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A13311
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An apologie or defence agaynst the calumnacion of certayne men which preferring wylfull wyll and carnal reason before the playn trueth of Gods gospel, (do sclaundre those men, which for the better seruinge of God with a more pure conscience, according to his holy word) haue abandoned theyr liuinges and vocacion, abydinge as exyles in poore estate oute of theyr natyue cou[n]trye.
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I. T., fl. 1555.
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1555
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STC 23619; ESTC S103238
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12,085
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24
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aunswere of his wyfe or take it in good parte but condemning her as an aduoutresse would repudiat and forsake her And shal we perswade oure selues to please God Exod. xx Deut. vi beyng a ialouse God as the scripture calleth him who requyreth of vs the whole man to serue him withal when as we geue the greater parte of his creacion to the seruinge of Idols saying God knoweth hath my harte Well God deale with vs according to his greate mercy geue vs an hart to repeÌ„t knowledge our offences least we perishe in our sinnes for as God is mercyful so is he iust Christ saith Luk. xiiij Math. x. Luke ix he that setteth more by father or mother wife childreÌ„ landes riches or couÌ„tryr then by me is not mete for me nor worthye to be my disciple Reade the whole Chap. in Luke examen what the buylding of the towre signifieth Ye haue heard often taught preached that he the wyl professe the Gospel in tyme of prosperitie should cast accompt with him self what may happen to him for the same in the dayes of aduersitie Or els in vayne hath he begon to buy lde and shal be called a foolishe buylder I thinke there be a great many of honest good men in that towne which in times past haue bene feruent Gospellers and yet at this daye loue the trueth sorowing in their hartes the impiete of this tyme. That yf it were not for feare to lose theyr liuinges riches countrie to become poore in a straunge land would folowe seke Christ in the wildernes Apoca. xij searching with paine to seke out the narowe way But alas so colde is oure loue to Christe which hath so dearelye bought vs that we could be coÌ„tent to loue him so that we lose not by him But these doubtes to tast miserie poull vs from folowing poore Christ So frayle is our lyfe such a lumpe of synne corrupte tabernacle we are wrapped in That seyng the best waye knowing the better parte we can not chuse it nor walke in the same I pray God this sentence be not verified vpoÌ„ vs. Luke xij He that knoweth his maysters wyll doeth it not shal be beaten with many strypes By many tribulacions must we entre into the KingdoÌ„ of heaueÌ„ Christ sayth Luke ix he that putteth his hand to the plough loketh backe is not mete for the kingdoÌ„ of heaueÌ„ mat 24. x. It is not ynough for vs to haue begon in the knowledge of Christ oneles we perseuer folowe him to the end Closing our dayes in his peace which peace of Christ is better in a beggers bosome at the howre of death theÌ„ a mountayn of gold to a ryche maÌ„ with a troubled conscieÌ„ce Christ sayth my shepe heare my voyce now my freÌ„d because the voyce of oure shepeherde Christ Iohn x. is not to be heard in that towne where ye dwell Therefore I other men of that place haue abandoned our lyuinges vocacioÌ„ to seke oure shepeherd christ that we might heare his voice and participate his sacramentes purely ministred according to his holy worde in the place to our great comforte to prayse him where to our great consolacioÌ„ we now remayne In the which companie how ioyfull it is to be amoÌ„g The Prophete Dauid describeth in the lxxxiiij Psalm Psal 84. which I most hartely requyre you not onely to reade but diligentlye to marke examin what the Prophete meaneth in the same by thâ—â— place to iudge whether we haue righte in our doyuges or are iustely to be condeÌ„ned O my frend in that towne where ye presentely inhabite the gospel of Iesus Christ hath bene moste plenteously preached purely taught the space of seuen yeares Mat. xiij Mar. iiij And yf there shoulde no good grouÌ„d appeare after so much long sowinge of so good sede to bring forth encrease of good corne it mighte well be called a cursed place