vs / governe rule our selves / in so great so herde amater Truly this wholl treatise is to this eÌ„d that thei that be iÌ„ soch distresses shold desier receav froÌ„ heaveÌ„ that moderatioÌ„ prudeÌ„ce / not folowiÌ„g the couÌ„sail of the fleshe to seke some shiftes to escape But ther be that do obiect in this place / that the lord Iesus yea wheÌ„ he was asked wold make to theÌ„ no aÌ„swer But j sat that this sufficeth not to take away that rule / with he hath geveÌ„ to vs / to witnes our faith theÌ„ when the coÌ„fession ther of is necessarily required Furthermore / that he did never disseÌ„ble or kepe sileÌ„ce for this purpose to save his life Last of al that he did nevermake so doubtful aÌ„ answer / but that it coÌ„teined aÌ„ apt testimonie of that with he had spokeÌ„ before / or els did first satiffie theÌ„ that laye iÌ„ waite to mark both his words dedes Wherfor let al christiaÌ„s be wel ê‘swaded sure of this thiÌ„g / that no maÌ„ ought more to esteÌ„ his life theÌ„ the testimonie of the truth wherin god wil have the praise glorie of his name to appear Is it with out acause / that he calleth althos his witnesses for this doth the word martire signifie who ar brought to make answer before the enemies of faith and religioÌ„ Or is not this rather the cause / for that he wold vse all their speakiÌ„g whole course of life to the coÌ„fessioÌ„ of his name Wherin everie maÌ„ must not so looke to his neghbour felowe / that he wil seme to do nothiÌ„g at al with out his exaÌ„ple testimonie And this curiositie is so much the mor to be eschued because we ar ê“ne to this vice of our owne nature Peter wheÌ„ he had herd of Christe that he shold be ledde iÌ„ his old age whether he wold not he eÌ„quired what shold be come of IoaÌ„ his felow coÌ„panion Ther is none of vs / with to avoide perill dauÌ„ger / wold not gladly make answer in the wise / by cause wheÌ„ we shold suffre any thiÌ„g / by by this cometh in to our miÌ„de / what is the cause wher for j shold suffer more then others But Iesus Christe doth couÌ„sail monish other wise vs al in comoÌ„ / everie maÌ„ privatly / to be prepared readie / that as he calleth on or other / so everie maÌ„ come forth in his ordre And j have shewed this before / that we shal be vnarmed vnprepared to take suffre martyrdoÌ„ / oÌ„less we be feÌ„sed aÌ„d armed with the promises of god Now remaineth to declare pleÌ„tifully soche ê“mises / not that we wil sett forth everie one exactli / but to she we the chefe most excelleÌ„t thiÌ„g / with god wold have vs to hope for / to coÌ„fort vs iÌ„ our calamities And ther be thre soche thiÌ„gs the first / that seiÌ„gal the times both of our life death do coÌ„sist in his haÌ„d / he wil so defeÌ„d vs bi his power / that not one hear of our head shal faul but after his wil. Wherfor al faitful meÌ„ ought yus to beê‘swaded / in whos handes so ever thei be tossed / that god in no wise wil lay a side that governaunce and custodie / whiche he hath taken vpoÌ„ him for theÌ„ with so great care Yf this perswasion of gods fatherly care / and prouidence did rest and cleave depe in our harts / we shold be delivered out of hande / of the greatest part of thes doubtes and difficulties / whiche do now trouble hindre our dutye We behold now the bitterness of the tyraunts / and vnbridled crueltie / brawlig pivishly in al sharpnes of punisments And here by we judge that god hathe no more care / nor regard to defend and kepe vs in savetie And therfor we be so stirred and provoked / by our own reasons to looke and provide / for our selves / as though the whole hope of gods helpe and succour were clean taken awaie But on the other part / the so great providence of god / as he hath shewed vnto vs / ought to be vnto vs like a stronge fenced castle / which can be over comeÌ„ with no power Let vs therfor learn and hold fast / this short sentence / that our bodies ar in his hand and power / who also did creat them And this is the cause / wherfor god hath delivered his / after a merveilouse sorte / and contrarie the opinion and hope of al men / as Sydrach / Misach / and Abdenago / forth of the burning oven / Daniel out of the lions denne / peter out of Herods prison / wher in he was shot watched most diligently fast bonnd in chaines By thes examples he wold declare vnto vs / that he could staye our enemies as it were with a certaine bridle / and that he had that power that when he wold / he could preserve and as it were pluk vs out of the mouth of death it self Not that he doth alwaies thus deliver his froÌ„ soch perils / but of right having the autoritie to apoint our lyfe and death / he will have vs persuaded / that we are so continued and kept vndre his custodie and tuition / that what so ever the tyraunts