not spoyled and doest wickedlye and they did not wickedly againste thee when thou shalt cease to spoyle thou shalt bee spoyled when thou shalte make an end of doing wickedly they shall do wickedly agaynste thee With these testimonyes agreeth that of Ieremy which he prophesied agaynste the Babilonians after that the People of God shoulde haue beene with them in bondage 70. yeares I beginne to plague the Cytye saythe the Lorde where my name is called vppon and shoulde you goe free You shall not goe quit And howe truelye these Prophesies agaynste the Assirians and Babylonians were accompâ—ished may appeare to all those that reade the Scriptures of the olde Testament To the same purpose mighte bee alleadged that whiche God long before colde Abraham concerning the bondage of Israel in Egypt their wonderfull deliuerance from thence and the destruction of Pharaoh and his people So it came to passe with Saule when hee had a long time afflicted Dauid with Haman when hee had obteyned that murdering decree against the Iewes and with Antiochus the tyrants when for a time they had blasphemed the God of heauen ouerthrowen his true worshippe and killed his people Saule slewe himselfe Haman his children were hanged vpoÌ„ the gallows that he had set vp for Mordecai the first Antiochus dyed in great vexatioÌ„ of his mind the later so eaten with woormes that his most familiar friends coulde not abide him for stinke Of Henrie the second the father Charles the ninth the sonne kings of Fraunce the first when he had caused much blood to bee shed and lately before had saide that himselfe would see the burning of a noble ProtestaÌ„t called Anduburgè had one of his own eyes first put out by Mountgomerie after a wonderfull manner running with him at a Iusting in sport and dyed in great wearinesse of his life by reason of his paine the tenth of August 1559. The other the son when hee had brought to passe that most strange massachre immediatly after the mariage of his Sister with the king of Nauarre and had sucked much blood of Gods seruants afterwardes dyed himselfe most miserably y e 30. of Maie 1574. it is writteÌ„ of him in y e french histories that he was sick of a bloody flixe and reported for a trueth that blood yssued from diuers partes of his body wher there were other natural yssues so as tossing and tumbling himselfe in his bed most fearefully horribly curssing and blaspheming the name of God euen vntill his last gaspe which also he had vsed to doe from his childehood he so ended his wretched life being at length filled with blood which he had before insaciably thirsted after Of the Cardinall of Loreine a chiefe practiser of mischiefe against Gods church who as the stories witnesse of him dyed in a frensie and when the prieste broughte oyle to annoynt him after their popishe order he thrust his hand into the dishe and all to be smeared the face of the priest with it So he dyed at Auineon 1574. The like might be said of Herode Stephen Gardiner in EnglaÌ„d others Such ferful ends câ—me to diuers bloody persecuters as our owne countriman M. Fox reporteth And assure your selues O al you wicked of y e earth y â— same portioÌ„ abideth for you if you turn not to the Lord. Go to therfore mock on at the saints of God set your selues against his trueth persecute his seruants and proceed in all mischiefe and flatter your selues because God stayeth to punish the worlde smileth vpon you doubt you not but the day will come when you shall pay full dearely for it And we that suffer or shall suffer any thing at the handes of the vngodly let vs not be offended at our sufferings and their prosperity For it shal be a righteous thing with God to recompence trouble to those that trouble vs and to our selues rest if not in this world yet at the least when y e Lord Iesus shall again shew him selfe from heauen with his mighty Angelles And seeing the apostle sayth here that it must needes goe hard with them that obey not the gospell let vs not content our selues with a bare and naked profession of the trueth but whatsoeuer is taught and we know let vs take heede that we be obedient thereunto It followeth And if the righteous be scarcely saued where shall the vngodlye and sinner appeare By the righteous hee vnderstandeth suche as bee studious of righteousnesse and bee carefull to please God althoughe they bee not free from all sinne And by sinners hee meaneth not all manner of offendoures but suche as yeelde them selues to corruption and delight in wickednesse according as this woorde is vsed in other places of the Scripture Nowe the purpose of the Apostle in this sentence is the same with that in the ende of the laste Verse Hee confidentlye affirmeth that the wicked muste needes bee iudged with extreame seueritye sithe the hande of God is often times heauye vppon them that feare him This hardnes for y e righteous must not be vnderstood of the last iudgement as some would haue it as though they should not there acquite themsâ—lues without great difficulty and be saued without much ado Noe we see what saint Paul writeth touching this matter Who sayth he shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods chosen it is God that iustifieth who shall condemue it is Christe which is deade yea or rather whiche is risen agayne