it and gathered out the stones of it and haue planted it with the best plantes and built a Tower in the middest thereof and made a Wine presse therein looking that it should bring foorth Grapes but in steede of Grapes it bringeth foorth wilde Grapes And nowe I will tell you what I will doe to my Vineyarde I wil take away the hedge therof and it shal bee eaten vp I will breake the wall thereof and it shal be troden downe and I will laie it wast Isaiah 24.3.4.5 c. And againe The earth shal be cleane emptied and vtterly spoyled the earth shal lament and vade away for the inhabitants thereof haue transgressed the lawes they haue chaunged the ordinaunces and haue broken the euerlasting couenaunt Therefore shal the curse deuour the earth for the inhabitantes thereof haue done wickedly And therefore shall the inhabitantes of the earth burne and fewe men shall bee left therein Ierem. 25.8.9 c. Also in Ieremiah Because yee haue not heard my woordes beholde I will sende and take to mee all the families of the North and Nebuchadnezzar the King of Babell my seruaunt and I wil bring them against this lande and against the inhabitantes thereof and against all these nations rounde about and I will destroie them and make them an astonishment an hissing and a continuall desolation In this place Isaiah 10.5 the Lord calleth Nebuchadnezzar his seruaunt as in an other place he calleth Saneherib or Ashur The rod of his wrath because hee serueth him selfe with Princes tyrantes and wicked Magistrates and vseth them that hee may by them punish the vngodlines and vnthankfulnesse of his people Isaiah 59.2 Wherefore Isaiah speaketh excellently well That our iniquities haue made a diuision or separated betweene God and vs. And therefore when wee are afflicted and persecuted wee ought to cōfesse and acknowledge that God by that mean punish vs as wee in deed haue rightly deserued it Yet all this notwithstanding we haue to consider and weigh an other cause for which the worlde persecuteth vs which ought to bee a great comfort vnto vs in the middest of our Crosse and Martyrdome For in the first place the world in persecuting vs looketh not to our sinnes but to that religion which wee make profession of which religion in deed the world reiecteth and persecuteth because it knoweth not the Authour thereof and because it is altogether contrarie to his maners and peruerse and wicked orders of life and cōuersation euen as Iesus Christ hath foretolde the same and made his Disciples to see it Iohn 3.19.20 when he said vnto them This is the condemnation that light is come into the worlde and men loued darknesse rather than light because their deedes were euil For euerie man that euill doeth hateth the light neither commeth to light lest his deeds should be reproued Iohn 15.20.21 Also if they haue persecuted mee they will persecute you also But all these thinges will they doe vnto you for my names sake because they haue not knowne him that sent mee Iohn 17.14 And againe Father I haue giuen them thy word and the world hath hated them because they are not of the worlde as I am not of the world Hereby we may see that the right and verie cause of the persecutions of the church is the plaine profession of the trueth righteousnesse and word of God as Saint Paule saieth That That all they which will liue in the feare of God or godly in Christ Iesus 2. Timo. 3.12 shall suffer persecution And also what shoulde bee our consolation and comforte in the middest of the Crosse if this point were not Socrates The answere which Socrates made to his wife was verie apt and fit for the purpose shee lamented because they put him to death wrongfully but he being somewhat moued answered That it was better for him to die an innocent without cause than if he had offēded But how much greater matter and iust cause haue we of comfort and ioy seeing wee knowe that God of his vnspeakeable gentlenesse goodnesse mercy burying all our sins giueth vs ouer or leaueth vs but for a time to suffer vniust persecutions to the end that we bearing the Crosse with Iesus Christ should communicate also and bee made partakers of glorie with him The punishment Saint Augustine hath saide maketh not a Martyre but the cause August And the Deuill hath as well his witnesses and Martyrs as Iesus Christ hath his In former times there were Heretikes which bragged much and boasted wonderously vnder the shadowe colour that men persecuted them And at this day the Anabaptists do in that behalfe the verie selfe same thing yea and that so farre that by this meanes they account them selues blessed and happie Math. 5.10 But we must marke what the scripture saith Blessed are they thus saieth Iesus Christ which suffer persecution for righteousnes sake for theirs is the kingdom of heauē Luk. 6.22 Blessed are you when men hate you whē they separate you reuile you put out your names as euil for the sonne of mās sake If yee bee rayled vpon for the name of Christ saith Saint