do invent / or with what furie so ever thei set vpon vs / yet it is only in his hand to apoint lyfe 〈◊〉 death and therfor this mater ought only to be refferred to his wil. But yf he suffre the tyraunts to kil vs / yet our life is vnto him deare and moche more sett by of him then it is worthie Psalm c. xvj The which he did plainly declare to be so when he pronounced by the mouth of Dauid / that the death of his saints was honourable and preciouse in his sight xxvj cap. And also when he said by Esay / that the earth it selfe shold shew forth the bloud that was shedd which semeth al to gether hiddeÌ„ Now then lett the enemies of the gospell be as bountiful and prodigall in shedding the martyrs bloud / as thei will / yet this must be / that thei shal make a reckening horrible accompt of the effusion of that dear preciouse bloud / yea even to the vttremost droppe But now / in this time thei do scornfully prowdly laugh / when thei burne the faithfull men / and after thei have dypte and washed theÌ„ selves in their bloud / thei be come so dronken / that thei care nothiÌ„g at al / what murthers thei do But yf we wil have this stay and moderation of minde / that we can pacieÌ„tly abide / god wil at the last declare / that it was not without a cause that he so greatly estemed our life / and had it in so great honour In the mean while let vs not take it to grefe / yf it be now bestowed to confirme and garnish thâ— gospel / whiche excelleth
mark wel that thes two reasons do partaine to oure dutye / and must be joyned to gether / that the one may in no wise be separated and disioyned from the other It is mete therfor to take our beginning of this / that we vndrestand know / what is our Christian religion / what faith it is that we ought to holde and folow / what rule of lyf god hath geven vs. Nether must we only have our miÌ„ds instruct with this godly doctrin / but also have our mindes so armed and prepared / that we may freli and boldly damne all errours / lies / superstitions / which satan hath brought in to the world / to corrupt the pure simplicitie of gods doctrine Therfor it is no mervaill / that ther is so small a numbre of men / that have a ready minde and desier to suffre for the gospel / and that the greatest part of them / that profess them selves Christians / knoweth not the power of the Christian religion / and ther own profession Al men in a maner ar negligeÌ„t / and have no desier or veray small / to here and read / who thinketh it sufficient / yf thei have gotteÌ„ so me smal tast of the ChristiaÌ„ faith And this is the cause why ther is â—ene in thes no surety and coÌ„stancie of minde / and that so sone as thei come in to any conflict / thei ar so abashed / as though thei shold bye and bye vtterly perish For with coÌ„sideration our desier ought to be greater to pur sue and serche out most diligently gods truth / that therwith our hartes may be perswaded with out any doubt Nether is this al to have soche knowledge and vndrestanding For we see many so well travailed in gods doctrine that thei seme as though thei were stained and died yer with / in whom never the less ther is no desier love of god / no more truly then if thei had knowen nothing at any time of the godly doctrin / but by a certain vnsure / light / and wavering opinion But what other cause is ther of this so great vncertaintie and levitie / but that thei did never ê‘ceave in ther minde the maiestie of that holy scripture And truly if we wold rightly waye / that it is god that speaketh to vs theirin we wold here him with more diligence / attention and revereÌ„ce If we wold think in readiÌ„g the scripture / that we ar in the schole and discipline of angels / we shold have an other maner of desier to exercise our selves in that doctrine / which is setforth to vs / to confort / strengththeÌ„ / and instruct our miÌ„ds Now we see what is the waye to prepare our selves to patience sufferaunce for the gospel / that is so to goo forward in the doctrine ther of / that being throwly perswaded of the true religion that doctrine which we ought to holde and defend / we may nothing esteme / and despise all the fravds and illusions of the devel / and al the inveÌ„tions of men / as things not only of no value / but also execrable / by cause thei vttrely corrupt the Christian synceritie And herin we differ as true martyres of Iesus Christ / from the furiouse and stifnecked men / which suffre for their own folish opinions SecoÌ„dly we ought to be so minded / that being assured of the right and goodnes of the cause / we shold be enflamed with this due desier to folow god whither so ever he shal call vs / to embrace his word with soche reverence as it is worthie / and being called bak