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A20802 The Christian armorie wherein is contained all manner of spirituall munition, fit for secure Christians to arme themselues withall against Satans assaults, and all other kind of crosses, temptations, troubles, and afflictions : contrived in two bookes, and handled pithily and plainly by way of questions and answers / by Thomas Draxe ... ; hereunto is adioined a table of all the principall heads and branches comprised in each chapter of the whole treatise. Draxe, Thomas, d. 1618. 1611 (1611) STC 7182; ESTC S782 133,281 384

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fellow féeling Secondly we must helpe them with our prayers and be intercessors to the Almighty for them that he would arm them with strength and patience and direct all their sufferings for their own good and the aduancement of his blessed Gospell Thirdly we must as we haue any opportunity offered assist them with our counsell and with the wordes of exhortation cheare encourage and embolden them Lastly wée must if wee can visite them in our owne persons or at least minister vnto their necessities as Obadiah ministred vnto the necessities of an hundred of Gods Prophets in the raigne and persecution of Ahab and Iezabel and as Onesiphorus oft refreshed Paul in prison and was not ashamed of his bonds and chaines and this duety of mercy and commiseration God will neuer leaue vnrecompensed CHAP. X. Question HOw are Persecutions to be diuided A. Into persecutions of the affection persecutions of the tong and of the hand or outward action Q. What are the persecutions of the affections A. Contempt enuie hatred or malice Q. What comforts are to bee imparted to Gods Children that suffer contempt A. First it is a glorious matter to be contemned for vertue well doing for in this case wee are like vnto Christ our blessed Sauiour who was derided of Herode and the Iewes for his holy life doctrine zeale miracles c. and therefore we haue cause to reioice Secondly we must note who they are that commonly contemne vs they are either enemies of the truth or prophane worldlings who cannot discerne of our worth and excellency and that haue no knowledge and practise of true religion and vertue and therefore wee are the lesse to care for their censure for euen as pretious pearles being enclosed and hidden in base earthen shels are not seene and therefore they being not discerned are not esteemed according to their price and excellency so the wicked and prophane looking onely at the contemptible condition of godly mens persons and not discerning the grace of God in their hearts take an occasion to despise thē or else they are scorned contemned of hypocrites factious schismaticall persons who being more humorous then truely holy and more haughty then humble and wiser in their owne eyes then worthy in Gods sight doe distaste and falsly censure their brethren that are better then themselues and hereof blessed S. Paul had expe●ience amongst the Corinthians Secondly it is the practise of Satan and his impes thus to depresse and keep vnder Gods children that they who are famous and illustrious by the brightnes of their holinesse and vertues should bée sullied and obscured by misreports and contempt of their persons but neuerthelesse they hereby loose nothing of their inherent excellency for as a pretious iewel albeit by hogges and swine troden and trampled vnder féet abateth nothing of his naturall excellency So Gods children scorned and contemned of the wicked lose nothing of their vertues for contempt doth not hurt them but profite them Thirdly it is an vsuall matter for learned men to bee despised of the ignorant rare men of the rude and wise Sages to be contemned o● sots hereupon Seneca saith very well Nondum foelix es c. thou art not as yet happy if the multitude doth not mo●ke thee Fourthly they that ca●● contempt vpon others vniustly shall be conte●ned themseluee for with what measure they mete it shall be measured ●o them againe Lastly let it suff●ce that God dignifieth and honoureth vs and that he hath garnished and embrodered vs with the pretious and princely graces of hi● spirit Q. How are we to carry our selues when wee are misregarded and contemned A. First let it be our ioy and comfort to suffer contempt and to runne through good report and bad for Christ his sake for God will in the end the more honour and magnifie vs. Secondly it behoueth vs by speaking well of all men by interpreting things doubtfull in the better part by contemning no person without cause and by our good seruice and offices towards Church and common wealth to wipe and wash away the myre of contempt flung in our faces and then in time our contempt will be turned into credite and our base estéeme into glorie Thirdly let vs striue to bee that wee would séeme to bee and also by honest meanes and by our blessed behauiour seeke to grow into the fauour and familiarity of excellent famous and eminent Personages and then we shall not bee despised but dignified and not be neglected but notice will soone be taken of vs and our eminency Lastly if good men through ignorance misreports emulation infirmity dislike and despise vs we must bee content