and with small force and others which seemed to be very weake and feeble haue by the grace of God resisted the greatest princes of Europe which could not ouercome them with all theyr forces and haue receaued therby great disgrace Let vs then conclude that there is nothing so strong as the house of God that is to say the Church which by his fauour is inuincible and inexpugnable for any power as Dauid sayeth Psal 46.5 God is in the middest of it therfore shall it not be mooued God shall helpe it very earlye when the nations raged and the kingdomes were moued God thundered and the earth melted the Lorde of hoastes is with vs the God of Iacob is our refuge How are the Apostates then so vnwise as euen in the time of warre to geue ouer such a houlde where they may sleepe and watche at ease hauing such a watchman as the god of Israell who for the great care he hathe to keepe all those that be his doeth neither slumber nor sleepe daye nor night as saieth the Prophet I will not suffer my foote to slippe Psal 121.3 for he that keepeth the will not flumber beholde he that keepeth Israell will neither slumber nor sleepe Considering that God doth neuer forsake them that truste in him and repose themselues and all their affaires on his prouidence though he saw himself in extreame daunger becaufe of the conspiracye of his sone and of all the people that were risen against him neuerthelesse he was neuer daunted at it Psal 3.4 as he doth shewe I did call vnto the Lord with my voice he heard me out of his holye mountaine I laide me downe and slept and rose vp againe for the Lord sustayned me I will not be affrayed for ten thousands of the people which should beset me rounde aboute O Lorde arise helpe me my God for thou hast smitten all mine enemies vpon the cheeke bone thou haste broken the teethe of the wicked Saluation belongethe vnto the Lorde and thy blessinge is vppon thy people Imitatinge then this his example whatsoeuer stormes or tempestes we shall see let vs diligentlye take heede that we goe not out of the house of the Lorde to shunne them as the Apostates doe But contrarily let vs beseeche God to warrant vs and saue vs that he woulde shewe vs so much fauoure as to take aside and place vs in some corner thereof when we shal be yet more in safetye then in all the castelles of the worlde And takinge this reasolution Let vs say with him Psal 27.4 One thinge haue I desyred of the Lorde and that I will require euen that I may dwell in the house of the Lorde all the dayes of my life For what can we looke for out of the pauillion of God but as Esaye sayeth Feare and the pitte Esay 24.17 and the snarres which are vpon the inhabitauntes of the earth and he that flieth from the noise of the feare shall fall into the pit and he that commeth out of the pit shall be taken in the snare for the windowes from an high are open and the foundations of the earth doe shake By these kindes of speech Psal 5. Gal. 6. the Prophet would signifie nothing els but the cursing and wrath of God which is spread euery where where sinne is which is the seede thereof and of all miseries that are in the world beside if then we wil find the blessing of God and the felicity which doth depend theron we must search where his grace is and his grace is where his righteousnes is 1. Cor. 1.4 Matth. 25. and his righteousnes is in Iesus Christ and Iesus Christ is in his house and in his Temple that is to saye in his Church where he doeth abide vnto the ende of the world as he also hath bene there since the beginning thereof and not any where els where a mā may be happy For there lieth the blessing and the blessed seed which was promised vnto Abraham from whom as from a spring it was deriued to all his family posterity whosoeuer would be participant thereof must first be adopted by faith ingrafted into the body of lesus Christ for there is none but he alone in whom the father taketh pleasure Mat. 3.17 now those which are vnited vnto him by faith are knowē to be his members so that the rest of the whole world this litle flocke onely excepted which the sheepheard hath gathered vp is within the compasse of this wrath and curse of God Are not then the Apostates wonderfull miserable that hauing the meanes to be as happye as Angels haue voluntarily abandoned it to become for euer as miserable as deuils If a man should aske them whether they do not thinke a man accursed that is iustly banished and cut of from the body of the Church where is only saluation and life I doe not doubt but they would answer by and by it were so what can they then thinke of themselues who voluntarily haue excommunicated themselues Ioh. 1. leauing Iesus Christ who is the fountaine of all good and all liberty to yeeld and put themselues vnder the power of the Deuill who is the cruellest tyrant both of soules and bodies that