eschewe error and to saue veritie The euil afflicte the good against lawe and order to serue their intended purpose to preferre their faction and to maintaine heresie In the cause of religiō the good afflict the euil for disobedience and breache of iustice the euil afflicte the good for kepinge obedience and holdinge with iustice And here in the name of iustice is implied truthe of doctrine which standeth in inward belefe and outward profession And this profession may be eyther in wordes or in workes so that who so suffereth for any facte wherbye he cōfesseth the faithe and beareth witnes of Christe suffereth for truthe and iustice So dyd Iohn Baptist suffer so do they nowe suffer that be persecuted for the catholike cause they that be persecuted for seruinge of god they that saye Masse they that heare Masse brefelie al they that suffer for the confession of Christes churche suffer for iustice You therfore o you persecuted catholikes to you I speake againe you directelie suffer for iustice sake You abide by it you stande in the face of the persecutors to you belongeth the promis of Christe yours is the kingedome of heauen You glorious confessors what honor shoulde Christe haue nowe in our miserable countrie yf you were not open cōfessors of his honor You suffer this affliction for his honor you suffer for the honor of his sainctes you suffer for the honor of his sacramentes you suffer for the honor of the vniuersal churche You blessed sufferers endure you to suffer so longe as God woulde you to suffer and blessed be you that suffer for yours is the kingedome of heauen And you afflicted catholikes you that lie and liue as straingers scattered in dispersion to you nowe I speake you leese not the name of confessors Many of you stode in the firste fronte of the fighte and confessed your dewtiful obedience before the face of the maiestrate Many of you fledde without preiudice but not withoute minde to fight againe You haue ben afflicted by degrees you haue bē forced oute of your countrie into this countrie where in time you were brought oute of credite by them that wished you wel neyther at home nor abrode Cōspiracies were made terrible treasonnes contriued the factious parte rebelled and nowe beganne ciuil and vnnatural warre What ouertwhartes foūde wee into how many suspitions rāne wee What obloquies and termes of treason sustained wee that meāt not vniustlie If wee looke to the common trobles of thes countries they haue not bē so cōmon to this people as proper and personal to vs The sackage and spoyles which the giltie deserued fel vpon vs that deserued them not Wee haue ben greued not onelie by the heretike whos treasons wee misliked but by the catholike also to whō wee fledde to be releued And wee haue bē so greued by bothe that necessitie forced to chainge our place hardelye were wee suffered to remaine in place and not without troble in whatsoeuer place Thy iudgementes o lorde be secrete thy mercies be greate to thee we must singe mercie and iudgemēte for thou hast kepte vs and stil doest comforte vs in thes cōtinewed trobles O you holie fathers and Monkes of Scheme o you deuoute brothers and virgins of Sion you prelates and priestes you lordes and ladies and you that be of pope Gregories famous seminaries at Rome and Reimes the risinge helpe and hope of your decayed countrie al you of what note so euer you bee that be banished catholikes and beare affliction for the catholike cause al you do testifie to the worlde that the workes of the worlde be yl al you reporte to good mennes consciēces in open truthe that you suffer for iustice sake How many of you were at home in good case and place to serue God and your coūtrie But when Godes honor was displaced you chose to relinquishe al and to truste to his holie prouidence You that haue enioyed muche worldlie prosperitie refuse not nowe to sustaine aduersitie and to saye with holie Iob. Dominus dedit c. our lorde gaue it our lorde hath taken it avvaye blessed be the name of our lorde What euer the iudgemēte of the worlde be it is no syn to be in banishment it is no shame to be poore for Christes sake Better is the poore that liueth barelie thē the ritche man that walketh crokedlie And better is a litle with the feare of God then greate treasures without his feare Humiliation is the christian exaltation therfore is the christiā willed to reioyse in it Whē he is broughte to be poore when he is made an outecast not reputed he must reioyse in pouertie in ignomie and in pressure for thes be the exaltations of christians thes be the prefermentes of sainctes who be exalted of God when they be contemned of the worlde And thē the comforte is that God maketh them poore in substāce to make them ritche in faithe the comforte is that our lorde leaueth them not hopelesse This saith