with others to endure a common euill and in the meane time to comfort our selues in our honestie and innocency OF ENVIE Q. What is Enuie A. It is a griefe or sadnes by reason of another mans outward or inward spirituall or temporall prosperity and happines Q. How shall a Christian arme and strengthen himselfe against it A. First excellent piety and prosperity is euer subiect hereunto Secondly no friend of sincerity and vndissembled godlinesse and goodnesse did euer want this exercise for as the shadow doth follow them that walk in the Sunne so doth Enuie follow and pursue them that are noble and noted for learning wisedome and well doing Thirdly it is better to be hated then vnhappy and to bee maligned then miserable Fourthly to enuie greatnes and goodnes in others argueth a base raskall and satanicall disposition for first they enuie those good things in others which themselues want secondly they doe but pricke stabbe and wound themselues with their owne weapons thirdly they hood-winke or cast dust into their owne eyes that they may not behold and discerne Gods graces in others Fifthly the enuious person is the cause of greater good to him that is enuied for by his carping and deprauing of others the vertues of the person ●nuied are brought vpon the stage and made better known but the spitefull and enuious person doth nothing but some out his owne shame Sixthly they are tormenters of themselues and worke their owne ruines for as the moath doth consume the garment rust the iron and the viper eateth out and consumeth the bellie of her that conceiued her so doth enuie at lēgth and by degrees wast and destroy the possessor Lastly the euils that they wish to others they haue themselues and encrease vpon themselues Q. What vse are we to make hereof A. First let vs leaue enuious men to themselues and suffer them to torture and torment their soules and bodies Secondly the more that we are enuied and maligned for zeale in pure religion and for well doing the more let vs bée stirred vp to the practise of religion vertue for wée shall by no meanes so much vexe and torment enuious persons as by our well doing Thirdly if wee cannot otherwise auoid the tempest and storme of
to feare any false or abused excommunication Q. What if wee in the country or kingd●me where we dwell see the poore oppressed and innocency defaced how shall wee then keepe and preserue our selues from being scandalized A. First if we sée in a country the oppression of the poore and the defrauding of iustice we must not be astonied at the matter for the highest séeth and regardeth it Secondly if we looke for a Church or State without spot taint of error and iniustice we must seek it in ●eauen only where all things are established in an absolute and eternall order and perfection or else we must get vs into Mauqsun or Sir Thomas More his Vtopia where we shall finde such a state and policie Thirdly in this distresse wee must haue recourse vnto the magistrate his helpe and when one faileth or neglecteth vs we must séeke to another Lastly if we sée all outward meanes to faile we ought to call and cry day and night vnto our God we must make him our iudge and reuenger and wait vpon him vntill he right vs and then though hee seeme to vse long patience towards our aduersaries he will auenge vs and that quickly Q. Why doth God so sharpely censure and so roughly handle his iust and innocent children A. First no man is innocent before God for there is no man that sinneth not if God straitely marke mans iniquity who shall stand and no flesh by his owne workes can be iustified in Gods sight so that the all-piercing eye of the almighty that is tenne thousand times brighter then the sunne and clearer then crystall can if it please him find sufficient matter to condemn them in their begunne iustice and innocency wherefore we must not thinke them to be altogether vncorrupt in this wicked world as the fish that liue in the salt sea their own element nothing sauour of the saltnes of it but that they in part are tainted with the worlds corruption Secondly God will not haue his children peruerted with the worlds sinnes much lesse perish with them and therfore hee doth thus seuerely and that sundry times scourge and chastice them for he would haue them with this salt water of trouble to wash out the spots of sinne Thirdly man is no equall Iudge of mens sinnes and so of their afflictions but wee must reserue the censure and iudgement hereof to God onely for hee onely eyeth mans secret sinnes and can and doth righteously censure and punish them but man is so farre from finding out the number and nature of secret sinnes that hee in the cloudy myst of his owne ignorance can hardly discerne the quality and desert of notorious offences and those that are already brought to light but onely taketh notice of certaine outward tracks impressions and actions And therefore wee must not thus without cause complaine nor picke quarrels with God Almighty Lastly God would hereby affright the wicked if not reforme them for if iudgement begin at the house of God what shall be the end of them that obey not the Gospell and if the righteous bee scarsely saued where shall the vngodly and sinner appeare