they could haue chosen declaring thereby that they loue darknes more then light death more then life bondage more then liberty and to liue vnder the dominion of a most barbarous murtherer as Satan is then in the kingdome of Iesus Christ who is the support shelter and refuge of al poore afflicted persons Where were ye a while agoe ô ye poore soules in the Church Mat. 13. that is to say in the kingdome of heauen and now ye are gone downe to the bottom of hell to be banished perpetually with Antichrist and the prince of darkenes Ioh. 8. who for not hauing perseuered in the truth no more then you haue hath ben cast down from the highest degree of glory that it was possible for him to haue to the bottom of the pit of all misery and confusion without al hope of recouery Gen. 3.23 When our first parents saw themselues so shamefully banished and thrust out of the garden of paradise where they did abound in all dainties end brought by their ingratitude and rebellion to the miserable estate wherunto they came afterwards had they not great cause to lament all their life so great and horrible a change which happened vnto them by their owne fault would they not haue bene desperate at that time if God had not sodenly preuented them by his mercye and lifted vp their hope which was altogether beaten downe by the promise which he made vnto them of the seed of the woman Gen. 3.15 which should bruise the serpents head If the Apostates either could or would consider the miserie whereinto they haue cast themselues headlong by their reuolting they haue no lesse cause to be grieued then our first parents had for
the Church of God and wouldest shew them by thine example the way to followe and enter in For it is the schoole and only place where it is possible for anye man to learne to be happie and if they refused to followe thee being not drawne of the Father without whose fauour none can come to Iesus Christ thou art yet at the least discharged of thy dutie towardes them and towardes God But what if a woman be so willfull that she will torment her husband without ceasing if he doe not consent vnto her to commit idolatrye and goe to the Masse with her ought he not in this to obeye her to liue with her in friendshippe and to continue peace in his house To aunswere to this question when that chanceth it is a great temptation for the husbande who ought then to praye vnto God earnestly that he woulde strengthen him to abide constantly in the obedience of his holye will without declining from the same in any sorte Gen. 3. And not doe as Adam did who willing to please his wife displeased God breaking his commaundement whereby a thousande and a thousande euils ensued vnto him and all his posteritie 1. King 11. Neither as Salomon who to the ende he might not offende the strange woman which he had taken to wife against the commaundement of God was by them brought euen to that poynt namely to build Temples to their Idols and forgate himselfe so muche that he worshipped and offered sacrifice vnto them 1. King 12. Which was the cause that of three parts of his Realme two and more were taken away from his sonne Reheboam and translated to lereboam the sonne of Nebat Deut. 13. If there had bene founde in olde time amonge the people of Israell a woman which woulde haue entised her husband to goe and serue straunge Gods the husband was commaunded by and by to make her knowen vnto the Magistrate that she might be condemned and after sentence giuen that he might cast at her the first stone to stone her So farre was it in those times from the husbands to be permitted to beleeue their wiues to obey them worship strange Gods with them Let them then alledge no more such excuses to cloke their disloyalty There are some also who when they are vrged to enter into the Congregation of the Church that alledge for their excuse that it is good to waite vntill all things be at a better staye and more at quiet but they staye for that they will not be of a long tyme ready Gen. 3. for doe they thinke that the Deuill who beareth a deadly hate against the Church who hath sworne to make warre euen from the beginning of the world will euer cease to prouoke stir vp by almeans possible the tyrāts the heretiks the Philosophers the hypocrites the whole synagogue with all her adherents against it Apoc. 20. to persecute it especially in these last times wherin he is loosed more fierce then euer he was before seeing the day of his iudgement draweth neare wherin he shal be condēned to the bottōles pit of hel for euer Apoc. 9. Do they think also that the 2. Antichrists that is to say Mahomet the Pope the one in the East and the other in the West would not striue with al their might to maintaine their tyranny which they haue vsurped in the Church of God to this end 2. Thes 2. they would not endeuor stil to put out