Peter 1. Pet. 4.14.15.16 Blessed are yee For the spirite of glorie and of God resteth vpon you which on their part is euil spoken of but on your part is glorified But let none of you suffer as a murtherer or as a theefe or as an euil dooer or as a couetous person of other mens goods or as a busie bodie in other mens matters But if any man suffer as a Christian let him not be ashamed but let him glorifie God in this behalfe And this is the marke or badge by which the scripture discerneth the Lordes true Martyres from others that suffer For the wicked men and vngodlie persons doe in deede suffer persecution but in the meane season it so falleth out that they cannot bost them selues for all that to bee true Martyres neither by consequent that they are blessed for they suffer not for righteousnes sake neither to maintein Gods truth as doe the Martyres and witnesses of Iesus Christ Moreouer wee ought to marke that our good God sheweth vs great grace and aduaunceth vs to singular honour when hee vouchsafeth vs meete and worthie to suffer any thing for his names sake when as he might verie iustly if he would haue pursued vs with rigour nay if he woulde haue proceeded against vs by iustice haue punished vs with all kindes and sortes of afflictions sending them to vs and laying the same vpon vs. wherin he dealeth with vs as if a king should take from the Gibbet or Gallows some man who had rightly deserued to be bound thereto and hanged thereon and yet woulde set and appoint him among the chiefe Capitaines of his orders that he might goe to warre and imploy him for the maintenance and defence of his Crown and of his kingdō For who or
is not at any time perfecte so long as shee trauelleth and fighteth in this worlde whiche maior I prooue thus First if the Church were without spot in this worlde in vaine hath our Sauiour Christe taught it alwayes to pray Matth. 6.12 forgiue vs our trespasses and sinnes But the Lorde Iesus hath not without good cause giuen vs such doctrine and instruction wherefore it followeth that the Church is not in this worlde without spotte yea rather that shee hath continuall neede alwayes for to praye vnto GOD that shee may bee more and more sanctified and obteyne the forgiuenesse of all her sinnes Secondly those which are with out spot and wrinckle haue nothing to doe with any washing because they haue no neede thereof But the faithfull although they be washed haue notwithstanding need yet of washing still as Iesus Christe himselfe declareth it vnto vs Iohn 13.10 when hee saith Hee that is washed needeth not saue to washe his feete For by the washing of the feete hee meaneth a continuall sanctification It followeth then that the faithful are not in this world without spot 1. Cor. 1.2 Thirdly Saint Paul ceaseth not to adorne and bewtifie the Corinthians with the title of the Church who notwithstanding greeuously abused the holy supper of the Lorde and had amongest them diuisions and partakinges which are not smal faultes yea indeede they were in doubte also touching the resurrectiō of the dead Also he nameth the assembly of the Galathians Galat. 1.2 the Church although that poore people were deceaued by false Prophetes and caried away to an other Gospell contrarie vnto that which hee had preached vnto them These places doe manifestly declare that the Church is neuer so pure and perfect in this world but that it hath always need to be more more purged sanctified which thing S. Paul sheweth yet more plainly openly whē he writeth vnto the Thessalonians For he calleth thē the Church 1. Thes 1.1 1. Thes 5.23 and yet he prayeth vnto God for them that he would sanctifie thē through out True it is that the Nouatians Donatistes and Anabaptistes who doe not agree with vs in this point are not without their replies For first they alledge vnto vs that which S. Paul writeth vnto the Ephesians Ephe. 5.25.26.27 That Iesus Christ gaue himselfe for his Church that he might sanctifie it and cleanse it that he might make it vnto himselfe a glorious Church not hauing spot or wrinckle but that it shoulde be holy without blame But wee want not an aunswere also Saint Paul considereth the Church not in her selfe but in Iesus Christe her heade which shee taketh holde of by faith So shee is saide to bee without wrinckle and vnblameable by reason not of her owne righteousnesse but of Iesus Christes righteousnesse whereof shee is made partaker because it pleased God to impute and reckon the same vnto her for which cause also it is in an other place 1. Cor. 1.30 that Iesus Christe is made of God the father vnto vs wisedome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption Moreouer wee might say that Saint Paul speaketh of sanctification or holinesse promised and which is not yet fully accomplished as though he called saide the Church to bee without spot not that it is so here belowe on the earth but because that one day it shall so bee aboue in heauen Augu. lib. de nuptiis