Q. What vse are we to make of Gods proceedings herein A. We blind sinners must not take vpon vs to iudge of the guilt and to determine of the circumstances of mens sinnes and of their estate before God but we must referre the iudgement hereof to Gods all-séeing eye and to his sincere iustice Secondly in such hidden and intricate causes and cases that are vnknowne vnto vs wee must shut our mouthes and suspend our iudgementes for who are we that condemne an other mans seruant for he standeth or falleth to his owne master Lastly if God seem to deale extreamly with vs we our selues then must s●● the remouall of this imputation search●● sift into our owne wayes and call t● our remembrance what duties commaunded we haue omitted and what euill things forbidden we haue committed and how that God in his strict iustice might condemne vs for the least offence and then wee shall admire God patience that hée handleth vs so gently and doth in his bottomlesse mercy passe by and pardon so many imperfections and offences in vs. Q. But forward men in religion and many noted professors by their loose life and practises of iniustice offend many simple hearted men and weake yet well affected Christians what preseruatiue is now to be vsed A. The due meditation and practise of these Canons and conclusions following as namely First many professors are not so bad as the world would make them a mole hill in them is made a mountaine and a moat is made a beame their infirmities like spots in white paper or fine linnen are soone espied and noted but prophane people are not obserued and their grosse sinnes are silenced and suppressed Secondly if any or many vnder the cloake and maske of zeale labour to couer their practises of deceit couetousnes and iniustice c we must know that the visible Church of Christ is compared to a field wherein is not onely wheate but tares to a garden wherin are both good herbes and also wéeds and to an house wherein are not only vessels of gold and siluer but also of wood and earth and therefore if wee looke that all professors should be without fault or infirmity and all should be good and none euil we must looke for them in heauen onely and not in earth where are more euill then good men Thirdly the diseases and sins of the soule are not contagious as those of the body are for the soule is not infected vnlesse it giue a consent and allowance to other mens sinnes and therefore let vs keepe our selues frée from their sins and then we néede not to bee scandalized at their euill dealings which wee cannot helpe Lastly euery man must beare his owne burden and answere for his own sinnes and therefore let vs rather correct our owne sinnes then be scandalized at other mens faults and let vs striue to bee perfect in an euill generation Q. What practises are necessary in such a case A. First we must beware that wee doe not without cause censure and condemne such and if we find them faulty and hereupon reproue them that we bée not as bad and worse our selues Secondly if many vary much from their sacred profession and bee workers of iniquity for the preuention of this offence wee must know that we are to walke rather by rule then by example rather by the Canon of Gods word then by custome Lastly it is our duty to reproue pitty and pray for such offensiue professors Q. How shall poore and weake christians confirme themselues in the faith or preserue themselues from defection when many noted and notable persons that seemed pillars reuolt from the sincere truth of Religion A. First they that fall away from the substance of true religion and
forsake the assemblies and fellowship of the Saints in the vse of the word prayer and Sacraments were neuer well rooted in it ●or had they beene no wind or tempest could haue ouerturned them they were onely Meteors or blazing starres soon extinct but not true starres for then they had continued in their firmament and no night of afflictions could haue put them out for if they had béen of the Church they would haue continued in it 1. Joh. 2.19 Apoc. 13.8 Secondly they neuer receiued the loue of the truth and were neuer soundly grounded in the principles of Christian faith and therefore they were apt to be seduced with the poi●on and efficacy of errour For as the fire burneth nothing but that which is combustible and apt to bee consumed so heresie infecteth none but such as neglect the means of knowledge or that denie the power of godlinesse in their hearts and liues Lastly God will by their reuolting take an occasion the more iustly to damn them and to trie and make known the constancy of his children who neuer doe wholy or finally fall away from faith Q. What duties are wee to performe to preuent an apostasie in our selues A. First because eminent persons by their fall like oakes beare downe all things that lie in their way let vs beware of their company and communication Secondly let vs beware of the beginning and occasion of Apostasie and for our direction herein pray for the spirite of reuelation and strength and in no wise neglect the ministerie of the word sacraments Q But how shall a nouice a weake Christian perswade himselfe of the truth of his sincere profession when hee seeth and heareth