the light of the gospell of the word of God which is the sword wherby the one the other shall in the end be destroied Doe they thinke moreouer that the truth can be without enemies in the world where the deuil the father of lies beareth rule men being liers vnfaithfull by nature be his bondslaues Moreouer what doth the Apostle promise vs more in the end and latter age of the worlde 2. Tim. 3. This knovve saith he to Timothe That in the last daies shal come perillous times for men shal be louers of their owne selues couetous boasters proud cursed speakers disobediēt to parents vnthākful vnholy without natural affection truce breakers false accusers intemperdte fierce despisers of thē which are good traiterous heady highminded louers of pleasure more then louers of God hauing a shewe of godlines denying the power thereof Matth. 24. And hath not Iesus Christ admonished vs foretold vs that there shall be so great tribulation as was not from the beginning of the world nor is at this present nor shal be hereafter We must not then hope that in this wretched world Psal 12. 119. where good men are abased where there is no faith no law that can hold backe the malice of men that we shal euer haue rest that shal be permanēt or sure By reason wherof the delaiers must not flatter thēselues nor feede this vaine hope nor thinke that in the Church of Iesus Christ so lōg as it endureth in the world there should euer be peace which wil not be troubled by the deuil the wicked Let vs tary to se those happy times enioy that rest which we desire Psal 110. vntill Iesus Christ put all his our enemies vnder his footstoole that the son hauing abolished al principalities all powers strength Heb. 1. 1. Cor. 15. giue the kingdome to his Father God be all in all Finally there are some that alledge for their excuse when they are exhorted to come to the Churche that they praye vnto God in their houses that is sufficient for them but they abuse thēselues 2. waies first in that they thinke that beinge out of the bodye of the Church their praiers and other exercises can be acceptable vnto God for if the father approueth no oblation but that which is offered vpon the altar that is to say which is presented vnto him by the sonne howe can they assure themselues that their praiers are heard granted of him seeing they are not members of the bodye of Iesus Christ And also that they be cast of and denied of him which knoweth his sheepe and those which are in his sheepefolde My sheepe sayth he heare my voice Ioh. 10. and I know them and they follow me Considering then that they doe followe not the pastor and heare not his voice Thereof it insueth that they are not numbred among his sheepe and consequently that they and all that proceedeth from them is abhominable before God Therfore he saith speaking of such persons who being separated from the Church content themselues to make their praiers priuately Matth. 7. Euery one that sayth vnme Lord Lord shall not enter into my kingdome of heauen but he that doeth the will of my father which is in heauen Many will say vnto me in that day Lord Lord haue we not by thy name prophesied and by thy name cast out Deuils and by thy
peace by god the father by our Sauiour Iesus Christ to teach vs that all prosperity commeth from God who doth giue send it by his sonne Iesus Christ which the Prophet Malachy would also haue signified vnto vs when calling him The sonne of righteousnes Mal. 4.2 He doeth adde that it is he that doeth beare health vnder his winges that is to say who by his light and heat which he sendeth to all the world by his beames doth reioice and blesse all his creatures Ioh. 8. 9. For by the selfe same reason he is called the light of the world not onely because he doth lighten our vnderstanding in the knowledge of God and of all things which are profitable vnto vs but also because in that respect he doeth resemble that corporall light that as it is the meanes of the bringing foorth growth and ripenesse of all the fruites plantes trees and sensible creatures of the earth so is Iesus Christ the cause and meane of the saluation of the good and of all the happinesse and felicity of the world And what other thing would the Prophet Esay teach Esay 11.6 when as prophesying of him he sayd that at his comming The wolfe shoulde dwel with the lambe the leopard shouldly with the kid the calfe the lyon and the fat beasts together and a litle childe should lead them and that the cowe and the beare should seede and their yong ones should lye together and the lyon shoulde eate straw like the bullocke and the sucking child should play vpon the hole of the aspe and the weaned child should put his hand on the cockatrice his hole Then should none hurt nor destroy in all the mountaine of his holines for the earth shoulde be full of the knowledge of the