you that be afflicted catholikes for religion in what case and place soeuer you be I addresse this consolatorie epistle wherin my endeuour is to declare suche comfortes as the selfe cause of religion semeth to yelde Seinge now the violent windes blowe and bluster not onelie againste the kingedomes of the worlde but againste the churche that is the kingedome of god and knowinge that they haue shakē out of the shippe manye and to manye lost christians I offer vnto you that yet remaine and suffer in the shippe then cōfortes euen out of the bodie and bosome of religion I make common
the shippe of Christe you that be confessant catholikes al you that suffer for the catholike vnitie let your comfortes encrease to vnderstāde thes blessinges of God to wyt that you be of one faithe of one charitie of one churche of one vnitie vnder one heade that you be of the communion of sainctes that you be pertakers of sanctification of remission and grace that you be pertakers of al good workes done in the whole christian worlde of al sacrifices of al prayers of al penance of al fastinges and of what els soeuer be done in the vniuersal churche of Christe and that in the ende you be sure to be pertakers of Christes deathe and merites which is al that you labour for when now you beare the crosse of Christe And for what thinge soeuer God permitteth you presentlie to beare his crosse his iudgementes be secrete in effecte you suffer on the crosse which thinge must be your comforte For yf you suffer for your sinnes you suffer vpon the crosse of the good thefe If you suffer for iustice sake as sufferinge for religion you can not but suffer for iustice then may you take more comforte therof because you suffer vpō Christes owne crosse And what yf the professed enemies of the churche nickename you What yf they reuile you yea what yf they hate you The coniunction of soules vnited in God the dislikinge of spirites aparted from God is such that their can be no entier likinge nor louinge aliāce betwene faithe and infidelitie truthe and falsehood lighte and darkenes Antechriste and Christe They that breake charitie wil not like of you that kepe vnitie nor wil they commende you that be gon frō you The diuel that is auctor of diuision is alwayes sterringe againste the vnited members of Christe It is his tricke to blemishe and abase to infame and obscure the glorious name of thē that be of better note and conuersation to the ende they mighte finde lesse reputation amōge the childrē of the worlde Porphirius was a reuiler of christians and a rayler at their religion whē he could not finde oughte that he might iustly reprehende in Origenes commentaries he began to nickename him and to rayse at his person In like maner doth the partie protestante mislikinge with the catholike cause and with the catholike onelie for the cause beinge insufficiēte to answere theire matter nickename theire personnes that they mighte make them odious by reprocheful names and false intended crimes What ado make they whē they chapter as they doo cōmonlie vpon the names of Rome pope and papiste How rappe they oute theire railinge rhetorike when they heare the consented doctrine of Christes churche alleaged As they discourse smothelie and make a populer shewe of sugered wordes conningelie so yet when al is saide the somme of theire drifte is to make their rouinge aduantage vpō the names of Rome Pope and papistrie And what els do they saye in substāce againste the beleued doctrines of the churche but that the beleuers be papistes and the doctrines papistrie As it may be that a good natured man wolde shonne a contumelious speache so it should not greue a right enformed catholike that liueth in the feare of God and in the faithe of Godes churche to be reproched by the vngodlye which haue no feare nor faithe no remorse what God seeth nor what the worlde sayeth As for the names of papiste and papistrie they bringe in dede with them a preiudice amonge the children of the worlde and were inuented by the firste founders of the fifth gospel to bringe religion in contempte and to make the catholike odious wheras in truthe thes names be not infamous by diriuation but by calumnious interpretation It should not greatelie moue an vnderstandinge christian to be called papiste for yf he consider a principal grounde of our christianitie he can not be a saued christian that is not a pure papiste In the beginninge of the gospel christians began to be odious euen then they were reuiled mocked called fooles and witlesse folke because they folowed Christe Euen then they were spoyled and al that would iniurie thē mighte make theire praye of them It may come to