that sundry learned men die in defence of Idolatry and Popery A. First no Heretickes though they dy in defence of errors are martyrs but all Papists are heretikes for the obstinate maintaining of iustification by works inuocation and adoration of Saints and Angels worshipping of images and especially of their breaden God denying the sufficiency of the canonicall Scriptures are so many heresies Ergo Iesuites Seminaries and popish Priests that are put to death by the Christian magistrate are no martyrs Secondly Non poena sed causa facit Martyrem they that b●are the Crosse and follow not Christ are no Martyres of his and therefore most damnable is the condition of Iesuites Seminaries who die for treason and not for truth and not for testimony of a good conscience but for the wilfull trangression of Christian Lawes Thirdly their suffering is of no account before God for they want charirity which appeaeth in this that they are vtter opposites and aduersaries to the Gospel of Christ and the sound professors of it Fourthly they being no true members of the Church of Christ but rather incurable persecutors of it and being slaine out of the Church doe not winne the crowne of their faith but the reward o● their felly Lastly true Martyrs ascribe all the glory of their redemption and saluation to Gods mercy in Christ onely but popish martyrs glory in their owne works though neuer so vile vnperfect they make them exp●atory for sinne and to me ●t saluation Q What vse are we to make hereof A First wee must distinguish and rightly iudge betwéene true martyrs and false ones which wee shall be enabled to doe by obseruing these rules following First true martyrs die in defence of the substance of pure religion but false martyrs suffer and die in defence of error heresie and idolatry Secondly true martyrs at their execution shew sorth singular patience in their words testimony behauiour but false martyrs either are outragious and impatient or at least by Art doe stupifie and dead their flesh that it may become insensible of paine Thirdly true Martyrs die holily couragiously ioyfully without all feare and doubting of the truth of their cause or of the certainty of saluation but popish martyrs die many times irresolued and astonied Fourthly true and Euangelical martyrs are holy chaste innocent feruent in praier and diligent in their ciuill and Christian callings but the like cannot be verified of the popish martyrs Lastly God at the death of true martyrs hath sometimes wrought strange and wonderfull works as to speake when their tongues haue béen cut out and to be vntouched of the fire albeit oile were put into it but in the popish martyrs no such accidents haue fallen out Secondly let vs sée and be resolued by Gods word that our cause is good and for Christ then let vs suffer as cōfidently yea much more comfortably and happily for the truth then they for Antichrist and superstition knowing that our end shall be blessed Q. When factions diuisions schismes grow and preuaile in the Church what are we to iudge of that Church and how is a Christian then to arme himselfe A. First wee must remember that where the truth many times most ●lourisheth there Satan laboureth to make rents and diuisions and to sow tares amongst the good wheat Secondly the Church of Corinth was a notable Apostolicall Church and yet there were many factions in it Thirdly wee must not separate our selues from such a Church except it erre in the fundamentall points of faith and true religion but we must herein comfort our selues that this schisme is without heresie Fourthly as long as there is error in iudgement and péeuishnes in affection wee must looke for nothing else but schisme Fifthly schismatikes that depart from the communion of the faithfull and from the participation of the body and bloud of Christ indanger their owne soules Lastly God permitteth diuisions factions and schismes in the Church that the faith and loue of his children might be tried now their faith is tried whiles they stumble not nor suffer themselues to be seduced and their loue and charity is tried in admonishing them that are the authors and occasioners of these sidings schismes diuisions Q. What vse are we to make hereof A. If wee be men in authority wee must betimes striue to roote out and remoue out of the Church whatsoeuer may iustly minister an occasion heereof Secondly Ministers must by doctrine and writing note and confute those diligently which cause diuision and offences contrary to the doctrine which they haue receiued and auoid them Rom. 16.17 Secondly if wee be but priuate persons we must beware of pride and selfe-conceitednes lest we rashly condemne a true and notable visible Church for defects and imperfections in the doctrine and practise of discipline or Church policie and so without sufficient cause make a rent from the same and hereby disturbe the common peace for we must not depart from it vntill it depart from Christ. Lastly we must by praiers sutes supplications teares and amendment of life labour to procure better reformation in Church and Commonwealth and if we cannot attaine it when wee would then let vs in the meane be a discipline to our selues and execute it amongst