our lorde Probaui te in camino paupertatis I haue tried thee in the fornaice of pouertie It is often sene that our lorde taketh from his freindes the worldelie partes and pelfe wherin they trusted that they might put their whole truste in him What soeuer God hath taken from vs yet hath he not lefte vs destitute such is his merciful prouidence Wee be in pouertie but not vtterlie withoute somwhat we be persecuted but not forsaken we be caste downe yet we perishe not God gaue vs liuinges some in one degree some in an other Some had muche some had litle al had inoughe How muche be we al bounde to render daylie thankes vnto God who of his goodnes vouchesafed to geue vs somwhat that we mighte leese for his sake Let vs confesse in Godes name the rechelesnesse wee had of Godes house and the ouermuche care wee had of the worlde God knewe vs to be wantonnes and farre rōne out of that course of righteousnes which our holie fathers had in Christes churche Yet doth he not beat vs cruellie as he might of iustice but hydeeth the feareful scourge of his greuous correction and sheweth the softe rodde of his sweete discipline Blessed be the name of God that aduersitie hath opened our eies which prosperitie had shut And blessed be his name againe and againe that we may iustlie saye Our lorde is at hande Our lorde is our helper at our neede and in our tribulation We may iustlie saye Virga tua baculus tuus c. Thy rodde and thy staffe hath cōforted me Thoughe God beate vs with his rodde yet he beareth vs vp with his staffe He beateth vs with the rodde of his outwarde correctiō and gideth vs with the staffe of his inwarde direction the direction of the holie ghost who in our correction directeth vs geueth vs grace and strengthe to beare that we murmure not nor despaire in affliction As for banishement why should we thinke it punishement seinge al the
the same wordes whē they knele downe and saye Aue rex c. Wordes that may haue good meaninge should not offēde good meaninge mē thoughe miscreātes miscōstre thē Should we not abide the worde Galilaea for that Iulianus Apostata caste oute a tauntinge blasphemie against Christ what time he cried out vicisti Galilaee thou of Galilee hast ouercomed Or because he called the christiās men of Galilee Should we haue lesse reuerent opinion of Christe because that vnhappie man Felix treaseror to Iulianus called Christe Maries sonne vsinge thes wordes Ecce quibus vasis Mariae filio ministratur Asee in what vesselles they serue Maries sōne Or shoulde we forsake the faithe of Christes deitie and cōsubstantialitie with God his father because the Ariās called the catholikes Homousiās what reproches calūnes and slaūders the enemies of Christe inuented againste the christians the churchelie stories beare witnesse but yf you marke who they were that reproched Christe and who they be that nowe nickename the christians you shal see litle cause to be offended but rather cause to praye that they may be amēded To good mē it hath not ben greuous to haue the displesure of the euil As for displeasure of heretikes good mē haue sought it and thought glorie to ' beare it S. Hierō endeuored to ' make the enemies of the churche his enemies and wrought to S. Austē that it was his glorie to be detested of heretikes How much they deteste your honor your fame and your personnes it is apparente when they blaspheme your religion cal you papistes rebelles and treitors But this their demeanor maketh good your cause and renoumeth your persōnes amōge the good For then doth there appeare some euident iustice in you when you displease them that please not god No man can be grateful to almightie God and to his enemies in the same thinge For he denyeth hym selfe a freinde to God that pleaseth his enemie And it may be feared lest they that blemyshe the good partes of deuoure christians whō they can not charge but for religion which in dede is Godes parte wyl fal as far oute with God yf his grace tēper not their defectes Cain maligned his brother Abel and therwith contemned god Iosephes brothers regarded hym not and they regarded God as litle The children of Israel reiected Moyses and in hym they reiected god It is sayde to be a machiauelian policie to terrifie the vntowarde and recusante parte with the odius termes of rebel and traitor when greate purposes be intended Though it can not be but greuous to a true meaninge man that is of ciuile loialtie to be pressed with termes of hapnous crimes not at al intended and that for his dewe seruice to God yet should not this pointe infirme the confession of a constante catholike that feareth God aboue al knowinge that it hath ben proper to tyrannycal states in tymes of persecutiō to alter the worshepers of Christe by terrours and tormentes to terrifie the deuoute christians with word and sworde