froÌ„ the deceitfull fashion of this world / as men ravished / with their whol miÌ„de endevoir shold be caried to an heveÌ„ly lyfe But o most miserable case / that wheÌ„ the light of god doth shine vnto vs in thes daies so bright as it did never shine in the remeÌ„brauÌ„ce of meÌ„ / yet so litle zeal / favo 2 love shold be fouÌ„d WheriÌ„ our miserie is so moche the greater / that in so great filthines and vnthankfulnes we ar not overwhelmed with blushing shame For we must shortly come before that judge / before whom our vice and evel with we by al means go abovt to hide / shall be brought forth / with that rebuke and chek / wherby the just cause of our destruction shal apear For yf we be so endebted and bound to god / that for the knowlege he hath geven vs / we ought to geve to him honourable and thankfull testimonie / why is our stomak so abashed fearful to entre in to the batell Especially seing god in this our age / hath so opened him selfe / that it may be rightly said and truly / that he hath opened and plainly set forth / the greatest treasurs of his secrets May not this be said / that we so think of god / as though we semed to staÌ„d no nede of him at all For yf we had any consideration of his maiestie / we durst never be so bold to turn the doctrine / whiche proceadeth out of his mouth in to philosophye and vaiÌ„ speculation In fine we can have no excuse / but this must be vnto vs the greatest shame / yea an horrible condemnation / that in so great knowlege / obtained by the singulare goodnes of god we have so litle love mind to defend kepe the same For first / yf we will call to our remaÌ„braunce the martyrs of olde time / and coÌ„pare their wondreful constancie with this our teÌ„dre slouthfulnes / we shal finde passing great cause to detest our own filthines For thei were not for the most part so travailed and excercised in the scripturs / that thei could learnedly dispute of all maters But first of al / thei knew held fast this / that ther is one god / whoÌ„ thei ought to serve and honoure then / that thei were redemed with the bloud of Iesus Christe / that in him only and in his grace thei shold put their affiaunce / and trust of salvation Morover they did judge all other inventions and ordinauÌ„ces of meÌ„ / to worship god / so vnworthy filthines / that thei could easely condemne al jdolatries superstitions to conclude in few words this was their divinitie / ther is one only god the maker of the whol world / which hath declared vnto vs his wil by Moses and the prophets / then by Iesus Christe and his apostles We have one redemer / with whos bloud we were bought / by whos grace we hope to be saved Al the jdoles of the world / ar to be detested and accursed Thei came stoutly and boldly to the fier / or other kinde of death / and punishment / instructed with no other doctrin and more hidden knowlege And the numbre of them was not small / as of two or thre / but so great that the multitude of theÌ„ / whiche were cruelly vexed and tormented of
the glorie due vnto god For we ar not taught of god only for our selves / but that euerie man after the measure of his faith / shold brotherli coÌ„municate with his neghbours / and distribute vnto theÌ„ that thing he hath learned knowne in gods scholl Now see we theÌ„ that it is profitable / yea truly necessarie so wel to our selves / as to our brethreÌ„ / that the remeÌ„braunce of this doctrine shold be renued veray oft / especially seing the text it self whiche we shal expouÌ„d / doth lede vs to the same purpose David doth opeÌ„ly protest / and as it were doth make a soleÌ„ vowe / that he will never be partaker in the sacrifices of jdolatours / and also the he will so detest / and grevously hate the jdoles that he will not at any time once name theÌ„ / as though he shold defile his mouth in namiÌ„g theÌ„ This is not the fact of some one mean maÌ„ / but the example of David the most excellent kinge and prophet / which ought to be vnto all gods children / a certain comon rule to ryght godly lyff And to th entent we may the better perceav this thing and more vehemeÌ„tly be moved with the true fear of god / the cause is to be noted which he addeth / wherin truly resteth as it were a certain foundation of that same alienatioÌ„ and offence / wher by he doth moste greatly abhorre the coÌ„munion of jdolatours The lorde / saith he / is myne enheritaunce But is not this thinge comoÌ„ to all faithful and godly meÌ„ Ther is no man truly which wold not glorie in so excellent a thing And this is sure without all doubte / that god being once geven vnto vs in the ê‘fone of his sonne / doth daily entise vs to possess hime But ther be veray fewe which ar so affected in this part / as the greatnes and