passe againe in the reuolution of a fewe yeares that the name of a christian wil be as odious with the Machiauelian that vseth religion but for a polecie as nowe is the name of papiste with the protestante that is indifferent to any religion As odious was the christian name some nomber of yeares after Christe as nowe is the name of papiste and as muche malice did the enemies of christianitie worke againste the knowē christians whom they called scoffinglie Christicolas to wit worshipers of Christe as now the enemies of Christes churche worke againste the catholikes whō they cal odiouslie Papistas to wit such as shewe their obedience to the pope that is Christes vicar Peters successor the highe preeste and heade byshoppe of the whole christian worlde You be the children of the churche you be the children of vnitie yf you be nickenamed for dewties sake where dewtie is dewe that is oute of course and blame worthie in thē that so name you But the case beinge as it is remedilesse the seruantes of Christe muste holde them selues cōtente to suffer tearmes and tauntes raylinges and reproches seinge Christe their lorde and maister coulde not escape them Was not Christe reuiled with opprobrious wordes importinge shame and synne Was he not saide to be a freinde to publicans and synners Was he not called Samaritan and albeit there was neuer founde in him excesse yet they called him a wyne bibber and a man of meate aboue measure Yea they lefte not his diuine workes vntouched in them also they saide he wroughte by a diuel and the prince of diuelles When they coulde not abide his doctrine for his doctrines sake they glaunced at his person It can not be defended but you be synners But what synne is implied in the name of papiste Doubtles none at al but that vnder this name they woulde make odious not onelie your personnes but your faithe and religion which is that onelie religion and faithe of whos communion whosoeuer be not be not of Christes faithe and communion Amonge vs that be in banishemēte it is counted more irkesome in thes rebellious attemptes to be forced from countrie to countrie from state to state to be sacked to finde penurie and in euerie parte to see a feareful face of miserie then to heare a fewe syllables and them not of yl sounde nother yf they bee wel taken Wordes be often as they be takē and as the mindes of thē be that speake them S. Peter and the diuel vsed like wordes whē bothe cōfessed Christe to be the sōne of god Christe asked the Iewes for whō they soughte they answered for Iesus of Nazareth Their wordes were good theire meaninge yl The Iewes mocked Christe whē they saluted him thus Aue rex iudaeorum The christiās honor him with
worlde is but a banishemēt al the worlde is but a citie of punishementes and dwellinge place of wretched mē The godlye christian can not be banished from Christe wher euer he be in Christe there is no banyshemēt and without Christe al is banyshement But yf this banyshement be a punishement yet doth God turne it to our benefite If it be a punishement to lacke our countrie which is now the countrie of deuisiō and schisme yet is it our benefite to be where we may lyue in vnitie wher we may serue God openlye and confesse our faithe frelie Yf it be a punishement to lacke the companie and comforte of our freindes yet is it our benefite to be out of the companie of schismatikes and heretikes God commaunded Moyses to wil his people to departe from the tabernacles of Chore and his complices who wer swalowed into the earthe aliue for the synne of schisme Who knoweth not that the verie place of schisme and heresie hath in it a secret infection Who knoweth not that the common corruption of the time breadeth dulnes of deuotion wher ther is no open exercise of pietie Yea the leauinge vndone of deuoute vsages the discontinuance from seinge and hearinge of religious actes worketh insensibilitie of synne How many good folkes liue now where heretikes beare the swaye out of seinge and hearinge of catholike religion which desire to see and heare what we see and heare For alas what dayes see they what threates heare they In what trobles be they what lacke of vnitie what losse of charitie finde they Were there no outeward persecution yet is this an inwarde persecution to heare the disorders and to see the outrages of euil men What an exercise is it to the catholike to liue amonge vnciuil protestantes to liue amonge suche as be not so litle as heretikes What a coraze is it to heare their blasphemous wordes and to see their shamles workes What man that is of any christian sense or catholike zeale can heare with patiēt eares Godes anointed priest and prince of