an yll soyle I saye this my frend yf al meÌ„ of that town which were called gospellers should obserue the ordre of this vnhappye tyme submitting theÌ„ selues to this vngodly religioÌ„ What a cause of triumphe should the papistes haue to reioyse perswadig blowing abrode no trueth or religion to be trew but onely that which they now teache set forth because all meÌ„ obserue the same But for because they see a nouÌ„bre of good godly learned meÌ„ with the losse of their liues spilling of their bloud to testifye it an vntruth As also a great nouÌ„bre of honest meÌ„ of good coÌ„uersacion doe departe theyr countrey leauing their riches liuinges some of theÌ„ beginneth to doubt whether his religioÌ„ be a truth or not Other which are of the worst sorte of papistes that most setteth forth this religion be ashamed to make greate boaste of their doctrine for that in the tyme of the gospel lyke dissemblers hipocrites they gaue place to the trueth and would in no wyse suffre for theyr religioÌ„ And nowe they seing men to dye and suffre penurie in a strauÌ„ge land it maketh them poul back their to much boasting of their religion so that by this meanes it appeareth most playne to him that hath but halfe an eye that the gospel is a moste manifeste trueth and pure religion in that men suffre for the same which is promysed to all them ij Tim. iâ— that wyll lyue godly in Christ Iesu These causes my frend many other moued me with other meÌ„ to vnder take this painful iourney greuous exyle Examen the boke of genesis poÌ„der wel the doyng of the old Patriarke Iacob who forsoke no smale substauÌ„ce riches beside the comodite of his couÌ„trey dwelling place Gene. 43. onli as the scripture sayth Because of famyne that occupied the soyle and land where he dwelte and in much payne and great trauayle in his olde dayes with a greate familie drew into Egipte a people in maners condicions not agreeyng with his nature Yf our father Iacob dyd vndertake this long and painful iourney to seke meate for the body coÌ„sidre my frend how much more we that are called Christians which haue professed Christ ought to seke for the fode of the soule which is the preaching of Gods holi word participacion of his holy SacrameÌ„tes by the which we waxe strong in fayth pacience all good workes Mat. iiij as Christ our mayster sayth Man shal not lyue by bread only but by euery worde the procedeth oute of the mouth of God Christ commaundeth by Esay the Prophet Esay lij saying to his people Away away get you out from thence and touche no vncleane thing Ieremie in another place cryeth Ierem. li. saying Flee away from Babilon euery man saue his lyfe O my frend do ye thinke that the word of the spirite of God speaking so earnestly with such vehemence by theâ—â—nouthes of
labor which I neuer had done nor was brought vp in such extremitie wherfore they feared I should not be able to endure it I aunswere them with S. Paul I haue learned in what estate soeuer I am there with to be content I can doe all thinges thorough the helpe of Christ I also saye with S. Paul Phil. iiij Rom. viij shall tribulacion or anguishe or persecucion eyther hunger or nakednesse perill or sworde separate vs from the loue of God Timo. vi Mar. viij More the same Apostle sayth Godlines is great ryches yf a man be coÌ„teÌ„t with that he hath for we brought nothing into the world and it is a playne case that we can carye nothing out What should it auayle a man to winne the whole world lose his owne soule I most hartely reioyse in god that I haue not receyued his gospell in vayne For I had rather with Lazarus enioy a poore estate Luke xvi begging my bread in myserye with a quiet coÌ„science theÌ„ with dyues to wallow in welth and for pleasure sake lose the lyfe euerlasting Christ Iesus the alone Sauiour Philip. ij our Lorde mayster thought it no robberye as S. Paule sayth beyng very God to take our nature vpoÌ„ him and for our sakes to become man in moste lowe degree Who as a most pure paterâ—â— and godly example for vs to folow walked in this vale of miserie in great humilitie and poore estate saying the foxes haue holes Luke ix the byrdes of the ayre haue nestes but the sonne of man hath not a place to put his head in O my frend these places of Scripture are not written in vayne but for our learninge Roma xâ— that we through pacience and comforte of the Scripture might haue hope It is geuen vs as S. Paule sayth not onely to beleue on Christ but to suffre for his sake yf Christ Iesus my Lord and