worthines of this same mater shold seme to aske and deserve Nether truly caÌ„ we by any meanes possess god / onles on this coÌ„dition that we also be come his David therfor of good right / and worthely did set the fouÌ„dation of his godlynes / and religion in this sentence / reason / seing that god is his cnheritauÌ„ce / he wil refraiÌ„ from all pollutions of jdoles / which do turne vs from God him selff This is the cause why the prophet Esay / wheÌ„ he had vpbraided the jewes that they had geveÌ„ theÌ„selves to fals straunge gods / whom they had made / added afterward / theis / saith he / ar thy portion / signifieng by thes wordes / that god doth deny to the worshippers of jdoles all bond and felowship of covenant / and disenheriteth theÌ„ / and vtterly depriveth them / of that so iÌ„finitly great benefite / whiche he wold have bestowed on them / geviÌ„g him selff vnto them Som man will except say / that the prophet entreateth in that place only of theÌ„ which put their affiance in jdoles / and deceaveth them selves thorow opinion and incredulitie I grauÌ„t / but this alfo j answer / yf thei that do transfere gods honour vnto jdoles / ar vtterly separated and cutt of from his folowship / thei also do err and decline fom what from him / whiche do feiÌ„ them selves to consent to superstitions thorow fear and weaknes of minde For no man can in hart or any conformable fashion or in wil / in purpose of minde / or feining / or by any true or feined waie approche to jdoles / but he must so farr go bak from god Wherfor let this sentence be thorowly persuaded / and remain depely printed in our hartes / that thei whiche seke god with a true and pure minde / to the end to possess him for their enheritauÌ„ce / will have no communioÌ„ felowship with jdoles / withwhome god hath that divorce and debate / that he wold have all his to proclaim and make continuall deadly warre vpoÌ„ them And in this place David by name doth express / that he wil never be partakre of their oblations / nether have their names in his mouth and talking He might have said on this wise / I will not deceave my self with the uÌ„wise folish devotioÌ„s of the vnbelevers j wil not put my trust in soche abvses / nor j will neverforsake gods truth / to folow yes lies / but he speaketh not on this maner / but doth ra yer ê“mise coÌ„staÌ„tly / that he wil never be conversauÌ„t amoÌ„g yer ceremoiÌ„es Therfor he doth testifie that so farr forth as coÌ„cerneth the service of god / he wil abide continually in al puritie and holines both of body and sowle And first in this place we must considre / whether this be not jdolatrie to signifie declare by owtward tokens / our agreament / with thos superstitions / wher with the service of god is corrupted vtterly perverted They that swiÌ„ asy e coÌ„moÌ„ saiÌ„g is betwixt twoo waters / alleage this saiÌ„g / seiÌ„g that god wold be honored iÌ„ spirit / jdoles caÌ„ by no waies be honoured oÌ„les amaÌ„ put his trust in theÌ„ But to this may be easely answered / that god doth not so require the service / adoration of the minde / that he graunteth remitteth the other ê‘te of our nature vnto jdoles / as though that ê‘te shold seme nothiÌ„g at alto belong vnto him For it is said in many places / that the knees must be bowed befor god / also the haÌ„des lyfted vp to heven What then Surely the chefe honour that god requireth is spirituall / but the owtward signification wherby the faithfull do testifie that it is god only whom they serve honour / must so immediatly folow / that thei must at one time be ioyned to gether But one place shall so suffice for all / to confute that obiection whiche thei snatch of one word / that thei shal be plainly rebuked and coÌ„victe In the third chapt of Daniel it is written that Sidrach Misach and abdenago / refused and denied vndre any maner of colour / to coÌ„sent vnto the superstition set vp and erected by Nabuchodonosor / declaring that thei wold in no wise honour his gods If theis goodly wittye sophisters had bene ther at that time / thei wold have laught to scorne the simplicitie of thes thre servaunts of god For j suppose they wold have tawnted them with sochelike words / you folish meÌ„ / this truly is not to honour them / seing youe put no affiaunce in thes things Ther is no jdolatrie but wher ther is devotion / that is to say / a certain beÌ„ding and application of the minde to honour and worshipe the jdoles But thes godly men did folow a better and wisar counsall / for this answer whiche thei made proceded not of their own wit / but rather of the holy ghost / whiche moved them thus to speake / whom yf we will not resist / we must accept this place this