Concupise cap. 34. And after this sorte Saint Augustine vnderstandeth it Iesus Christ saith hee cleanseth his Church by the washing of Christians to make it vnto himselfe without spott or wrinckle not in this world but in the world to come They alledge moreouer that which Saint Iohn saith 1. Ioh. 3.6.9 whosoeuer is borne of God sinneth not Wherevnto I aunswere by a distinction Those that are borne of God that is to say the faithfull sinne not that is to say serue not sinne or rather sinne doth not raigne in them because they do withdraw themselues as much as they can or are inabled from sinne and with all their heart giue themselues to holinesse of life that they may glorifie God And in this sense Saint Iohn taketh it and speaketh it Againe they that are borne of God sinne that is to say can not liue so holily but that oftentimes they stumble and fall into sins For although they be sanctified yet for all that by reason of the reliques and remnauntes of nature corrupted which yet resteth and remaineth in them euery day they turne aside from the righte waye and sinne In this sense S. Iohn ment not that which he saith that whosoeuer is borne of God sinneth not for so he should speak against him selfe hauing before saide If we say we haue no sinne 1. Ioh. 1.8.10 wee deceiue our selues and trueth is not in vs yea wee make God a lyer and his worde is not in vs. So it is then that though there seeme to bee some contrarietie betweene these two to say that we are sinners and sainctes both together yet all agreeth together verie well for euerie man if we consider him in his owne nature according to which he is called the childe of wrath he is a sinner worthie of death and eternall damnation but if we consider him in Iesus Christ as a Christian and faythfull man hee is holy so that he sinneth not that is to say serueth not sinne and his imperfections are hidden and couered because that they are not imputed vnto him and moreouer the Lorde Iesus maketh him partaker of his righteousnesse And so being a sinner in respect of his owne nature he is notwithstanding reputed and accounted holy iust before God But that which we haue hitherto spoken toucheth or concerneth the members of the Church particularlie Wee may also well say touching the Church considered in her owne bodie that it shall neuer here be purged from al filthinesses because that so long as shee shall bee on earth there shall be in her wicked ones mingled with good ones Which thing Iesus Christ hath declared in the Gospell by two similitudes Matth. 13.24.25 c. In the first he saith that the kingdome of heauen that is to say the Church is like vnto a man which sowed good seede in his feeld but while men slept there came his enemie sowed tares amongest the wheate and went his way And when the blade was sprong vp and had brought foorth fruit then appeared the tares also Then came the seruauntes of the housholde and saide vnto him Master sowedst thou not c. and woulde presently haue gone and gathered them vp but the Lorde woulde not suffer them least while they went about to gather the tares they plucked vp also with them the wheate Therefore he willed that they might both growe together vntill the haruest and in the time of haruest the reapers shall gather the tares and binde them in sheaues to burne them but they shal gather the good
any steed at al to say that any this place of Augustine ought to be vnderstod of outwarde and indifferent thinges for Saint Augustine disputeth there of a point of doctrine that is to say of the opinion of Saint Cyprian of the Councell of Affrica touching rebaptisation or baptising againe Now then in so great diuersitie gainsaying one of an other what shall we say To which Councell shall we giue greater faith and credit for this we perceaue clearly and plainely that they thus crossing and contrarying one an other did not all consent and speake according to the truth that therefore wee must of necessitie conclude that some of them haue erred and that by their false and erronious determinations they haue degenerated and gone astray from the right way of the word of God Certainly it is verie meet and requisite An admonition touching Coūcels and Synods that we should be wise and verie well aduised when the question is either to set out or to receiue that which shall bee determined by councells and Synods For it is altogether manifeste and plaine that Councels and Synodes may be deceiued And therefore as touching their decrees and determinations this is that wee haue to say that we must bring the weight of them and make it subiecte to the balance that is to say we must try and examine thē by the worde of GOD which is indeede the balance Gala. 1.8 whervnto not onely men are subiect but also the Angels as Saint Paul teacheth in his Epistle to the Galathians Wherefore whatsoeuer wee shall finde in them conformable and agreeable to the proportion of faithe and agreeing with the authoritie of the holy