maister walked in such poore estate Wall I a wretched sinner beyng but earth wormes meat hauig no certeÌ„tie of my life Rom. viij ij Tim. 7. for a litle pleasure in this worlde lose the life euerlasting â–ª God forbid remeÌ„bring the yf we wil raigne with Christ we must suffre with him Now my freÌ„de yf I other men should doe as you other do what nede we to suffre with christ For yf wheÌ„ as the gospel by god his special mercy auctoritie of the king is set forth I theÌ„ embrace it as a truth in those daies there is no cause why I should suffre for the gospel as in the time of the godly Price king Toward the sixt Psal lxvi Gapien 3 Lcclesi 2 But wheÌ„ for our vnthaÌ„kefulnes wretched liuing god doth take his gospel away froÌ„ vs as it is come to passe in our laÌ„d at this day to make trial of his elect according to this saying As gold is tried in the furneys so god doth trie his elect yf I then as you most men doe now i these daies dissemble with the trueth which before I embrased coÌ„firming my selfe to the impiete of this time There is theÌ„ no cause why I should suffre with christ no maÌ„ wil lay any matter to my charge yf externally I obserue the law and theÌ„ were these wordes of suffring with christ in vayn the gospel such a trueth as I liste to make applie it Yf I shal perswade my self to please christ to be in fauor with God yet wil not suffre with christ My freÌ„de in mine opinioÌ„ it is not in our chose to take vp christes crosse as we lift the way we would but as god our he aueÌ„ly father in christ hath destined appointed vs vnto wel let the maÌ„ be ware which obserueth the ordre of this time maynteyninge his owne doyng coÌ„deÌ„ning other meÌ„ for not doyng the same yet wil say he is gods seruâ—â—t Truely I wil not coÌ„deÌ„ne hi for God shal be his iudge But surely I thinke he might aswell saye there were no god for god is none otherwise knoweÌ„ honored of him but as his fleshly wyll list to knowe serue him not captiuating his iudgemeÌ„t to the word of god by the which word god is truly serued worshipped not pleased as we imagine Mat. xvij We are coÌ„mauÌ„ded to harkeÌ„ to the voyce of christ to heare him which sayth he the wyll be my disciple let him forsake himselfe take vp his crosse folow me Now yf the maÌ„ which wil liue â— al securite pleasure of this life wheÌ„ God maketh trial of his church wil nether suffre with him Mat. xvi nor take vp his crosse folow him yet wil say he hath right in his doyng surelye this place may be verified of him Not al they which say lord lord shal entre into the kingdoÌ„ of heaueÌ„ Iames .i. Roma ij but he the doeth the wil of my father which is in heaueÌ„ not the hearers of the law but the doers shal be iustified Christ sayth Zroade is the way that leadeth to destructioÌ„ many go in therat but narow is the way the ledeth to saluacioÌ„ Mat. vij Luke xiij few ther be which find it Christes flock is bâ—t a litle flock The cause my freÌ„d why it is but litle the narrow way not fouÌ„de out is because the of our nature we are sinful delight in the corrupcion thereof pleasing our selues with corruptible thiÌ„ges not delighting in heaueÌ„ly misteries for flesh bloud is not capable of heaueÌ„lye knowledge Therefore hath God geuen vs ouer to a lewde mynd perswading oure selues to be in the righte when as manifestlye we are in the wroÌ„g according to the saying of S. Paul Roma i. wheÌ„ as they knewe God dyd not worship him an god the lord gaue theÌ„ ouer to their own lustes And because that wheÌ„ we had the light of Gods Gospel among vs we embraced not nor walked in the same Therefore hath God suffered darkenes errour to ouerwhelme vs yet we wyll saye we are in the right may dissemble for the time saying God knoweth our hartes My frende be not deceyued God requyreth the whole maÌ„ withall our powers to serue him according to the fyrst coÌ„maundemente Exod. xx Mat. xxij where it is writteÌ„ Thou shalte loue the Lorde thy God withal thy harte soule mynd withall thy powers How we obserue this precepte when as we prostrate our selues before an Idol partaking with the vngodly the Lorde at the last day shal reuele make openly knoweÌ„ It is like as yf a maried womaÌ„ should submit her body to the vse of another maÌ„ when her husbande layeth the offeÌ„ce to her charge she auÌ„swereth husband be not angrie for my so doyng for although I abandoned my body to that maÌ„s vse yet I reserued my hart wholy to you My freÌ„d I thinke there is no man beynge of any godly knowledge could digest that