who is also at the right hand of God and maketh requestes also for vs. The summe of his speech is that there shall be none to accuse or to pronounce sentence against any of the elect of God and therefore their passage into glory at that time shall be moste easie Whereupon our sauiour Christe willeth vs that we looke vp and lift vp our heads for ioy whensoeuer there appeare any tokens of the approching of that day Which there were no great cause that we shoulde doe if such hardnesse were then to be endured as some haue imagined And howe should the saying of the sonne of God bee true blessed bee the deade that dye in the Lorde and they rest from their labours if newe labours were to be taken in hand at the last iudgement This difficulty therefore is to be vnderstoode of this life according also as the verb be saued in the present tense doth euidently shewe So as the Apostle his meaning is that the estate of the godly is so troublesome vpon the earth that they enter not into the kingdome of rest glory except first in the worlde they haue gone thorough infinite daungers and escaped as it were a thousand deathes Euen as the Apostles preached wheresoeuer they came exhorting the disciples to continue in the fayth affirming that they must thorough many afflictions enter into the kingdome of God and as Dauid saythe Greate are the troubles of the righteous and as
euer prince or state where the Gospell onely is professed and mainteined as it ought to be by the lawes of the lande did euer suffer or beare so much with them as our gracious prince and state hath done no doubt of a good purpose to winne them to reclaime them to the trueth howsoeuer nowe they maye learne at length by experiâ—nce to take better heede of them seeing they are incorrigible and hate to be reformed Howe long did shee keepâ— her royall sword within her scabbard vntouched with any bloud Surely till they had like if God of his gracious goodnes had not preserued her maiestye to haue set her both beside seate swotd scepter and all and if their diuelish practises coulde haue taken place by rebellion at home or treason abroade to layd her full low and to haue brought vs againe vnder theâ—r cruel vnsupportable yoke of their Egyptiacall bondage From the which the Lorde for his mercy sake deliuer vs. If they count it therfore any persecution it is a iust persecution against the enemies of God against the enemies of our state and Country It is also done in loue to draw them from iniquitie to reduce them from errour for the safegard of the whole pollitique body I will not speake of their persecutions horrible butcheries from time to time God shall giue better opportunity one day and in another place But I beseeche thee good Christian reader marke what is deliuered concerning persecution in this booke then thou shalt bothâ— learne what it is and vpon whose backes it is like to light if they will be like him who is entred by the same gate before vs. Neither let vs be discouraged though it be in deed our portion For it shalbe a token vnto vs of our saluation but vnto them who are persecuters of perdition and destruction The reason is because Christ the Capitaine finisher of our battell is with vs and hath troade the pathe before vs vvith vvhome as long as vvee suffer let the yssues be neuer so hard vve can not quaile nor perish Hee hath forevvarned vs to looke for them They come not by chaunce but by his appointment They are for our good and the cause being iust and Gods according to his vvill and for the holding out of his excellent glory thoughâ— vve dâ—e for it vve shal be most happy Our aduersaries vnderstand not thâ—s and therefore they smite they care not where nor whome but a time shall come they shall see whom they haue smitten tremble before him for feare of his iudgements Be therfore of good comfort reioice O al the Saints of God though we passe thorow this wretched vale in contempt and misery in heauines and sorrow with mourning and teares with lacke of liberty commodity that many vsurpers enioy yet a day shall come of an aboundant haruest where we shall sit vpon the seates of glorie be satisfied with it when we shal be crowned with immortality shall see God euen as he is The troubles are short though they be sharpe and though they be many yet they are light in comparison of that eternall waight of glory And you that are persecuters whome the Lorde hath not giuen vtterly ouer Take heede whom you strike Thinke not to ouercome him whose power is infinite God vvill raigne in despite of his enemies in the middest of them Looke vpon your olde predecessours what became of them VVhere is Decius and Dioclesian where is Valerius Maximinianus and Maximius where is Lucius Iulianus Aurelius But you will say these were ethnikes and persecuted Christians surely so do you You are christians in name but you deny the power thereof You boast of the faâ—th of your ancestours but you deny the faith of Christe You say you vvoulde not haue slaine the prophets but your handes haue beene the first vppon those vvhome God hath styrred vp and sente amongste you Are you not ashamed to boaste of the Truethe and yet to to persecute poore Christians for it You complayn of our harde lawes of the seuerity of the punishment of treason of the iniquitie of our