Scriptures wee ought to receiue the same without any scruple or doubte But if they propound vnto vs and set out things contrarie to that we ought and we may without any difficultie or daunger reiecte and refuse them as suspected and daungerous doctrines For as Saint Ierome hath somtimes saide Hierom. in 9 cap. Ierem. we ought not to followe the errors of our fathers and predecessors but the authoritie of the scriptures and the commandement of God who teacheth vs. Wherevppon also Gerson Gerson par 1. de exam doctrin Abbas Panormita Epist de electi one elect potest cap. 5 and Panormitan haue concluded that in matters which concerne faith the Pope and his Bishoppes may not determine and decree any thing against the worde of God and that if a generall Councell should come so farre as to decline and goe aside either through malice or through ignoraunce of the Gospell a simple man alleadging in that coūcell the worde of GOD ought rather to bee hearde and yealded vnto then all they Let vs enter or come nowe to our aduise and let vs bring forth and alledge our reasons to prooue that the Church may erre The first reason is this That great companie of the people of Israel which was in the wildernesse with whome GOD had made a couenant and had made them bounde vnto him by an infinite number of benefites and good turnes and had giuen vnto them sacramentes and ceremonies which were as it were visible signes of his grace that great company I say was a verie goodly a verie excellent Church But they were vilely deceaued and erred fowly when forsaking the commaundement they made vnto themselues a golden calfe offering and giuing vnto it that honour which was due to God alone yea and Aaron himselfe the high priest did not so constantly and boldly withstande them as he ought but rather consented thereto indeede wherefore it followeth that the Church may erre and be deceiued The seconde reason The Church in old time did offer and giue the holy supper to litle infants staying and grounding themselues vpon the place of Saint Iohn Except yee eate the fleshe of the sonne of Man Iohn 9.53 drinke his bloud ye haue no life in you And this custome was in vse in the time of Pope Innocent Saint Cyprian and Saint Augustine as it appeareth by their writinges But nowe this is not any more vsed for children which can not prooue and examine themselues are not at this day receiued to the partaking of the sacrament Wherefore the Church in olde time hath erred or else it erreth now But if we wold answere that the Church hath power and authoritie to chaunge such customes and manners I replie to the contrarie for now the question is not here of a thing indifferent in the vse but of the word of God which is alwayes constant and not subiect to any change as to say that to day it hath one sense and vnderstanding and to morrowe an other wherefore if the place of S. Iohn commaund to giue the supper to little infantes of necessitie as the forenamed auncient fathers haue vnderstood and expounded the same the Church hath done well in time heretofore to followe that commaundement and at this time it erreth in not folowing it any longer Or else if the said place be not to be referred properly vnto the holy supper neither commandeth to distribute and giue the sacrament to infants but it is of necessitie required that he to whome we must administer the saide sacrament 1. Cor. 1.2 haue knowledge to trie examine him selfe according to S. Pauls doctrine as in deede this is the pure and only trueth it followeth then that the Church hath in former time erred to admit little infants to the holie supper and that at this day it doth well to practise the contrarie The third reason If the Church could not erre Saint Paul had without cause feared 1. Cor. 11.28 least the Corinthians whome he calleth a Church should through the subtiltie of the serpent be corrupted 2. Cor. 11.3 and turned away from the simplicitie that is in Christ. And indeede in vaine should he haue called the assemblies of the Corinthians and Galathians Gala. 1.2 Churches which yet notwithstanding erred in doctrine in faith in manners and in life But Saint Paule did nothing of al this without cause or in vaine otherwise Saint Paule himselfe should haue bene deceiued wherefore it followeth that the Church may erre The fourth reason Those that can not erre haue no neede of the forgiuenesse of sinnes but the Church hath neede of the forgiuenesse of sinnes for Iesus Christ giuing it a forme of praier hath commanded it to demaund aske of GOD forgiuenesse of their sinnes Matt. 6.12 Wherefore it foloweth that the Church may erre The fifth reason The Church which was in olde time in Ierusalem was oftentimes reproued of error by the Prophetes which thing declareth that the Church is not in this world without will and deede to erre But to the end I may not be ouerlong in recyting by peecemeale and as it were one by one all the sentences which make mention of the falles of the Church let men reade that which is written thereof in these places Touching