therbye to wynne them to theire purpose therbye to make them indue theire affections to loue and to hate what they loued or hated or els to haue no quietnes Indede we be neyther rebelles nor traitors to princes yf we leaue vndone the commaundemēte of the prince and do the commaūdement of god When Daniel praied thrise adaye to God contrarie to the kinges commaundemēte whē the Apostles preached contrarie to the willes of the rulers it was neyther treasō nor rebelliō nor were they rebelles or traitors Thoughe the rage of the rulers go so farre as to caste vs to the hōs as they caste Daniel thoughe they whippe vs as they wipped the Apostels wee must suffer with Daniel ād saye with the Apostles we muste rather obeye God in doinge our dewtie thē man forbiddinge the same And what is our comforte herein but that god hath wayes enoughe to deliuer vs as he deliuered Daniel as he deliuered the Apostles or els wil strēgthen vs to die in his quarel whether shal be more for his glorie and the edefyinge of his holie churche But let thē hate you let thē cal you what thē listeth for religiōs sake be cōtente to beare it is godes cause it is Christes quarel leaue to him the reuenge Yf you were giltie of that violēt innouatiō of religiō which opened the waye to a ruffiālike rushinge into al vice yf you were giltie of a monsterous masse of tragecal treasōs yf you sowed seditiō at home or maintained rebellion abrode yf hauinge no churche at home to robbe you sought abrode in the coūtries adioyninge to robbe churches to breake images to be hange men to the images of Christ and our ladie to dismount aulters to kyl priestes ād to defile with prophane handes the pretious bodie and bloud of our sauiour Christ in the holy sacramēt of the aulter yf I say you were giltie of thes horrible factes and in this resspecte they called you heretikes traitors churche robbers and murtherers surelie then you should not be offended for such factes deserue suche names And thes names perdie importe muche more and be of greater consequence then the termes of papiste and papistrie Now because you folowe not theire course which forsake the highe waye and vnder the name of Christes crosse haue so crossed the waye brokē downe the hedges trodde downe so muche good corne and so manie faire pastures of pietie that except they come backe they can neuer come to god Because I saye you folowe not this course of procedinge they afflicte you by al possible meanes they persecute you with wordes they persecute you with swordes You haue not receaued the spirite of the worlde but the spirite which is of god Yf the worlde hate you Christe our lorde loueth you Harken what our lorde saithe If the vvorlde hate you you knovve that it hated me before yf you vvere of the vvorlde the vvorlde vvolde loue his ovvne Because you be not of the vvorlde but I haue chosen you oute of the vvorlde therfore the vvorlde hateth you The seruant is not greater then the lorde yf they haue persecuted me they vvil also persecute you Blessed be you vvhen they shal curse you and persecute you vvhē they shal saye al yl against you makinge lies of you for my sake be you glad and reioyse because your revvarde is greate in heauen for so haue they persecuted the prophetes that vvere before you And why did the worlde hate our lorde that came for loue to saue the worlde This saieth our lorde The vvorlde hateth me because I testifie that the vvorkes of the vvorlde be yl Here may I saye and trulie saye that yf heresie be a spiritual idolatrie yf schisme heresie and blasphemie be nowe the workes of the worlde then surelie the worlde hateth you because you testifie that the workes of the worlde be yl you testifie in your faithe you testifie in your life Why were you berefte
of dignities offices liuelehood and libertie Why be you in bondes and bondage in prysonmente and banishemēt why be you yet displaced abased and defaced in the worlde I speake vnto you o you worthie confessors and cōfessante catholikes that lie at home in chaines and feede on the noysome ayres of vnsauerie prisonnes I speake vnto you that haue suffered a longe and lingeringe martyrdome and stil do suffer paineful fighte not ouercōmed Doubtles you bee daylie crowned the longer you fighte the more is your victorie the greater is your rewarde And you that beare aboute you your paineful endurance to whom al your countrie is but a prison and you that haue your heartes wrapped in heuines to see religion abandoned to se godes honor contemned to see Godes seruātes punished al you do testifie that the workes of the worlde be yl Repose you therfore your comforte in God his workes be righte he disposeth al thinges sweetelie and worketh to good ende He permitteth not you to suffer for his cause but to the ende you mighte take profite of it and suche profite