will not see me vnprovided for Godlines is great riches / wheÌ„ a maÌ„ is coÌ„teÌ„t with that he hath When we have fode raimeÌ„t let vs be ther with coÌ„tent j. Timot. vj. Heb. xiij For this is a plaine case we brought nothing in to the world / nor we cann carye nothiÌ„g away we have here no dwelling place / but we seeke a citie to come / the hevenly Ierusalem wher our saviour Iesus Christ is / For whos sake j counte all things but losse do judge them but doung that j may winne him Phi. iij. In him only resteth the whole riches of gods treasure / he is the only way to everlastiÌ„g lyff / wher vnto who so will attaine must seke it in the scripture / in the gospel of Christ / not in the filthye daÌ„nable traditiones / develish doctrine of the papistes Wherfor deare brethren seing you have tasted of the swete bread of lyff / gods most holy worde / take hede of the papistes so wer leven that worketh death And bycause j wolde you shold not be ignoraunt / how youe ought to be have your selves wher so moche jdolatrie is opeÌ„ly coÌ„mauÌ„ded / howe to learne youre Christes crosse a new / j meane to beare Christs crosse laid on your baks / to folow him stroÌ„gly and not to fainte / j have translated for you two sermones of that great learned godly man I. calviÌ„ made for that purpose / thes have j done travailing / haviÌ„g no place certaine wher j will remai but j trust shortly to be wher j will stikke down the stake till god call me home againe But for so mocheas the bushop of Duresme did openlye to my face call the doctrine which j had taught in his dioces as towchiÌ„g the popish mass / heresie / jshall by gods grace / good christian bretthreÌ„ / declare ê“ve by the testimonie of the scriptures also of the auncieÌ„t fathers of christes church / that the popish mass is the greatest heresie / blasphemy / idolatrie / that ever was iÌ„ the church / which shal be the next thiÌ„g that youe shall looke for from me by gods grace In the meane seasoÌ„ / remeÌ„bre good brethreÌ„ / that our vnthaÌ„k fulnes was the cause of this our plage Let vs crye therfor vnto the lorde / powriÌ„g forth before him faithfull teares / he will delivere vs that we may trulye honoure him iÌ„ the gates of the daughter of Syon / that is opeÌ„ly iÌ„ the mides of the faithfull coÌ„gregation AmeÌ„ A sermon / wher in all Christianes ar admonished to flye the outward Idolatrie / taken out of the iij. verse of the xvj Psalme I will not coiÌ„cate with their bloudye sacrifices / nether will j take their names in my mouth The doctrine which we shal entreat in this place / is plaine ynough and easie / saving that the greatest parte of thos that profess them selves to be Christians / doo seek out and bringe / j can not tell what subtleties to cloke their evel withall But the summ of this wholl doctrine is / that after we knowe the liviÌ„g god to be our father / Iesus Christe oure redemere / we ought to consecrate bothe bodie and soull vnto him / who of his infinite goodnes hath taken vs in to the nuÌ„bre of his sonnes and to acknowlege withall kinde of benevoleÌ„ce / honour / obedience / the same benefite which oure most dear Savioure did vouch salf to bestowe on vs after he had bought it with so great a price And because we ar bound not onlye to renounce all infidelitie / but also to separate oure selves froÌ„ all superstitioÌ„s / which doo as well disagree with the true seruice of god as the honoure of his sonn / and which can by no means agree with the pure doctrine of the gospell and true confession of the faith / j said this doctrine of it selve to be so easie / that oÌ„lie the practise and exercise ther of ought to remaine vnto vs / saving that manye men doo seek certaine deceitfull shyftes / thorow which they will not be overcome in that thinge / the which is moste chiefly coÌ„deÌ„ned by gods owne mouth This cause constraineth vs at this time to tary longer in the declaratione of this mater / that every man may know his owne dutie / and deceav not him selfe / thinkinge that he is escaped when he is covered / as the common saing is / vndre a wett sack But for that ther be many of this opinioÌ„ / whos churches ar thorowly pourged froÌ„ the filthines / and jdolatries of the papisme / that this argumeÌ„t or treatice is but supfluouse / befor we pass any further / it is not vnprofitable to declare soche men most fowly to be deceived First when it is declared / how great an offence it is / for vs to be polluted and defiled with the jdolatours / feining