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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
those holy men to coÌ„mauÌ„de vs to auoyde the coÌ„pany of Idolaters is written in vayne to no purpose Truely in my simple iudgement as my conscience testifieth to me ruled by Gods holy spirite They ar written specially for our dayes that we shoulde be without al excuse wheÌ„ as God shal lay make open euery mans dedes ij Cor. vi S. Paul hath the lyke saying Come out froÌ„ amonge them separate your selues froÌ„ them saith the Lord reade out the Chap. and note the wordes well And lette your conscience witnesse with you who hath the right It is a thig very difficile to touche pitch Eccl. xiij and not to be defyled I wylknitte vp the first parte of your matter obiected against me with this coÌ„clusioÌ„ The. viij Chap. to the Romains and so consequentely all the whole Scripture through doth teache these two poinctes That fyrst God the father in his free mercy by hyâ— sonne Christ hath chosen vs withoute any deseruing on oure partes accordinge to this sayinge Those which he appoynted before them also he called which he called them also he iustified which he iustified them also he glorifyed Secondly he dyd it to this ende that as the scripture sayth they might be made like to the Image of his sonne in suffring with him Now my freÌ„d yf we wil persâ—ade our selfes to be chosen in Christ and wyl not suffre with him and yet thinke to raygne with him I pray God we beguyle not our selues To come to the second part In that ye layd agaynste me the doynges of other men which being both good and godlye obserued the order of this tyme. Laying to my charge why I shoulde be more precyse and scrupule of conscience then other men they beyng godly To that sayinge I aunswere The doynges of men is no presidente for a Christen man to folowe how good soeuer they be called onles they dyrecte theyr wayes according to Gods holy worde Howbeit folowing the counsayle of S. Paule I wyll reporte well of them as Christen charitie woulde to iudge the beste in hid thinges Therfore for that I can not know with what mynd they do it I muste folow the admonicioÌ„ of the Apostle to thinke wel of theÌ„ Onely this I know am not ignoraunte of by experience do proue taste in my fraile life and corrupt nature which is altogether sinneful that terrour of lawes maketh vs to stoupe and decline to thinges sinning agaynst knowledge for the preseruacion of this vncertayne life keping of our goodes O that we would remembre this saying i. Petri. i. All fleshe is as grasse all the glorie of man is as the flowre of grasse which sentence wel wayed would kepe vs froÌ„ dissembling in that thing whereof our coÌ„scieÌ„ce accuseth vs to the which my harte in no wise can agree to consent Mat. xvi Christ sayeth who soeuer shal lose his life for my fake shal find it More I am a ialous God Exod. xx that cannot suffre my honour to be geuen to any other nor no part therof The Lord in these wordes doeth accommodate him selfe to vs as oure weake nature can know him Our fleshe is in no one cause so sone moued or prouoked to wrath as in that fighte that may styrre vs to ialowsye which offence we can almost by no intercession or sute skantly remitte or pardon And God which seeth al our doynges before whose presece al thiges are open beholdeth howe we dissemble with hys loue makinge familiar freÌ„dship league with his enemies Wel these wordes I am a ialous god require in vs an vpright pure vndefiled couer sacioÌ„ lest by our dissimulacion we prouoke the lord to anger i. Petri. i. O my frend the god which in hys mercy hath so dearely bought vs not with corruptible gold or syluer but with his moste holy precious harte bloud requyreth of vs our whole maÌ„ with mind coÌ„uersacion to serue him â—ccording to this saying â—e holy Leuit. xix i. Petri. 1. ij Cori. vi for I am hoâ—â— be not partakers with the vngodly for what â—ncorde hath Christ with Belial 〈◊〉 or howe aâ—reeth darkenes with light Now thy frende â—amen these wordes well iudge whether it â—e the acte or parte of him that would â—e repuâ—d taken for a perfect Christen man to comâ—unicáte be partaker with ydolaters and to â—â—ire his â—aâ—â—e into the boke among them to yeâ—reat sclaundre of Gods Gospell In that the â—apistes may triumphe that all me and speciâ—lly such as were called Feruent gospellers do â—mbrace and folow the order of this vnhappy â—yme whereby they boasâ—â— glorie their reliâ—ion to be most trew On the other part consyâ—â—e how ye wound offende the conscience of â—our weake brother not yet growen to ful perâ—ection of knowledge who hath his eyes open â—pon you who seyng you to do the same thinâ—eth it a lawful acte so ye are the cause of his â—all S. Paul sayth when ye sinne agaynst the â—rethren wounde their weake conscience i. Cor. viij ye finne agaynst Christ Reade the Chapt. yf S. â—aul had that mynde in lawfull thinges that â—ather then he would offend the conscience of â—is weake brother he woulde neuer â—ate fleshe while he liued how much more my freÌ„d ought â—e to haue a conscience to offend your brother â—n an vnlawefull thinge We be to him sayeth â—hrist that offendeth one of these little ones It were better for him to haue a mylstone tied â—t his necke so cast into the sea Luk. xvij Cal to youre remembraunce digest well the worthy commendacion geueÌ„ to Eleaâ—aâ— in Gods boke called the Bible That were as his freÌ„des moue with peuishe pitie hauinge no taste of an vp right conscience perswaded him for the sauâ— garde of his lyfe to eate swynes fleshe 2. Mac. 6 whicâ— in no wise he would do for that it was againâ— the lawâ— of God his conscience And whâ—â— his frendes perceyned that for no perswasioâ— he would not eate it they earnestly oportunâ—â— and counsayled him to make a countenauÌ„ce aâ— though he had eaten some which dissimulaciâ— EleÌ„azar knowing it to be against Gods woâ—â— aswel fearing the yll president example thâ— might grow thereof to other men beyng yoâ— weake and vnperfect in Gods worde as alâ— remembring his honorable lyfe good conueâ— sacion old age would in no case make counâ— nannce to eate nor vse any such dissimulacioâ— but rather presarâ—ed to dye theÌ„ he would coâ— terfect suche hypocâ—isie Loke reade the terâ— calling for wysoo knowledge to God Coâ—ming to the boke with a pure myâ—de ye shaâ—â— easely perceaue whether the obseruers of thâ— tyme walke in that puritie of lyfe whiche 〈◊〉 châ—fely requyrâ—d in him that in time past haâ—â— bene called a gospeller There is another noâ— and lesson in Eleagar to be marked â–ª that whâ—â— his frendes paâ—aiued the constancie and