place and courte / wher the truth hath her grave and true witnesses For to be short / thei them selves do know them selves giltye of that mater with thei have purposed to declare both to gods enemies also to the coÌ„mon people But god must neds denye him selff / yf he allowe the ordre and doing of that profession If all the men in the world with on minde and purpose wold conspire to pronounce thes men ryghteous / yet none be he never so ready and mightye can excuse and deliver them from this but thei shalve thought to halte on both sids And god doth declare by his prophet / that no so the haltig of any maÌ„ shal be euer allowed before him As towchiÌ„g the man whom thei choose to be the minister of their supper it is a folish thiÌ„g to abuse his persoÌ„ / as though thei could seme to make him an apte man to that office and fuÌ„ction Yea but the vertue of that same sacrament say thei / resteth not in the worthines of the ministres That j graunt and adde this to also yf any devel shold ministre the supper / it shold be never the worse On the coÌ„trarie part if an angel singe mass yet then shold it be no whit the better But we ar now in an other question / that is / whether ordres geven by the pope to a moÌ„k do make him apt to the office and function of a pastour If thei say contrarie that thei perceave / that thing doth make nothing to the purpose / and that thei do not choose him in that sort the thing it self sheweth contrarie But let it be that thei as towching the ministre have no soche respect Yet must j abide in that outward profession whiche thei take vpon theÌ„ and worship / yea j must press it earnestly / as a profession most contrarie and vnworthie a christen man For this is plain and manifest that thei do and will defend and cover them selves / vndre the person of a preste made for the nonce to colour and dissemble But if thei wold rightly and law fully celebrat the supper / it wer their dâ—ietie so to separat theÌ„ selves from the ordre ê“fession of jdolatours that thei shold appear in that to have nothiÌ„g comon with them But now thei be so farr froÌ„ this separatioÌ„ / that thei ascribe them selves in to their felowship and communion / do everie one of them feinedly profess them selves to be meÌ„bres of that bodie After this thei will compare vs to the olde heretikes / that did refuse the vse of the sacraments for the vices of the ministres / as though we do here respect the propre siÌ„ncs of everie man and not rather the comon state and condition I do pass over this mater shortly / by cause that whiche is spoken is sufficieÌ„t jnough to convince so foule and shamfull impudencye But if thes meÌ„ be so folish and dull witted that thei ê‘ceave not this filthines / the word of god must suffice vs / as wheÌ„ the lord saith by the prophet Ieremie / Israel if thow doste turne / turne vnto me In whiche words is most plainly expressed / with what simplicitie and integritie of miÌ„de we ought to deal and walk before god / with out any thought wil to returne to thos thiÌ„gs / whiche we know ar not thankfull nor allowed of him Whiche is a cause why s Paule also doth testifie that he was sent to turne the vnfaithful from their vanities / vnto the living god / as though he wold say / it is to no purpose to change som one olde accustomed evel with other hypocrises and feinings / but vtterly to a bolish al superstitions / that the true religion may be set in her own puritie and holines For with out this faith and integritie / men never come the right way vnto god / but do alwaies waver and ar vncertaiÌ„ to what parte thei may turne them selves Ther be others that ar come thus farr that they disalowe refuse the mass / but they wold have som patches kept stil whiche thei cal gods service / least as som men say / they shold seme to be destitute of all religion And it mai be that so me of thes be moved with a godly minde zeall at the least j will so thiÌ„k / but what so ever their zeall and purpose be / yet may we not say / that they kepe the true rule or any good measure Many say we may come to their baptismes / be cause ther is no manifest jdolatrie in them As who wold say / that this sacrament were not also corrupted / and vtterly deformed with al kinde of corruption / in so moche as Iesus Christe may seme to be yet stil iÌ„ Pilates house to suffre all opprobries shames To coÌ„clude / wher as thei sai that this is the cause / why thei wold retaine some ceremonies / least thei shold appear to be void of al religioÌ„ / if one shold examine their coÌ„scieÌ„ces / the same truly wil answer / that thei do it to satisfice the papists / and thei change their couÌ„tenance to fly ê‘sequution Other some do watch a time least thei com in the mass whille / and yet thei come to the temple / that meÌ„ shold