our selves to cleave and consent to their impieties / wear admonished to mourn for our former sinnes / to aske of god forgevness of them / withall humblenes / and in this thiÌ„g to acknowledge the singular benefite whiche he gave vnto vs / drawing vs forth of that same filthe wherin we were holden down and drowned For we trulye ar not hable to sett forth this so great a benefit worthely jnough And for that we know not what shall happen vnto vs / and to what end god doth reserv vs / it is very expedient to be prepared and armed in time / that in to what state so ever we shal comme / or with what so ever temptations we may be oppugned / we never swerve from the pure word of god First it may be that many of this our church and congregation / shal travaill in to som papisticall coÌ„trie / who ought greatly now to be in a readines and armed to battell Then albeit god doth geve vs at this time libertie / to serve him purely and godlily / yet we know not how loÌ„g this benefite shal coÌ„tinew Let vs therfor take this time of our quietnes and tranquillitie / not as though it shal alwaies last / but as it were a time of truce / wherin god doth geve vs leisure / to streÌ„ghtheÌ„ our selves / least when we shal be called to vtter the confession of our faith / we be found new and vnprepared / bycause we coÌ„teÌ„ned the meditatioÌ„ of that mater in due time Nether truly ought we to forget in the meane while our bethren / which ar kept vndre the tyraÌ„ny of antichriste / oppressed with most miserable bondage / but to take care / remembrauÌ„ce / pitie over them / and to praie god to strenghtheÌ„ them with that coÌ„stancye / which he requireth in his worde We must also admonish and solicite theÌ„ by all waies / not to rest in places wher meÌ„ ar fast on slepe in their voluptuousnes / but to apply diligeÌ„tly this thought / and will / that thei confess
example / as a certain rule and definition / that jdolatrie is an outward action against gods honour / yea although it procede not from the wil and purpose of the minde / but be onlye colourable feined In whiche mater thei make goodli cavillationes that ther is no jdolatrie at all when as our affiaunce is not put in jdoles Yet shall thes men coutinually remain condemned by the sentence whiche thee mightiest judge hath pronounced But thes men do contend only for the name / oÌ„ly going about somdeall to lesson their faulte / which thei can by no means defend nor excuse Yea thei will graunt that this thing is evell done and not rightly / yet not with standiÌ„g thei wold have this fact to be judged as a certaine veniall sinne But although we grauÌ„t them as towching the name that thing they aske / yet thei shall not get so moche ther by that they may make their cause moche the better Let vs saye thê° / that soche maner of feined worshipping of jdoles / is not called jdolatrie / yet nevertheless it shal be a traitourous entrepece against god / a certain fact repugnaunt to the confessioÌ„ of faith / a fowl filthy pollution most full of wicked sacrilege I pray you when the most sacred service and honour of god is so violated / that we falsly break that promise we mad to him / that thorow cowardise and faiÌ„tnes of stomak we denie crokedly and falsly our Christian profession / that we be come inconstaunt and dowble / that we defile our selves fowly with thos things / whiche god hath cursed with all kinde of malediction is this so light a mater that after we have done it / we ought only to wipe our mouth / and confess that we have committed a certain small fault Let vs therfor put away thes shiftes / specially seing thei serve for no nother thinge but to make vs bouldre / and to geve vs greater libertie to sinne / and doth nothing at al diminish our fault Ther be also other more impudeÌ„t / whiche do not only / chauÌ„ging the name / goo about to perswade that it is not so great and vnworthy a sinne but do plaiÌ„ly and precisely deny it to be sinne It is sufficient / saye they / that god be honoured with hart minde EveÌ„ so truly if the hart it selff were not dowble For when the minde is truly sounde pure the bodye shall never be drawen in to a contrary parte I wold know of them what the is that moveth leadeth their feet to the temple For when thei goo to here mass / their legges will never be stirred of their owne morioÌ„ / but must nedes be moved bi the iÌ„ward power of the miÌ„de TheÌ„ must thei nedes confess that ther is in them selves a certain desier and motioÌ„ of miÌ„de