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
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
members You be his members You fulfil that in your fleshe that lacked of his passion and you fulfil it for his bodie vvhich is the churche Christe suffereth no more in fleshe wherin he ascended into heauen but he suffereth in your fleshe which yet trauaileth on the earthe What lacked in the head is supplied in the members And therfore you suffer as members of his bodie for his bodie which is the churche and you suffer for the trial of your faithe which is tried to this ende that it might be founde to honor wheÌ„ Christe commeth in whom you beleue for whom you suffer and by whom you shal receaue the ende of your faithe euen the saluation of your soules Seinge then religion is the soueraigne honor and the onelie supreme seruice that you owe to God seinge it is the most glorious and honorable cause for which you can suffer respecte of no creature loue of no felicitie feare of no aduersitie should withdrawe you froÌ„ this cause Loue of parentes and countrie loue of wife and children loue of goodes and honors loue of liuelehood and life must geue place to this They that for this cause forsake the temporal welth of the world shal receaue the spiritual blessinges of God our lorde This saith our lorde Euerie man that forsaketh hys house or hys brothers or sisters or father or mother or vvife or children or landes for my name sake shal receaue an hundred folde He promiseth more then this to them that dye for his sake This saith our lorde He that leeseth his life for me shal finde the same Ther be diuersities of christian dewties diuersities of honor obedience and loue There is a loue dewe vnto our parentes and this hath his limitation Who so loueth them aboue Christe is not Christes disciple nay whoso hateth them not for Christe is not his disciple and he that forsaketh not al and beareth not Christes crosse for Christes sake can not be his disciple When faithe is called in questioÌ„ when christians be conuented for religion and Godes cause must be answered they be our mothers they be our brothers which do the wil of our father in heauen If they beleue in Christe they must preferre vs that fighte for Christe yf they beleue not let the deade burie the deade There is a loue dewe vnto our natural father so longe as he withdraweth vs not from our heauenlie father We must not acknowledge any loÌ„ger our parent age kinred stocke or other creature theÌ„ they acknowledge God theire creator Our parentes may doo what shal best like them of theire goodes and substance with our soules they haue not to doo Our soules be not theirs by whoÌ„ we were generate but his to whom we be regenerate Thoughe thy nephewe a litle ladde and playnge boye hange aboute thy necke thoughe thy mourninge mother with reÌ„te heares and blubbered chekes shewe thee hir pappes wherwith she gaue thee sucke thoughe thy feble father lye at thy thresholde passe by thy father passe by thy mother with drie eyes and hasten to the crosse of Christe crueltie in this case is the onelie kinde of pietie and pietie for God is no crueltie Ther is an honor and obedience dew to princes and ciuil rulers of the worlde Thes dewties also haue their limitation The children of Israel saide vnto their ruler Iosue As vve haue obeyed Moyses so vvil vvee obeye thee looke onelie to this that our lorde God be vvith thee as he vvas vvith Moyses As who wold saye we wil obeye thee so loÌ„ge as thou obeiest God God is to be obeied and so is Iosue God before Iosue God aboue Iosue and rather God then Iosue The children of Israel obeied kinge Nabuchodonosor inal that he might coÌ„maunde by authoritie of a kinge But when he proclamed that his subiectes shoulde kneele downe and adore his Idol they denied that obedience Daniel obeied kinge darius in externe matters but when the kinge gaue out edicte that whoso prayed to any other God but to him should be caste to the lions he forsoke the courte entred his chamber and there praied thrise adaye vpon his knees Likewise Mathathias saide VVe vvil obeie the lavve of our fathers vve vvil not harkeÌ„ vnto the commaundementes of the kinge Was it not obiected to Christes Apostles that they contraried the senate and counselers and therevnto S. Peter made this breefe Apologie VVe must obeye God rather then men What time the holie man and blessed Martyr sainct Policarpe was broughte before the proconsul and required to sweare to Cesar and to reuile Christe he made this answer I haue serued Christe foure score yeares and syxe and to this daye Christe neuer iniured mee nor dyd ought why I should reuile him My selfe am a Christian and wee christians be taughte to geue to princes and seculer powers suche honor as is not contrarie to our religion In thes dewties then this is the limitation our soueraigne loue honor and obedience is dewe onely to god and thes may be done with oute dishonor or preiudice to princes as the children of Israel did as Daniel did as Mathathias did as the Apostles did as saincte Polycarpe did who obeied God and men but rather God then men who gaue to Cesar what belonged to Cesar and to God what belonged to god Kinges princes and poteÌ„tates of the worlde be the seruantes of God God is their maister we may not obeie the seruant against the maister When inferiour authoritie commaundeth what we should not doo we must refuse that authoritie and feare the superior power Yf the Emperour coÌ„maunde one thinge and God an other he must pardon vs thoughe wee obeie not he threateneth prison God threateneth hel In Gods cause we must obeie God and not meÌ„ when men be contrarie to God nor shoulde we therfore be called disobedient subiectes or discontented persones yf in Godes matters wee preferre God before men This is the scope I leauel at that our soueraigne obedience must be to God in al dewties without exception and that in the house of God there is no greater cause nor greater obedience then to suffer for the loue of god Sainct Paule enflamed with this loue and with the zeale of Godes house brasâ—e oute thes wordes VVho shal separat vs from the loue of God shal tribulation or anguishe or persecution or honger or nakednes or peril or svvorde I am sure that neyther deathe nor lyfe neyther angelles nor rule nor povver neyther thinges present nor thinges to come nor highe nor lovve nor any other creature shal be able to separate vs from the loue of God. What sterred vp the stoute standinge of the Confessors the blouddye battaile of the Martyres the chaste combat of the virgins but the loue of Godes house This moued s Athanasius that holie coÌ„fessor to saye let vs go to meete with our persecutor that he may perceaue how much greater the power of