Lorde as the waters that couer the sea The Prophet by all this discourse by all these allegories which he hath vsed and wherewith he hath beautified his speeche woulde signifie vnto vs nothing else but that the felicity which had bene banished out of the worlde by the sinne of our first parentes shoulde be brought in againe at the comming of Iesus Christ by his righteousnes Whereof the Apostle in his epistle to the Romanes speaketh more plainely after this sorte Likewise then as by the offense of one Rom. 5.18 the fault came on all men to condemnation so by the iustifying of one the benefite abounded toward all men by the iustification of life And in the first to the Corinthians For as by man came death 1. Cor. 15.21 so by man came the resurrection of the dead for as in Adam all dye euen so in Christ shall all be made aliue In death which is extreame miserie he doeth comprehende all other calamities and curses which by sinne haue ouerflowed as a flood and violencie of waters and haue drowned the whole worlde and on the other parte by life which is the chiefest felicitie he doeth vnderstande the good the happinesse and all the blessinges that Iesus Christ comming into the worlde and taking in it our nature hath by his obedience brought vnto the elect as well in this worlde as in the worlde to come The case then standing so that he is the onely meanes whereby men may be blessed considering the Apostates haue separated themselues from him may it not thereof be inferred that they are wretched and miserable not onely in their persons but also in the vse and fruition of all other thinges which are in their power to attaine vnto though they doe not perceiue or feele it at this present because they are blockish and like vnto children who at the age of two or three yeares lose their fathers mothers with the rest of their friends who in the absence of their parentes might helpe and succour them in their necessities this losse is a great misery vnto them which neuerthelesse they doe not conceiue No more likewise doe fooles consider the losse of their vnderstanding and vse of reason though it be the greatest euill that can befall them So these poore soules being in the extremitie of all miseries as well for hauing forsaken as for hauing beene forsaken of God and of Iesus Christ thinke to be at safâ—tie because they haue abandoned the Church and hope in time to come to liue at their ease and in the meane season doe not perceiue a thousand thousand miseries which they dragge after them in euery place wheresoeuer they goe An old Father had wont to say he was content if it were possible neuer to be sicke but if he were he desired to haue a feeling of his sicknes and surely not without a cause for the sore which is not felt is a double sore so that the miserie of the Apostates is so much the more dangerous by howe much the lesse they feele and knowe it Nowe that we may conclude these thinges namely that as those who are and doe abide in Iesus Christ are by his meanes happye in all things so contrariwise those that are separated from him in whome alone consist all the blessings which are in the worlde can not be but most miserable As it doth appeare by the sentence which shall be pronounced at that last iudgement wherein those that shall haue abode constantly with Iesus Christ shall be called the blessed of God and the other Mat. 25.34 who haue forsaken him cursed eternally with the Deuils O good God! how should we be happie without Iesus Christ who is our righteousnes 1. Cor. 1.30 without him then we are in sinne Secondly he is our life without him then we are in death He is our sanctification without him then we are polluted and profane He is our light and wisedome what are we then without him but darkenes and silly blind men groping and going at all aduentures vntill we haue found the pit euen to cast our selues headlong into the same He is our redemption and without him we are seruantes vnto the Deuill who is the cruellest and most barbarous tyrant that can be imagined Psal 17.8 He is our King our Protector and Defender and we are at safetye vnder the shadow of his wings but if we be once from vnder them we are a pray to all our enemies He is our suerty and if by him we be not acquited considering it is impossible for vs to paye the debt otherwise 1. Ioh. 2.1 we must remaine in perpetuall prison He is our Aduocate and he onely can make our attonement with God without him then we are in perpetuall ennemitie and discord with God Neither can we call vpon him or demand any thing at his hands without him S. Ambr. for he is our mouth and spokesman neither if he speake vnto vs can we vnderstand him for he is our eare To conclude he is our eye without which we can neither see nor beholde him He is our hand without which we can neither offer vnto him any thing nor