wher of thei be caried to worship the jdoles / and chefely because they covet to apply theÌ„ selves after their wil and opinion / whiche ar enemies to the truth / yea and do so conforme them selves to please them / that they do moche more esteme their favour their owne lyf then gods honour and glorye Besids this / their impudency is so manifest and shamfull / that j am ashamed to dispute against it / as though it had som colour or lyknesse of reason / yet j must nedes do it / seing they do please theÌ„ selves so greatly / and arr / as it were men dronken in their own opiniones and pleasures / falleÌ„ fast on stepe They think this is jnough to worship god in sprit / whos then shall the body be Truli s Paull moveth vs to honour god / both in body and spirit / for they be his own and belongeth to none other God hath created the body / shall it be leafull for vs / therwith to serve honoure the devell as though he shold seem te be the author maker therof It were better they wold profess them selves opeÌ„ly to be maniches denye that god made the wholl maÌ„ Yf they had never so litle taste of the gospell thei wold not burst out in to so liceÌ„tious impudeÌ„cye But now it is plaine j nough / that thei in no wise know / what is the power greatnes of this benefite / to be redemed with the bloud of gods soÌ„n And to prove this true / how can we look for the resurrectione of the flesh except we beleve that Christe Iesus is the redemer both of bodyes souls j. Corin. vij S. Paul also doth admonish vs / not to be the servants of men / because we were bought purchesed with so great apece / which is the bloud of gods soÌ„n Then he that doth joyn addict him self to the wicked service of jdoles / doth he not treade uÌ„dre his fete the most sacred bloud of Iesus Christ / wherin doth coÌ„sist the price of the eternall iÌ„mortall glorie / which we look for in our bodies What reasoÌ„ is it the our bodies shold be defiled ê“faned befor jdoles / seiÌ„ge the crown of eternal lyf is ê“mised vnto theÌ„ in heveÌ„ This wallowiÌ„g in sataÌ„s stews most filthye defiliÌ„g is it a meaÌ„ waie wher by we may come to the kiÌ„gdoÌ„ of god Morover it was not said with out a great cause / our bodiÌ„es at the teÌ„ples of the holy ghost / therfor thei which perceav not / that they ought to be kept in all holines / do plainly shew them selves to perceave vndrestaÌ„d nothiÌ„g at all of the gospell Also thei declare that they know no whit at al what is the powr of Iesus Christ of his grace For when it is said on this wise that we ar bone of his bones flesh of his flesh we ought to vndrestaÌ„d that we be joyned with him both in bodie and soull Therfor no mane can defile his own bodye with any maner of superstition / but he doth separat him self / from the coÌ„iunction and vnion / wher by we ar made the meÌ„bres of the soÌ„ne of god But now let thes wittye subtile doctours answer me / whether thei have receaved baptisme only in their souls / or whether god hath coÌ„mauÌ„ded rather instituted that this signe shold be impriÌ„ted in our flesh Shal the bodye then wherin the mark of Iesus Christ is printed / be polluted defiled with so contrarie / repugnaunt / and so wicked abominations Also the lordes supper / is it receaved in the minde only / and not also in the hands and mouth Hath god engraven in our bodies the armes badges of his soÌ„ne / that we afterward shold pollute our selves with all vncleannes / with most foul spotes shame / so vnsemly deform our selves / that no kiÌ„de nor likenes of christiaÌ„ bewtie shold appear It is not leaful in coyniÌ„g one pece of gold to priÌ„te two coÌ„trarie coynes / nether to set two sealls the one repuÌ„gnauÌ„t to the other / vnto one writiÌ„g
the glorie due vnto god For we ar not taught of god only for our selves / but that euerie man after the measure of his faith / shold brotherli coÌ„municate with his neghbours / and distribute vnto theÌ„ that thing he hath learned knowne in gods scholl Now see we theÌ„ that it is profitable / yea truly necessarie so wel to our selves / as to our brethreÌ„ / that the remeÌ„braunce of this doctrine shold be renued veray oft / especially seing the text it self whiche we shal expouÌ„d / doth lede vs to the same purpose David doth opeÌ„ly protest / and as it were doth make a soleÌ„ vowe / that he will never be partaker in the sacrifices of jdolatours / and also the he will so detest / and grevously hate the jdoles that he will not at any time once name theÌ„ / as though he shold