ministers of the hard estate of your falsenamed Catholiques that liue amongst vs of their infamye after their death of the contumelies they suffer in their life yea when they are taken at their Masse how they are brought forth in their Pageant apparrel and what reuell is kept vvith your breaden Idoll ye complayne of our prisons and shevv the hardnes of our Iaylors at London at Yorke in other places Mystresse Tomson Master Dimock and others are still in your bookes as though they had receiued great vvrongs Thus you kick flyng as vntamed heifers ye care not where sparing neither noble nor vnnoble that might once by any occurrent come to your intelligence but al this while you speak not a vvord to the proore of it vvhereupon the proofe lieth For in respect of the cause yours is false ours true ours the cause of Christ yours the cause of Antichriste vvee suffer for religion you for treason Agayne there is no comparison betvvixt that punâ—shment layd vpon you for your iust offences and our persecution laide vppon vs not for our sinnes but for righteousnes sake If vve haue layd a finger vpon you you haue layd vpon vs an intollerable clog If vve haue scourged you vvith fatherâ—y roddes for amendment you haâ—e vvhipped vs vvith scorpions vtterly to destroy vs if vvee haue derided your superstâ—tion brought out your priests as they were playing their pageants that the people might vvonder at their follies you haue made vs spectacles as much as lay in you both to men and angels and lastly vve haue vvith the trueth pursued you to bring you to the trueth so to God but you vvith falsehoode haue persecuted vs to bring vs from the trueth to error and so to the Deuill You talke of orderly proceeding vvith vs that we vvere tried in time past by order of Iustice and disputed vvithall that vvee might if vve vvoulde see our ovvne vveaknesse c I pray you in vvhose Courtes hath it bene most found eyther in yours vvhere all iustice vvas peruerted or in ours vvhere the trueth of Gods word guidingal they haue beene taught the feare of God and to doe as they vvould be done to VVhere hath beene greater murthers by disordered dealings then amongst you vvithout all colour of lavv iustice killing them by vvhole multitudes and sometimes some of youre ovvne profession for company that you mighte enioy their ritches vvhere hath priuate men beene more armed to make dispatch of princes that mighte stand in your vvay then amongst youre selues Your pope dispensing vvith the sinnes either they had already or should aftervvardes commit Example by that Caitife that vppon his pardon vvoulde haue slaine the vvorthy Prince of Orange had not God miraculously deliuered him to hovv many such treasons by poisoning and killing haue sundry beene sturred vp vvithout
come from fleshe and blood and the corruption of our nature to pretend zeale to the trueth in the libertie thereof but to continue in the stormes and tempestes of afflictions so as no hardnes can remooue vs from the zeal which according to knowledge we beare vnto God this must needes be supernaturall vpright and no other but the fruite of the spirite which beeing the Lords he cannot but acknowledge wheresoeuer he findâ— it and therefore must necessarily be glorious in his sight and euerlastingly honored in heauen hereafter howsoeuer for the present time it appeare vilde and odious in the eyes of men WhereupoÌ„ saint Paul exhorting the Phillippians not to feare their aduersaries which opposed theÌ„selues against them affirmeth constantly that persecutions were manifest signes of the destruction of the wicked from whome they came and most euident tokens and as it were earnest pence of y e saluation of such against whome they were intended agreeing with that which is in his later epistle to the Thessalonians where hauing spoken before of their sufferings he sayth that it was a manifest declaratioÌ„ of the iust iudgement of God to the end they might be couÌ„ted worthie of his kingdome The sense of this place is the same with that going before although the words seeme somwhat to differ Let vs therfore despise al y e scorns of y e vngodly set light by al the mockings of y e wicked in our shame we be honorable in al confusion suffered for a good coÌ„science we are glorious for the spirit of God of glory resteth vpon vs we shalbe saued if we coÌ„tinue to y e end This spirit the apostle saith here is blasphemed on y e behalfe of y e wicked and glorified on the behalfe of the godly The meaning of the first wordes is that the enemies of the Church deride and scorne the graces of God in his children therefore blaspheme the spirit it selfe being the authour and fountaine of the same as we see despight offred to the gift of the Prince is worthily deemed villanie to the Prince himselfe We reade that the zeale of God in our Sauiour Christ was termed frensie and his faith reposed in his father scorned on this wise he trusted in God let him deliuer him now if he will haue him The grace of speaking with diuers toungs in the apostles was chalenged of drunkennes with new wine And Festus said vnto Paule thou art out of thy wittes too much learning hath made thee madde And in all times of the afflictions of the Church we shal see not only the professors taunted and reproched but also the