suppose thei here mass Other some come but at evensong time / of whom j wold know / whether thei think this to be nothing / that at that same time the jdoles be honoured / that the pictures and images be sensed with fumigations / that a solem praier be made in the intercession of some saint / and grownded on his merits / that Salue regina be songe with a lowd voice / and that one verie side a mater is herd so filled and replenished with develish and cursed blasphemi that the miÌ„de shal not onlye abhorre the offenâ—… of the ears and eyes ther present / but most vehemently the thought and recordation ther of I do pass over that the singing it self in an vnknown tonge is manifest profanation of gods praises of holi scripture / ass s Paul doth admonish in the fourten to the Corinthes But let this last fault be forgeveÌ„ theÌ„ If thei come to eveÌ„song to geve some signe testimonie of their Christianitie / thei wil do this chefely on the soleÌ„ feastes But theÌ„ ther shal be solem ensensiÌ„g the cheffest jdoles / great plentie of swete fumigations powred out / the which is a kinde of sacrifice as the scripture teacheth It was also a maner vsed amonge the GeÌ„tles / wherby thei coÌ„pelled the weak meÌ„ to denie god And for this cause the greatest parte of martyrs did suffre death constantly / for that thei wold not make perfumes and burne incense to jdoles When thes men be come thus far / that thei receave in ther noses the savour of the sensours thei also pollute them selves with that pollutioÌ„ with is moste greatest and execrable ther. And yet thei thinke
titles pluk any man from this judgmeÌ„t / in whiche the lordly reverent abbotes / priours / deans / archdecons / as chefe masters of the game shal be coÌ„pelled to lead the dawnce in the coÌ„demnation whiche god shal make most grevouse Now although the courtears ar woÌ„t to gratifie men with the spriÌ„kling of their holy water let them not thiÌ„k that thei caÌ„ with that kinde of doiÌ„g satsfie god To coÌ„clude / all jesters praters let them holde their tong boste not out their merie wittie saiÌ„gs / onles thei will fele his mightie haÌ„d / at whos word thei ought to treÌ„ble Wher in their errovr is to moche folish that beleveth by cause thei take me for their adversarie ther for thei shall not have god to be their judge Let them scrape my name out of theyr books and vtterly bloth it forth / speciallie in this kinde of cause and question / wher in my purpose is only that god be herd obeied / not that j shold rule mens consciences after my lust / and charge them with any necesitie or lawe As for all others whiche do not so proudli dispiÌ„se gods word / and yet ar so delicate and weak that they can in no wise be moved / j do most hertily be seche them / that thei will take more thought and regarde to their own dutye / salvation / and gods honour / and do no more flatter theÌ„ selves / as thei have don hether to Let them ther fore open their eyes / and rear vp them selves that thei may beholde the miserye wherin thei arr I know well jnough the evels / difficulties / and stoppes wherin thei be wrapt emong the papistes / j do not speak vnto them / as though it were an easie mater in the mides of the idolatries to take vpoÌ„ theÌ„ defeÌ„d the pure syncere religion of god / but yf thei lack strength / j advertise theÌ„ to flye vnto god the autoure of al power / that thei may be made stroÌ„g by hiÌ„ learn to prefar his glory before al thiÌ„gs of this world For j do earnestly desier that al faithful men with ar miserably afflicted in the papisme / shold vndrestand know this / how that the prophet Ieremie remainiÌ„g at IerusaleÌ„ in Iewri did seÌ„d this advertisment exhortation vnto the people with were holden captive and oppressed in Babilon Yf the tiraÌ„nye of the pope and of al his ministres be to theÌ„ sharp and cruell / thei must considre / that the Iewes also of that time suffred heavie and bittre bondage / yet thei ar coÌ„mauÌ„ded in the vulgare speache of the couÌ„trie to execrate the jdolatrie of the ChaldeaÌ„s It is not reason that the tyraÌ„nie of men shold break or any deal diminish from vs the due honour we ow vnto god Her js no exception or preteÌ„ce of privelege / with hygh or lowe riche or poor may or ought to vsu rp vnto theÌ„ selves Let al men ther for bow down yeir neck / with most humilitie submit them selves to god Let the poor man have that true fear of god / let him not say vnconstauÌ„tly j know not what to do / least god answer him / nether know j what to do with ye. The riche wealthy men let them not lik droukeÌ„ sloggards slepe in ther wealth / coÌ„sume in their ê“speritie / and aboundauÌ„ce of all thiÌ„gs / as it were in a certain draff tubbe / but rather after the