defile his mouth in namiÌ„g theÌ„ This is not the fact of some one mean maÌ„ / but the example of David the most excellent kinge and prophet / which ought to be vnto all gods children / a certain comon rule to ryght godly lyff And to th entent we may the better perceav this thing and more vehemeÌ„tly be moved with the true fear of god / the cause is to be noted which he addeth / wherin truly resteth as it were a certain foundation of that same alienatioÌ„ and offence / wher by he doth moste greatly abhorre the coÌ„munion of jdolatours The lorde / saith he / is myne enheritaunce But is not this thinge comoÌ„ to all faithful and godly meÌ„ Ther is no man truly which wold not glorie in so excellent a thing And this is sure without all doubte / that god being once geven vnto vs in the ê‘fone of his sonne / doth daily entise vs to possess hime But ther be veray fewe which ar so affected in this part / as the greatnes and worthines of this same mater shold seme to aske and deserve Nether truly caÌ„ we by any meanes possess god / onles on this coÌ„dition that we also be come his David therfor of good right / and worthely did set the fouÌ„dation of his godlynes / and religion in this sentence / reason / seing that god is his cnheritauÌ„ce / he wil refraiÌ„ from all pollutions of jdoles / which do turne vs from God him selff This is the cause why the prophet Esay / wheÌ„ he had vpbraided the jewes that they had geveÌ„ theÌ„selves to fals straunge gods / whom they had made / added afterward / theis / saith he / ar thy portion / signifieng by thes wordes / that god doth deny to the worshippers of jdoles all bond and felowship of covenant / and disenheriteth theÌ„ / and vtterly depriveth them / of that so iÌ„finitly great benefite / whiche he wold have bestowed on them / geviÌ„g him selff vnto them Som man will except say / that the prophet entreateth in that place only of theÌ„ which put their affiance in jdoles / and deceaveth them selves thorow opinion and incredulitie I grauÌ„t / but this alfo j answer / yf thei that do transfere gods honour vnto jdoles / ar vtterly separated and cutt of from his folowship / thei also do err and decline fom what from him / whiche do feiÌ„ them selves to consent to superstitions thorow fear and weaknes of minde For no man can in hart or any conformable fashion or in wil / in purpose of minde / or feining / or by any true or feined waie approche to jdoles / but he must so farr go bak from god Wherfor let this sentence be thorowly persuaded / and remain depely printed in our hartes / that thei whiche seke god with a true and pure minde / to the end to possess him for their enheritauÌ„ce / will have no communioÌ„ felowship with jdoles / withwhome god hath that divorce and debate / that he wold have all his to proclaim and make continuall deadly warre vpoÌ„ them And in this place David by name doth express / that he wil never be partakre of their oblations / nether have their names in his mouth and talking He might have said on this wise / I will not deceave my self with the uÌ„wise folish devotioÌ„s of the vnbelevers j wil not put my trust in soche abvses / nor j will neverforsake gods truth / to folow yes lies / but he speaketh not on this maner / but doth ra yer ê“mise coÌ„staÌ„tly / that he wil never be conversauÌ„t amoÌ„g yer ceremoiÌ„es Therfor he doth testifie that so farr forth as coÌ„cerneth the service of god / he wil abide continually in al puritie and holines both of body and sowle And first in this place we must considre / whether this be not jdolatrie to signifie declare by owtward tokens / our agreament / with thos superstitions / wher with the service of god is corrupted vtterly perverted They that swiÌ„ asy e coÌ„moÌ„ saiÌ„g is betwixt twoo waters / alleage this saiÌ„g / seiÌ„g that god wold be honored iÌ„ spirit / jdoles caÌ„ by no waies be honoured oÌ„les amaÌ„ put his trust in theÌ„ But to this may be easely answered / that god doth not so require the service / adoration of the minde / that he graunteth remitteth the other ê‘te of our nature vnto jdoles / as though that ê‘te shold seme nothiÌ„g at alto belong vnto him For it is said in many places / that the knees must be bowed befor god / also the haÌ„des lyfted vp to heven What then Surely the chefe honour that god requireth is spirituall / but the owtward signification wherby the faithfull do testifie that it is god only whom they serve honour / must so immediatly folow / that thei must at one time be ioyned