eight dayes vnder Claudius also his successour And it appeareth by the historie of the Actes and the Epistles of the Apostles howe the churches were tossed and persecuted in Asia Antiochia Pisidia Iconium Lystra Galatia Ephesus Macedonia Philippi Thessalonia Corinthus Berrhoe Rome and many other places but all these persecutions were as yet particular and but in some one place or other God moderating and mitigating the hearts and hands of men and gouerning after a wonderful sorte his Churche in those Emperours dayes to the ende it mighte more blessedly and plentifully growe But omitting these let vs speake of the ten great and generall persecutions as they are called by which the Church was eagerly assaulted and cruely tormented on all sides The first persecution was vnder Nero the sixt Emperour who was called Claudius Domitius Nero. He was ordeined Emperour in the yeere 57. after the birth of Christe and reigned xiiii yeeres seuen monethes and certaine dayes And some say that the fiue first yeeres hee was a good man but that afterwards he so disordered himselfe and fell into suche excesse by incests murthers and all maner of wickednesses that hardly there is as yet any other Emperour to be found who was defiled with such filthinesses Tertullian rehearseth in his Apologetico that this Emperour was the first persecutor of the Church Tertul. Apolog. Cap. 5. Looke saith hee into your histories and registers and you shall finde that Nero was the first which exercised crueltie against the christians which were vnder the Emperours authoritie principalie against the church which was established at Rome Corne. Tacitus lib. 15. And Cornelius Tacitus declareth that the ocasiō which Nero toke to persecute the church for was this that he cōmāded secretly to set on fire the citie of Rome that he might see some forme or image as it were which might represent set out vnto him the fire of Troy And so the fire continued in the Citie sixe daies space which made such a destruction that he became hereby very odious among the people And seeing that hee could not put out this hatred and waiting of him to doe him som mischiefe for al the good turnes which he could do to the people he foūd out this deuise to sow abrode this bruite rumor and report that it was the Christians who had ben the blowers of that fire and the authours of that destruction and from that time forward he began to persecute them and to put them to death both because they were as he said the blowers of that fire and also because they were enimies of all mankinde by reason of that confession which they made of the name of Christ And to make them to die his vpholders put vpon their backes the skinnes of wild beasts that they might be torn and rent if it were possible in peeces with dogs where also they crucified them burned thē al aliue although the day failed thē yet they burned them that they might therby giue light to the night This first persecution began about the yeere of Christ 66. the x. yeere of Nero his raigne lasted 4. yeres somwhat more vntill the death of that tyrant Some say Eusebius amōgest those reciteth it that this Nero about the end of his daies or reigne caused S. Peter S. Paul to be put to death The 2. persecution was vnder Domitian the xii Emperour who was appointed Emperor in the yeere of Christ 83. reigned xv yeeres and vi monethes He was so lifted vp in crueltie and pride that he would haue his subiects call him God Lord caused images of his owne person to bee made of gold siluer He ordeined as his father Vespasiā had done before him that inquirie should be made against the race of Dauid that they which were foūd to be therof shold be put to death for he feared the comming of Christ about the 14. yere of his reigne the yeere of Christ 97. he caused by an Edict to be published and proclaimed a cruell persecution against the Christians insomuche that the Church was miserably and a long time tormented vnder him The third persecution was in the dayes of Traian the fourteenth Emperour who was appointed Emperor about the yeere of Christe 100. who gouerned the Empire nienteene yeeres sixe monethes and fifteene dayes Hee is greatly praised of the Historiographers as a courteous and gentle Prince and some say that hee was so renowmed and famous by reason of his iustice curtesie that euer after so often as any was created Emperour the people yeelded this blessed exclamation outcrie and consent Bee hee more happy then Augustus and better then Traian yet notwithstanding hee persecuted the Church and mark the occasion that he tooke so to doe Hee was brought vp from his infancie in the Paganish and Heathenish superstitions by reason whereof hee disdained and despised christiā religion because that it was contrary to these superstitions Besides that hee had about him certaine courtiers which were blowers of that fire in him augmented that