exaÌ„ple of s Paule / let them learn to estem all that / as dirtte dammage / which doth wtdraw vs from godly christiaÌ„ lyfe / or may seme any thiÌ„g to hiÌ„dre vs. We also which lyve here in rest quiet enioyeng the vse of the greatest siÌ„guler benefits of god / let vs not for get the j towched in the begiÌ„niÌ„g / that we applye yes thiÌ„gs to our learniÌ„g / that what so ever herafter befawl vs / or in to what so ev couÌ„trie we shal beled / iet we may alwaies coÌ„stantly abide in the pure coÌ„fession of our faith / detestiÌ„g all jdolatrous religion / superstitioÌ„s / and abuses / which ar against gods truth / do obscure his honour / and vtterly subvert his religion An homily conteining An exhortation to suffer persequutioÌ„ / that we maye ther in folow Iesus Christ his gospel / takeÌ„ of this saiÌ„g / in the xiij Cap. to the Hebreues Let vs go forth to him without the gates / bearing his opprobrie AL the exhortatioÌ„s whiche caÌ„ be made to iÌ„struct vs to suffer patieÌ„tly constauÌ„tly for Christe Iesê° name his gospel / shall not moche move vs / oÌ„les we know be ê‘fectly ê‘swaded of the right / truthe / worthines of the cause wherfore we coÌ„tend For when we be in that jeoperdie and daunger / that we must loose our lyfe / we ought to be most certain of that thing / wherfor we entre to so great perill But that constauncye and firmnes of minde can not be had / onles it be depely founded in a certaintie and sure perswasion of faith Ther be many whiche will vnadvisedly rashly ventre to dye for certain folysh opinions invented of their own brain But soche forwardnes of minde ought rather to be thought a furiousnes then a christian zeall and love For assuredly ther is no firmnes other of minde / or wit / or of common sence / in thes men which do cast them selves in to peril with soche hargie rashnes How so ever it be / god wil not acknowlege and take vs for his martyrs and witnesses / without agood cause For death is coÌ„mon for all men / and also the condemnation of theves and of gods children / the sufferaunce of shame and punishment semeth to be all one / but god maketh a difference betwixt them / by cause he can not denie forsake his own truth This also is required that we have a sure witness void of al errour of that doctrine / whiche we will defeÌ„d Wherfor as j said / ther is no exhortation so weightie / that can move and perswadevs to suffre for the gospel / but yf a true certaintie of faith be imprinted in our hartes For to put our lyfe in daunger / without any consideration vnadvisedly / and chaunceably / is most against nature And so to do / shold be thought rather rashnes / then Christian boldenes Morover god aloweth nothing that we do onles we be plainly perswaded that it is for his name sake / for his cause that the world is so against vs / and doth hate vs. But when j speak of soche certaintie and perswasion of minde / j do not only vndrestaÌ„d this that we shold know to discern and judge betwixt the true religioÌ„ / and the folish opinions / and constitutions of men / but also that we be thorowly perswaded of everlastig lyf the crovn promised vnto vs in heven after our conflict in this world Let vs now
the tyrants semed innumerable and infinite But we ar so taught and instructed / that we passe all our auncetours in knowlege and vndrestandiÌ„g of holy scripture We think in our selves / and it is true / as touching the vndrestanding of the scripture / god hath eÌ„dued vs with so moche knowlege / as he hath geveÌ„ to any age at any time And yet ther is in vs scantly the least droppe of fervent love towards god Ther is no reason why we shold norish this nice cowardnes of miÌ„de / onless we wold williÌ„gly and wittingly provoke the wrath and vengeaune of god / against our selves What must we then do Truli we must tak to vs astowt / bold / coÌ„staÌ„t miÌ„d We must chefely considre how precious and honourable the coÌ„fessioÌ„ testificatioÌ„ of our faith is before god For we do litle know / how God doth esteme this confession / when our lyfe whiche is of no value / is more set by and dear vnto vs. Wherin our wondrefull and beastly folishnes is shewed for we can not in this sort spare our lyfe / but we must nedes confess that we sett more therby / then by gods honour and our own salvation A certain hethen man could vse this saing / that it is a miserable thing / to forsake and betray the causes why we lyve for the conservation of lyfe Yet he and his lyk did never know truly / to what end men wer set in the world / and wher for thei lived ther in Thei might well say / that vertue is to be estemed folowed / and that we ought to lyve an honest lyfe / without blame But all ther vertues wer nothing ells / but colours and shadowes