to gether But one place shall so suffice for all / to confute that obiection whiche thei snatch of one word / that thei shal be plainly rebuked and coÌ„victe In the third chapt of Daniel it is written that Sidrach Misach and abdenago / refused and denied vndre any maner of colour / to coÌ„sent vnto the superstition set vp and erected by Nabuchodonosor / declaring that thei wold in no wise honour his gods If theis goodly wittye sophisters had bene ther at that time / thei wold have laught to scorne the simplicitie of thes thre servaunts of god For j suppose they wold have tawnted them with sochelike words / you folish meÌ„ / this truly is not to honour them / seing youe put no affiaunce in thes things Ther is no jdolatrie but wher ther is devotion / that is to say / a certain beÌ„ding and application of the minde to honour and worshipe the jdoles But thes godly men did folow a better and wisar counsall / for this answer whiche thei made proceded not of their own wit / but rather of the holy ghost / whiche moved them thus to speake / whom yf we will not resist / we must accept this place this
we ought / to hide and cover this so great wickednes and mishef But j beseche thē in the honourable holy name of god / that thei wil diligētly marke this saīg of the Psalme / that jdoles ar so to be detested of the faithful godly man / that thei shold not be in his mouth or tonge / least the talke had of thē shold seme to cōtaminat defile him This one word ought to fraie with draw vs from all congregation and felowship of jdolatours / by cause that we livīg in that cōgregatiō may easely be wrapped in and defiled But to speak plaīly frely what j thīk of al yes / with seke ameā way betwixt god the devel yei have double variable mīds / j cā not fīde out a more apt fete cōparisō to set yem out paīt yem in yeir lively colours / thē that same whiche may be brought of Esau that same filthie double mā For whē he saw his brother Iacob sent by his father Isaac in to Mesopotamia to seke a wyf / because the womē of the land of Canaā did so moche mistike the father and his wyf Rebecca that thei thought their lyfe bitter irksom to lyve amōg thē rather wisheth death / he marieth anew wife / somwhat to satisfie his parēts / but he doth not put awaie the olde So that he doth kepe stil that evel wherof Isaac did so grevously complain / but somdeal to amēd the mater / he marieth anew wife Evē so thei that ar so wrapped vp in the world / that thei cā in no wise folow god do mēgle and tosse to gether many divers kīds of religions and superstitions / that ihei may applie and cōforme thē selves by some way to the wil of god / and thei alwaies kepe stil some corruptiō / so that what soever thei do / cā not apear to be pure and syncere I know also right wel that ther be in thos places many miserable souls / with lyve ther in great difficulties and cares / with truely coveteth to walk rightly wtout hypocrisie / yet can not lowse them selves / out of many doubtes scruples / with is no merveill in so great and horrible confusion as we see at this time in the papisme Yea j do greatly pitie their miserable state / which seke meanes wherby thei may serve god devoutly and live amōg the enemies of faith if it may be possible by any waies But what wil we I can do nothīg els to th one or to thother / but declare their errour and sinne / that thei thē selves may adde the remedie If thei come herafter to aske of me this or that more diligētly and particularly / j wil send soche curiouse inquisitours to the cōmon rule which have of god I speak this for that ther be some of this sort of men so importune / that yf a mā shold answer al their difficulties doubtes / he shold seme never to make an end of any thing And my think soche men may wel be cōpared to thē who after thei be taught in a sermō to vse sobre apparell and deckīg of the bodye wtout al dissolute and sumptuouse trimming / thei wold have the preacher to make their hoose and sewe their shoes Wel what must we do thē In this mater ther is a certain thīg set before vs wher vnto we ought to direct and conferr our wholl minde / studie and thought That is that the zeal of gods house may eat vp our hart and so move vs / that we bear and take vpon our selves / all dishonours / cōtumelies / and opprobries / with ar done most vnworthily agaīst gods holy name When soche desier of gods honour / and fervēt love shal be kindled in our hartes / not like drye stubble sone set on fier easely extinguished / but