disdain and dispite in him insomuch that diuers Historiographers recorde that hee was not so much of his owne nature inclined to shed blood as deceiued and stirred vp thereto by his councellers and principally by the Pagane Priestes Freculph lib. 2. Cap. 20. who as Freculphus witnesseth gaue good store of siluer to the gouernours and bribed freely to the end that they would put the christiās to death as their deadly enimies Some adde that the number of Christians was very much increased whereupon many inconueniences might come to the Romane Empire if the dāger were not preuēted which also was a cause that Traian was the more inflamed and kindled against them as also Sabellicus writeth Sabellicus that the great number of christians were more suspected of this Emperour then the religion After this sort then did they accuse the christians of sedition and blasphemie and for these causes they were cruelly persecuted insomuch as it appeareth by that which Plinie the second hath written Plinius secund That publik commandements were sent from the Emperour to the gouernours of all the Prouinces by which euery gouernour was inforced too persecute and so the persecution was spread abrod through out al the places of the Romā empire which at that time cōteined not only Europe but also a great parte of Asia Affrica And the said persecutiō indured about fourteene yeeres but yet in suche order that in the beginning of the reigne of Traian it was some what lesse sharpe but afterwards it flamed out and burst foorth more and more Tertul. Apologi Capt 2. Nowe the sayde Plinie the seconde had at that time the gouernment of a certaine Prouince to wit of Bethina and as Tertullian saith hee was appointed too persecute the Christians about the yeere of Christ 112. and of Traian the xiiii yeere Wherefore hee being astonished with the great number of martyres
forgottē vs as we heare the cōplaints of Saints touching that matter in the Scripture Howe long wilt thou forget me O Lord saith Dauid Psalm 13.1 how long wilt thou hide thy face from mee And againe Vp why sleepest thou O Lorde Psalm 44.23 24 awake hee not farre of for euer Wherefore hidest thou thy face and forgettest our miserie our affliction And Habacu O Lord Haba 1.2.13 saith he How long shal I crie thou wilt not hear euen cry out vnto thee for violence and thou wilt not helpe Thou art of pure eies and canst not see euil thou canst not behold wickednesse Wherfore doest thou looke vpon the trāsgressors and holdest thy tongue when the wicked deuoureth the man that is more righteous then he But God sleepeth not at any hand euen as it is said in one of the Psalmes Psalm 121.4 Behold he that keepeth Israel wil neither slūber nor sleepe neither doth he forget vs as he himselfe assureth vs by his Prophet Isaiah when hee saith Isaiah 49 15 Can a woman forget her childe or will shee not pitie the fruite of her wombe But though she should forget yet wil not I forget thee saith the Lord. And in deede God doeth not at any time forget his mercy no not in the middest of his wrath and anger Haba 3.2 1. Corin. 10.13 neither doth he suffer vs to be tempted aboue our strength Wherefore then is it that he doeth not sende vs succour and aide without delay thereby to deliuer vs from oppression It is first and formost because our sinnes are the cause therof Isayah 59.1.2 Behold saith the Prophet the Lords hand is not shortened that it cannot saue neither his eare heauie that it cannot heare But your iniquities haue separated betweene you and your God and your sinnes haue hidden his face from you that he will not heare Secondly because that serueth for the aduancement of God his glory and for the augmenting increase of our faith as appeareth by that whiche is written touching the sicknes and death of Lazarus Iohn 11.14.15 the brother of Martha Mary This sicknesse saith Iesus Christe is not to death but for the glory of God that the sonne of God might bee glorified thereby and after wardes Lazarus is dead saith he and I am glad for your sake that I was not there that yee may beleeue And to this last point is referred that which S. Paul saith We receiued the sentence of death in our selues 2. Cor. 1.9 because we should not trust in our selues but in God which raiseth the dead The fift point that afflictions dangers increase euen then when the deliuerance is nigh examples heereof are set out vnto vs in the scripture The Israelites were meruellously tormented in Egypt Exod. 14. throughout all the while that they were kept captiues prisoners there but they neuer had so great an occasion to feare neither were they at any time so pressed yea oppressed as when God brought them out of their captiuitie and bondage to make them passe thorow the redde Sea and to guide them in the wildernesse as we may see in the xiiii Chapter of Exodus 1. Sam. 27. 