gifts of the spirit of God in them mocked gibed at As their knowledge their patience their chastitie temperance trust in God and watchfulnes ouer their toungs In so much as we may finde tirants that iested at the Christians because they woulde not sweare when there was no necessarie cause Well they deale with one that is more then their match they shall one day feel y e smart of it sith their trechery is againste the holye Ghost euen God himselfe when they scorne his graces in the saints wheretas it is said in this place that the same spirite is glorified on the behalfe of the godly his meaning is that we honour the spirite of God when in all temptations we continue to professe that which it sealeth in our hearts and thinke it sufficient comfort against all our troubles that it testifieth to our hearts we be the children of God that we may call vpon him as a father and that we please him in all our sufferings To conclude this verse let it not appeare strange vnto vs that euill men despise the grace of God that is in vs. It we glorifie his spirit as we haue heard we shal hereafter be glorified with him eternally in the heauens euen as our Lorde by his owne example hath taught vs to praye with comfort I haue glorified thee vpon the earth now O Father glorifie me with thy selfe It followeth Let no man among you suffer as a mansâ—eier or a thiefe or an euill doer or as a busibody Hauing spoken before of the blessednes of the Christians that be troubled for righteousnes sake in this verse the Apostle calleth vpon vs to be so circumspect and wary of all our doinges that we commit no euill for the which wee might iustly be punished as malefactors He rehearseth three particular offences the first two be playne the third which in english we read a busibody y t is such a one as curiously busieth himself in such matters as concern not his calling neglecteth them that belong to his duty the learned thinke may as fitly be interpreted a man greedy of other mens goods The other worde malefactor or euill doer may be vnderstoode of euery offender whatsoeuer as well those that transgresse the lawes of the first table in matters of Religion and the seruice of God as those that breake the commandements of the second table in such thinges as concerne our duty towarde men so that vnder these Saint Peter comprehendeth all manner of sinne and corruption heresie and idolatry which the word doth forbid punish as well as disordered behauiour of one man toward another We must therefore take heede that as wee professe the name and gospell of Christ so all our sufferings may come for the trueth of that and not for any Idolatry heresy schisme murther adultery whoredome theft couetousnesse going beyond the bounds of our callinges or any such other thing For if wee be euill spoken of broughte before iudges restrayned of our liberty cast in prison and put to death in thâ—se cases there is no reason why we shoulde reioyce of the matter and think our selues happy therefore Our master Christe speaking to his disciples of this point sayd blessed are you when they speake al manner of euil of you lying for my sake Hee saith not simplye blessed are you when they speake all euiâ—l of you but when they lye in so doing And it is an ancient saying of a Father it is not the punishment but the goodnesse of the cause that maketh a Martyr The papistes therefore in respâ—cte of God and his true church Heritiques and Schismatiques in respect of their prince and country high Traytors haue no cause to boast themselues of any their sufferinges as though they were persecuted for righteousnesse sake sith besides their heresies and corrupt opinions concerning religion for y t which they be worthy of death they beare trecherous and trayterous heartes to their souereigne prince and country which also from time to time hath bene founde out by their vnnatural and curssed attempts The like is to bee sayd of the false pretented Family of loue al other heretiks euil doers the vnclean person the oppressor deceiuer vsurer drunkard the euill minister when he is cryed out against and taunted by the name of a
repentantaunce although in this world they abound with all health wealth and prosperitie let vs therefore reioyce in all our afflictions wherein we take part with all the seruauntes of God and let vs not be offended at the prosperity of the vngodly the time will come when wee shall haue comforte when they shalbe tormented For so doth it stande with the trueth iustice of God according to that which Abraham sayd to the rich man in hell sonne remember that thou in thy lyfe time receyuedst thy pleasures and likewise Lazarus paines now therefore is he comforted thou art tormented If followeth Therefore let them that suffer according to the wil of God commit their soules to him in wel doing as vnto a faithful Creator This is the conclusion of the whole treatise as thoughe hee shoulde haue sayde on this wise sith the afflicting of the churche is no newe thing sith it is a meane to trye the good from the bad and to make them better in whome there is by the grace of God some goodnes sith in all sufferings it is a partaker with Iesus Christ shall reioyce with him when he appeareth againe in glory sith we be happy when we be railed vpon in the name Christe