like a fier that burneth cotinually / a mā shal be so far frō sufferīg or approvīg yes aboīatiōs wherw t the name of god most shāfully vnwortheli is polluted / that whē he shal beholde yem / he shal be hable in no wise to suffer dissimulation / silence / taciturnitie And it is diligently to be marked / that he saith / The zeal of gods house / that we shold know that to be referred / vnto the outward ordre with is instituted in the churche / that we shold exercise our selves in cōfessiō of our faith I do not wey the mockers with say / that j my self lyvig here wtout any daūger / yea ratherin great quietnes / do talk goodlely of thes maters I ā not he wtwhom thes men have any thīg to do / For this is wel knowen j have here no land of myn owne So may we thīk say of al thes philsoophers with geve yeir judgmēt wtout knowlege of the cause For seing yei wil not here god / who doth now truly speak so jently to thē / to teache yem j do declare the daye judgmēt / at what time being called before the judgmēt seat of god / yei shal hear that sentēc / agaīst the whiche yer shal be no answer / nor defence For seing yei wil not heare him / as the best and most meke maister / thei shal then know at the last / fele him as their most severe just judge At which time the stowtest the craftiest of thē shal perceave know / that thei were deceaved in their opiniōs Let thē be so wel ezercised and prepared as thei wil / to obscure or subvert justice and equitie / yet their lawlike and judicial ornaments / and the badges of the great dignitie power / wherwith thei now prowdly wax insolēt / shal not then geve them the victorie I speak this by cause counseilours / judges / prortours / advocats / and soche other bearing the swinge in courtes and judgements / ar not only bold to strive with God / and so to contend / that thei wold seme / to have goten a certaine right to scorne and mock his maiestie / but also reiecting all holy scripture / do spue out their blasphemies / as the greatest sentences of the lawe / and most hygh decrees Thes men whō the world doth honour as certain jdoles / so sone as thei have spokē one word / can not suffre reason truth to have any place to rest in But yet by the way j admonish and warn thē before hand / that it shal be better for them / to have some remembraūce of that same horrible vēgeāce / with is ordeined for thē that chaūge justice with iniquitie / truth with lyēge Neyer the doctours chābremastres / the delitiouse bāckettours verai voluptuose mē / take ani higher degre here / then that thei may chatter in their feastes and banquets bable forth their words agaīst the hevēly maister / to whom truly al men ought to geve most diligēt eare Nether can their goodly famouse
all them befor his father whiche denye the truth for fear of losing this life / for whom he declareth destruction both of bodye and soull to be prepared Mat. x. Also in an other place he protesteth that he will refuse all maner of communion with them that deny him befor men Thes words onlese we be vtterlye void of all sence ought vehemently to move our minds and so to fray vs / that for fear the hears of our heade shold stert vpp But how so ever it be / onles we be so affected and moved as the greatnes of the mater and daunger requireth / ther remaineth nothiÌ„g ells for vs but to look for horrible and most miserable confusion wherin we may excuse our fault so moche as we lust / we may say that in this great frailtie and weaknes of nature / we rather ar worthye of mercy then of any severitie and sharpnes of punishment / it will not serve Heb. xj For it is written on the coÌ„trarie part / that Moses after he had sene god by faith was so hardned and strengthened / that no violence of teÌ„ptation coâ—â—melt his mind / and beÌ„d him from that great coÌ„stancye Wherfore wheÌ„ we be so tendre and flexible that ther appear in vs no power of firme and constant minde / we signifie and declare plainlye that we be vtterly ignoraunt of god and his kingdome Also wheÌ„ we ar werned that we ought to be joyned cowpled with our head / we have gotten a goodly couler to exempt separat our selves frome him / yf we say we ar meÌ„ And were not yei that were befor vs men so well as we are Yea yf we had nothinge ells / but even the bare doctrin of godlines / yet were al the excuses with we can brig weack and of no value But now ar we worthy more greater chek and condemnation / sence we have so great notable exaÌ„ples / whos great authoritie ought vehemently