1. c. Dauid before he came to the inioying of the kingdom which was promised him by god was constreined to depart out of the Countrie and to seeke a place of refuge and cōfort amongest the Philistines his enimies yea in the Court of king Achish Where he found himselfe in extreeme danger Isaiah 37. throughout yea more great then at any time before he had escaped Then was the angel of the Lord sent from him to remoue the siege of Zenacherib from before the Citie of Ierusalem and so by that meanes to deliuer king Ezekias and the people which were within when for the great oppression thereof they were held kept in so narrowly short that they were at the point or very nigh to see the Citie rēdred deliuered Marke 6.47 c. to the Assyrians pitie and mercy Iesus Christe did very well behold that his disciples were in greate danger in the ship which was tossed to fro with the outrage or violence of the winds and tempests but yet notwithstanding he came not vnto them to succour them but about the 4. watch of the night Wherfore let vs not loose our courage stomack in the midst of the greatest persecutions and afflictions which can come For when all the meanes of help and aide on mens side or in respect of them doe faile vs that it seemeth that all were done with vs and that the church shold be altogether worn out cōsumed beaten downe euen then wil god performe his own work he alone succouring vs to the end that vnto him alone also the glory of our deliuerance may be wholy and absolutely referred The sixt pointe that God through his power keepeth and defendeth his church against the violences assaults of tyrants and persecutors and deliuereth the same out of their hands when time is therefore Thereto tend and belong these promises The Lorde knoweth to deliuer the godly out of temptation 2 Pet. 2.9 to reserue the vniust vntil the day of iudgement to be punished Psal 12.5 For the oppression of the needie and for the sighes of the poore I will vp saith the Lorde and wil set at libertie him whom the wicked hath snared The Angel of the Lord pitcheth round about them that feare him and deliuereth thē Psal 34.7.17 19.20.22 The righteous cry and the Lorde heareth them deliuereth them out of al their troubles Great are the troubles of the righteous but the Lord deliuereth him out of them al. Hee keepeth al his bones not one of them is broken The Lord redeemeth the soules of his seruants and none that trust in him shal perish Psalm 50.15 Psa 9.14.15 Call vpon mee saith the Lorde in the day of trouble so wil I deliuer thee and thou shalt glorifie me And againe Because he hath loued me therefore wil I deliuer him I wil exalt him because hee hath knowne my name Hee shall cal vpon me and I wil heare him I wil be with him in trouble I wil deliuer him and glorifie him Psalm 125.2 As the mountaines are about Ierusalem so is the Lord about his people from hence foorth and for euer Mat. 16.18 Thou art Peter and vpon this rocke I wil builde my Church and the gates of Hell shall not ouercome it Luk. 12.32 Feare not litle flock for it is your fathers pleasure to giue you the kingdome And wee haue many examples heereof in the Scripture Exod. 14. throughout Dan. 3. Daniel 6. throughout Isaiah 37 throughout Acts 12.7 Actes 5.19 as when god brought the Israelites out of Egypt by the Ministerie of Moses whē he deliuered Daniel out of the Lions denne Shadrach Messiach Abednego out of the burning flame
and ouen when he deliuered from death Susanna already condemned when he set Ierusalem at libertie when he brought Saint Peter out of Prison and the other Apostles by the ministerie of an angel And at this day although wee see not angels visiblie roūd about vs yet for all that we ceasse not by experience to feele Gods aide and succour and that after many sortes yea extraordinarie We know also that which is spoken in Zacharias Zachari 2.8 to wit He that toucheth you shal touch the apple of mine eie saith the Lorde For in deede Iesus Christe accoūteth the persecutions which mē bend against his Churche as bente againste his verie owne person which appeareth by the reproofe that he gaue Saint Paule Act. 9.4 saying Saule Saul wherfore doest thou persecute mee who would euer haue looked for such assistance and helpe as God hath bestowed vpon his Church in our time were there at any time more furious and raging persecutions was the pride of the enemies of Gods Church euer greater They spare not wisedome nor counsell nor power nor diligence nor men nor money to the end that the poore Church might be altogether cast down and made ruinous But beholde the prudencie the counsell the might and the wisedome of God is farre aboue all that which setteth it selfe against his greatnesse yea hee worketh miraculouslie by hidden close and secrete meanes insomuch that all the height of the worlde is confounded and ouerthrowne For as the wise man saith Prou. 21.30 There is no wisdome neither vnderstanding nor counsell against the Lord. And in an other place it is saide Psal 33.10 Iob. 5.12.13 The Lord breaketh the counsell of the Heathen and bringeth