his people to be called Antechrist Christes sainctes to be dishonored Christes sacramentes to be contemned and Christes holie name to be blasphemed To the good and godlie this is a persecution thoughe there were no other persecution For what doth so persecute the good as the lyfe and maners of the euil Now an persecuted Loth when he liued amōge the Sodomites but makinge his abode amonge vnclene proude and blasphemous liuers he suffered persecution not in sufferinge any punishement but in hearinge and seinge that which was yl To catholikes which be in this case this may be saide Thoughe it be a greuous exercise to cōuerse amōge euil liuers yet may good men so doo without mayme of innocēcie It is a holie heuines and yf it may be so called a happie miserie to be trobeled so you be not intangeled with other mens vices This is the persecution that al men suffer which wyl liue holelie in Christe It is not so commendable to be good with the good but to be good amonge the euil Iob that liued in the lande of gentiles saieth of hym selfe I haue ben a companiō of dragōs and a felovve of Ostriches The prophet saith Thou sonne of mā faithlesse people and renegates be in thy cōpanie thou dvvellest amonge scorpions The Philippians liued in the middes of a croked and peruerse nation yet S. Paule willed them to be fauteles and to shyne as lightes in the vvorlde It was saide to them that were of the churche of Pargamos I knovve thy vvorkes and vvhere thou dvvellest euen vvhere sathanas seate is yet doest thou kepe my name and hast not denied my faithe He refuseth to be an Abel that wil not abyde Cains malyce In one barne lyeth corne and strawe in the threshinge flowre the corne is troden vnder the strawe Doo we not see in the feldes flowres growinge amonge brambles Euenso malitious synners be ioyned with the iuste and they be approued good which endure good amonge the euil But to returne to vs that liue in banyshemente in that wee be departed from those tabernacles and from the feloshippe of those schismatikes in that we now liue out of our coūtrie in a countrie where we liue in Christes vnitie this is our benefite and this is our comforte that God turneth this temporal punyshement to our spiritual benefit I am no prophet nor the sonne of a prophet yet for that wee professe the faithe of the prophetes the faithe of the Apostles and the auncient catholike Romaine faithe for that we stande in the disgrace and indignation of them by whose lawes we were depriued of our liuinges and lyke to be depriued of our liues also had wee not fledde I doute not but God that fed the prophet Elias when he fledde frō Iesabel wil feede vs also for other cause wee had none to flee but for Godes cause onelie Wee fledde as Moyses fledde out of Egipte frō the face of Pharao Wee fledde as Elias fledde frō Achab and Iesabel Wee fledde as Christe byd vs into an other citie Nowe in what place or case so euer wee bee See that vve put our confidence in God and he vvil bringe to naughte suche as trobble vs. Wee that haue suffered and stil do suffer for so iuste so noble and so honorable a cause as religion is may not be dismayed with the trobles of the worlde God calleth by the rodde of correction and by the mercies of his consolation It is the righte course and directe way wheroye God calleth his freindes to him to beginne with them in tribulatiō The hope of the one is the comforte in the other and a soueraigne cōforte it is to vnderstāde that the thinges which be trobelous passe awaye the thinges which be glorious endure for euer Therfore is the tribulation of this worlde called lighte not in respecte of the qualitie of tribulation but in respecte of the wil the hope and the rewarde of them that throughe tribulation contende to glorie Who is ignorante but God declareth a singuler loue towardes them whom he correcteth VVhom he loueth he correcteth and beateth euerie sonne vvhom he receaueth And why doth he correcte but to amende vs Why wolde he amēde vs but to make vs worthie of him We haue therfore cause to reioyse in correction for yf we be iuste then be we tryed yf we be vniuste then be we amended The children of the worlde do maruel why God so dealeth with his freindes why he abaseth them so greatelie in this worlde whō he chose so highelie before the worlde God commended his faitheful seruant Iob by the testimonie of his owne mouthe Yet was he broughte to suche abasemente that him selfe bemoned his calamitous case and doleful dayes vpon a dungehil Were not the prophetes and sainctes of the olde testamente persecuted tried vvith mockinges vvith scourginges vvith prisonment vvere they not stoned hevven asunder and