But we have better vndrestanding / whervnto our lyfe must be referred / whiche is / that we honour God / with all prayse and glorye / that he him selfe may be our glorye Without him / our lyfe is miserable / the whiche we can not continew the least moment but we shall heap vpon our selves / a perpetual malediction And yet we ar nothing a shamed for the winning of a few daies / for this feble lyfe / to refuse the eternall kingdom / and to separate our selves from him / by whos power we ar continewed in this lyfe Yf a man shold examine the most vnlearned / yea thos whos witt is so dased / and whos lyfe so voluptuouse / that they be most lyke to brute beasts / what maner of lyfe is apoynted them / they durst not say plainly and openly / that it shold coÌ„nsiste oÌ„lye in eating / dreÌ„king sleapiÌ„g For thei know that thei ar created to a better / wort hier and more higher thing which is nothing ells / but to serve and honour god with al kiÌ„d of honour / and to suffer our selves as good children / to be ordred and rueled by our most bening father / that after the end of this fraill vnsure life / we may be receaved in to his eternal heretage In the apointing and winning of this end / consisteth the chefest and greatest point of our felicitie / yea al the wholl weight of ever lasting lyfe But when we carrye our miÌ„ds and thoughts an other waye / do snatch fast hold of this present lyfe worse then a thow sand deathes / what excuse can we have For / to lyve and be ignoraunt of the causes wherfor we lyve / is vnnatural But to forsake the causes wherfore we lyve here / for the desier love to prolong our lyfe as it were for thre daies in this deceatful world / and to be separated from god the author of lyfe / is soche a bewitching and furiouse madnes / that j know not with what words we ought to express and shew it But what so ever knowlege we have / and how so ever our lyfe is apointed / for so moche as not with standing the persequutions ar no less bitter / let vs coÌ„sidre how by what meaÌ„s the Christian men may confirm them selves in patiencye / and so strengh then their minds / that thei may constantly veÌ„tre to dauÌ„ger their lyfe for gods truth This same text which we have recited / being wel vndrestonded may briÌ„g vs to that indifferencye of minde / yea to that willingnes / that we shall not refuse to suffre death for gods name Let vs go forth of the cytie / saith the apostle / after the lord Christe / bering his opprobrie First / he doth teach admonish vs / that although the swerds ar not alreadye drawen to kill vs / or the fiers kindled to broyll and burne vs / yet that we can not truly be joyned with the sonne of god / so long as we have the roots of our thoughts desiers fixed in this world Wherfor the Christen maÌ„ must alwaies / although he be in quiet / have one fote lifted vp readye to the battell / and not only that / but also his miÌ„d must be vtterli separated froÌ„ the world although his body be theriÌ„ Althought this at the first syght may seme vnresonable / yet one saing of s Paull / ought to be sufficient to ê‘swade vs / for that we be called appointed to this / to suffer persequution As though he shold saye / Soche is the conditioÌ„ of our Christianitie / that we must neds entre in and pass thorow this waye / yf we will folow Christe In the mean season / to ease our infirmitie and to mitigate the tediousnes and hevines / whiche persequutiones briÌ„geth / we have this great swete coÌ„fort / that we suffering all thes incoÌ„modities / opprobries daungers of lyfe for the gospel / do as it were set our feet / in everie fotestep of gods soÌ„ne / and do folow him as our prince guide If it had bene oÌ„ly said vnto vs / that we must pass thorow all the opprobries of the world to kepe the christiaÌ„ profession / and also suffre death frely with out fear when so ever gods will were / methiÌ„k we shold have had some colour to answer and say contrarye / that it is a thing divers and abhorring froÌ„ our nature to wandre so with out a guide But seing we ar charged and commaunded to folow the lord Iesus / his leadiÌ„g ought to seme so right and honorable / that we have no just excuse to refrain or refuse his commavndement But that we shold have mor earnest love and desier towards this lawdable and helthfull example / it was not only said that Iesus Christe doth lead the way as guide and prince / but also that we ar made liÌ„ke vnto his jmage For so s Paul in the epistle to the Rom. speaketh / that god hath chosen and called all them whom he hath taken in to the nuÌ„bre of his children / that they shold be like and be fashioned after the jmage of him whiche is apointed paterne and hede over all What / ar we so nice and tendre that