because the â—pirite of God of glory resteth vpon vs sith we suffer not as euill doers but as christians so haue no cause to bee ashamed sith the time is now wherein the Lord wil scourge his owne house and hereafter will most seuerely proceede agaynst the wicked although he spare them for a time Let vs continue in well doing and committe oure selues to him that is faithfull and able to keepe that whiche wee trust him with There is yet another coÌ„fort for vs in this verse that we heard not before and that is where he telleth vs that we be not afflicted by the will and pleasure of men but onelye at the pleasure appointment of the Lord. To proue this point of doctrine I shall not need to labour much the truthe of it should soone be granted if we knew what we sayd in this confession I beleeue in God the father almighty maker of heauen and earth For what is this else but to ascribe such a souereigne power vnto God that nothing is done nor can be done in heauen earth or hell but that onely which he determineth appointeth The diuel himselfe coulde not sturre one foote forward to hurt Iob in his cattel children or himselfe till the Lorde from heauen had first sayd goe Nay the legion of Deuils coulde not touche one of the Gadarenes swine til the Lorde Iesus had first giuen them licence And shal we think that mortall men whose malice againste the hurch is not so deadly nor their power so great can so much as lift vp a finger to pul a hair froÌ„ the faces of any of Gods children till first the Lord haue taken order for the matter wee be deceiued greatly detogate from the maiesty of the almighty if we once imagine any such thing Whereupon Nabucadonizer in the middest of all his malice to the Iews the church of God is termed the Lordes seruaunt because in deede as an hangman or executioner he did nothing else but that which hee had determined Although the sinne of the king was in this behalfe great because his purpose was not to doe the will of the Lord but to satisfie his owne proude and cruell affections So is Ashur y e king of Assiria called the rod of God And to this purpose it is said in the acts that Poncius Pilate and the Iewes in condemning and crucifying the sonne of God did that which the father before had appointed Insomuch as it may be truely concluded that the deuill and all the wicked of the earth in their extreamest rage against the saints do nothing else but the will of God although they know it not neither do it to any such inteÌ„t sith they wholy oppose themselues against his maiesty And yet the Lorde must not be charged to be the author of euill for the self same fact I mean the troubling of the church in respect of God and his purpose therein is holy glorious righteous full of mercy and to the great good of his seruaunts which neuerthelesse in respect of the instruments by whome God worketh it is wicked vniust full of cruelty and intended to the hurt of his children But inough of this common place that the enemies of the faythful be nothing els but the Lords rods wherewith he exerciseth his people and that of themselues they can do no more then a rod or a whippe out of the hand of the smiter Now this teacheth vs not to fear the faces of the vngodly nor to be dismaid at their threates the Lorde appointeth them certaine bondes beyonde the which they can not passe the bredth of an haire And this offreth vnto vs great comfort For what childe that is wise and hath vnderstanding doeth not reioyse in the correction of his father sith being perswaded of his fatherly and tender affection he is out of doubt that it is well meant and shall turne to his good Seing then the Lord is our Father his compassion ouer vs passeth the kindnes of a mother toward the infant sucking vpon her brest Let vs be comfortable in all our afflictions sith they come from him and fall vpon vs according to his will And that we maye haue to cheare vs in all our distresses let vs seriosly meditate vpon this one thing the Lorde sendeth them After which consideration it by the testimonye of the spirite crying in our hearts Abba father the sanctification of our liues we can perswade our selues that we be his children y e present smart shall not quail vs because of the fruit of righteousnes following after it must needs turne to our best because it commeth from our father Thus much of these words of y e apostle Let so many as bee afflicted according to the will of God c. His conclusion is that in all well doing we commende our soules vnto God that hath made them For as wee haue before in the time of our peace declared some rare of pleasing God and doing his will so is it our dueties to continue in our afflictions and not for them to take any libertie to doe euill And therefore wee must not murmure against the Lorde as though he dealte hardly with vs wee muste not bee fainthearted to denie his trueth we muste not be bitter to our enemies in curssing of them and rewarding them as they deale with vs but with all patience weekenesse gentlenes courage forgiuing of our aduersaries and praying for them constantly to endure whatsoeuer the Lorde will trie vs with according to the precepts of the scriptures the example of Dauid Christ himselfe Stephen and the rest of the holy martyrs which blessed their persecuters and in the