to excite confirme our minds Ther ar two chefe partes of this our exhortation or consolation to be coÌ„sidered The firstis / that this hath ben a commoÌ„ state to the vniversal bodye of the church alwaies and ever shal be to the end of the world / that it was vexed with soche iniuries and contumâ— lies of the wicked / as it is reported in the Psalme Psalm â— xxix / Thei have vexed me eveÌ„ now froÌ„ my iouth hether to / have drawn a plough over and over e veri ê‘t of my bak The holy ghost in this place doth briÌ„g in the old church speakiÌ„g on this wise that it shold not seme now vnto vs a new ying nor greavouse / if we see in thes daies our cause coÌ„dition to be like S. Paul also recitiÌ„g the same place of an o yer Psal wher it is said / We were as it were shepe led to the slaughter / doth declare that this ê‘tained not onli to one age / but it was shal be the coÌ„moÌ„ / vsual coÌ„tinual state of Christs church So that if we see in this time the church to be so haÌ„dled vexed / bi the insoleÌ„cie pride of the wicked / that some bark at her / some bite her / mani afflict her / alwaies inveÌ„t some mischef pestileÌ„t destructioÌ„ to her / yea set vp on her wtout ceasig as it were mad dogges wil de raveniÌ„g beastes / let vs cal to remeÌ„brauÌ„ce that she was so vexed afflicted oppressed iÌ„ al times before God doth geve vnto her soÌ„time / some rest refreshiÌ„g as it were a time of true And this is that which is spoken in the psalme above allegâ—d / the righteous lord doth cut iÌ„ sodre the cordes of the wicked iÌ„ an other place / that he breaketh their rodde / Psal c. xxv lest the good being to moche pressed shold faiÌ„t move yeir haÌ„des to iÌ„iquitie But god wold alwaies have his church to be tost in this world / as it were alwaies in a certaiÌ„ coÌ„flict / reserviÌ„g for her quiet rest in heven The end of thes afflictions was alwaies blessed / yea truly god wrought this that the church alwaies pressed with mani great difficult calamities / was never vttrely oppressed ij Cor. iiij As it is saide in an other place / the wicked with all their labour did never optain that thei desiered S. Paul also doth so glorye of like happye end issue of afflictions / that he sheweth this grace of god to be ê‘petuall in his church We saith he / ar prest with all kind of afflictions / but we ar not killed with sorow care / we live in greatnede povertie / iet ar we not for saken we are cast down but we ê‘ish not / alwaies carrieÌ„g aboute the mortificatione of our lord Iesus Christe / that his lyf also mai be declared in our mortal bodye This issue and end / as we see that god hath alwaies made it happie and prosperouse in the persequutioÌ„s of the church / ought to bolden vs / seing we knowe that our fathers / who also acknowledged their frailty weaknes / had alwaies the victorie over their enemies / by cause thei continued constant in paciencye I do entreat this first part of my exhortatione briefli / that j may come the soner to the secoÌ„d / which doth more pertaine to the purpose And that is / that we applie certaine examples of the martyres which were before vs / to our consolation and confort And in this kinde or nuÌ„bre ther be not two or thre / but a great thik cloude as the apostle writeth to the Hebrues Heb. xij Wherby he signifieth / that ther is so great a multitude of them / which hath suffred for the testimonie of the truth / that so well the aboundaunce of excellent examples / as the most grave autoritie ought to provoke vs to coÌ„tentatioÌ„ patiencie / and moderation of minde And least my oration shold waxe to long in heaping vp together an iÌ„finite multitude of exaÌ„ples / j will oÌ„ly speak af y s jewes / which suffered most grevouse ê‘sequutioÌ„ for the true religioÌ„ / both vndre the tyraÌ„nie of kiÌ„g Antiochê° / also shorthly after his death We can not saie that theÌ„ the nuÌ„bre of the afflicted meÌ„ was smal / wheÌ„ a great mighty army as it were of martyrs was prepared to maitaine and defend the religion Nether can we allege that thei were certaine excellent prophets / whoÌ„ god had chosen forth and separated frome the comon sort of people / for ther were women / boyes / and infants / also in that nuÌ„bre of martyrs Nether wil we say that thei passed thorow the ê‘secution / only with some light losse / without great peril of lyfe / without great paines tormeÌ„ts of bodies / seing / ther was no kiÌ„de of cruelty vnproved in afflictiÌ„g / vexing / tormeÌ„tig them Let vs here also what the