to naught the deuises of the people the counsell of the Lorde shall stande for euer and the thoughtes of his heart thorowe out all ages To be short we see that the Church hath in time heretofore beene verie aptly and fitly represented Gene. 15.17 by a lampe or firebrand shining in the middest of darke or smoking Furnaise euen as the vision thereof was giuen and shewed to Abraham wherof the reason is assigned and shewed because God would not suffer that his people shoulde bee put out in the middest of darknesse Also by the burning bushe which yet cōsumed not Exod. 3.2 as Moses also saw the vision therof For as the bush was kept safe and sound in the midst of the flame so the Church hath alwayes beene preserued by and thorow the presence of God although the tyrantes and wicked men haue sought to set it on fire vtterlie to destroy it The seuenth pointe That the Church increaseth in the middest of persecutions This is seene from the time wherein vnder the Emperours the Church was persecuted For looke by howe much they inforced them selues vtterly to extinguish and put out the trueth by so muche the faythfull ones were readie and prepared to defende and mainteine the same In the Actes it is saide Act. 4.3.4 That when the persecutors laide handes vpon the Apostles and had put them in prison many of them that had heard the worde at their mouth left not of for all that to beleeue but that the number of beleeuers was increased till it came to bee about fiue thousande persons Also Act. 11.19.20.21 that they which were scattered abroad because of the affliction that arose about Steuen walked throughout till they came vnto Phenice and Cyprus and Antiochia and that some of them which were men of Cyprus and Cyrene when they were come into Antiochia spake vnto the Grecians and preached the Lorde Iesus and that the hande of the Lorde was with them so that a great number beleeued and turned vnto the Lord. Saint Paule speaketh after this maner vnto the Philippians Philip. 1.12.13.14 I would yee vnderstood brethren that the thinges which haue come vnto mee are turned rather to the furthering of the Gospell so that my bands in Christ are famous throughout all the iudgement hall and in all other places Insomuch that many of the brethren in the Lorde are boldened through my bandes and dare more frankly speake the worde And this is that which Dauid hath prophesied touching Christ when hee saide Bee thou ruler in the midst of thine enemies Psal 110.20 The Church compared to a Palme tree to Roses and to Lilies The state of the Church of God is like vnto the state of the Palme tree and like to the condition of Roses and Lilies For euen as the Palme tree the more it is laden and pressed downe the more it groweth stretcheth out or spredeth his boughes in length and breadth so the Church the more shee is persecuted and afflicted the more force courage and liuelinesse shee taketh to her selfe Also as Roses and Lilies are accustomed to flourish among thorns so this is a common thing to the Church to flourish and to increase in the middest of persecutions The Church compared to a Vine or Vineyard Iustinus compareth the Church also to a Vine or Vineyard when he speaketh thus in a speech with Tryphō They euerie day perceiue saieth hee that we which beleeue in Christ Iustinus Martyr de veritate Christiana religionis to in 2 pag. 224. lin 14. cannot bee astonished or amazed by any man or any maner of way let them cut of our heads let them crucifie vs let them cast vs to wild beastes let them torment vs with fire fagot and any other tormentes the more they doe torment vs the more doeth the number of Christians growe and increase no otherwise than when men priune and dresse a Vine or Vineyard they doe it to make it more fruitfull and plentifull For the Vine or Vinyard which God hath plāted and our Sauiour Iesus Christ is his owne people These are in that place almost Iustinus his owne wordes And verely we learn by our owne experience that so many cruell persecutions murthers and slaughters of the Martyrs haue been as it were so many seales in our heartes to seale therein the holie Gospell of Christ so that a good Doctour hath verie rightly saide That the blood of the Martyrs is the seed of the Church The eight point What is the cause for which the church is afflicted and persecuted of the wicked We may verie wel say and rightly confesse that we do iustly deserue by reason of the sins we haue committed to be afflicted by God and persecuted of the world Leuit. 26.14.15 c. For we read in Leuiticus howe God threatneth his people to send vpon them warre plague pestilēce famine and other his roddes if they yeeld not them selues obedient vnto his commaundements Isaiah 5.2.3 c. And in Isaiah he speaketh after this maner Yee inhabitantes of Ierusalem saieth he and ye men of Iudah iudge I pray you betweene mee and my Vineyarde What could I haue done any more to my Vinyarde that I haue not done vnto it I haue hedged