as tendeth to the healthe of your soules In this suffering you can not but take comforte in the equitie of your cause againste which men haue no more power then God geueth no more then God permitteth for al power is of god Yf God permitte euil men to plage the good that turneth to theire comforte yf they consider that God worketh good of theire yl and suffereth the euil to liue eyther to be amended or that the good by them mighte be exercised God dealeth with you as the angrye father dealeth with his childe whom after he hath beaten casteth the rodde into the fire maketh muche of him and leaueth to him his patrimonie It is godes ordinarie mercie to instructe the good by the euil and to expercise those that shal be saued by the tēporal power of thē that shal be dāned In this exercise this is the comforte that he vseth euil men but for a tyme as the father vseth the rodde to beate his childe This is the comforte such as be nowe called flagella Dei suche as be punishers and persecutors of goddes people haue but theire time in the ende they be caste into the fire as Pharao was as Herod was as Assur was of whom it is saide Assur the rodde of my furie The churche hath nowe hir Pharaos hir Assurs and hir Herodes which be the roddes and whippes of Godes people God wil caste thes roddes also into the fire for he is bothe merciful and iuste knowinge their malicious machinations and seinge theire wicked attēptes againste the throne of his maiestie against the wealthe of his holie churche he wil trippe them in their turne and turne them into the fire in good time This saith our lorde The reuenge is myne I vvil so paye them in tyme as they shal faile of theire standinge Arise o lorde in time let al the kinges of the earthe feare thy name Arise and haue mercie vpon Sion for it is time to haue mercie vpon hir pea the time is come There is risen a great tempeste in the sea thy shippe is couered with waues thy churche is sore afflicted The enemie soweth darnel in the lande of our lorde Belial would haue felowshippe with Christe Alexander the copersmyth doth the sainctes muche yl What shal I saye Barrabas is lowsed Christ is bounde the lawes be chainged catholikes that now be afflicted for iustice sake suffer by lay lawes suche punishementes as traitors and heretikes suffered whē the churche lawes were in place But recomforte here your afflicted spirites o you afflicted catholikes consider you the difference of the cause in sufferinge When good and euil men do the same thinges and suffer the same paynes they are not to be discerned by their doinges or sufferinges but by the causes why they so doo or suffer marke the point Pharao afflicted godes people with greuous labours Here the persecutor was a wicked man the persecuted were the people of God. Moyses afflicted the same people for their disobedience againste God and him Here the persecutor was a good man the people persecuted were euil Pharao and Moyses dyd the like thinges bothe afflicted the people but bothe had not like purpose and entention The one afflicted with tyrannical affection to oppresse them the other punished with charitable zeale to amende them Semblablie Iesabel slewe the true prophetes of God. Elias slewe the false prophetes of Baal Christe whiype the Iewes the Iewes whipped Christe The Apostles were deliuered to the power of men to be punished the Apostles deliuered mē to the power of the diuel to be tormented In good times when God was feared and the churche lawes reuerenced catholikes punished heretikes nowe heretikes persecute catholikes In this similitude of punishementes the cause of punishemente is to be discerned and so be the mindes of thē that be punishers for the punishemēte may be like yet the cause vnlike the punishemente one the cause not one In the cause this is to be noted who be the doers who be the sufferers who do for iustice and veritie who suffer for synne and iniquitie who do to hinder and who do to profite Betwene the churche of Christe and the synagoge of the diuel this is the differēce the churche afflicteth for loue the synagoge for hatred the churce to correcte the synagoge to deiecte the one to reuoke from error the other to prouoke into error Sara corrected Agar hir maide that fledde from hir and was willed by the Angel to returne In Agar schismatikes and heretikes be represented who set them selues proudelie againste the churche that is theire maistris and mother and therfore be corrected by hir that after they be made humble by holsome discipline they mighte returne to hir Our lorde geueth a manifeste note how to discerne them that suffer for his sake wher he saith Blessed be they that suffer persecution for iustice sake because theirs is the kingdome of heauen When he addeth For iustice sake comfortinge them that so suffer with the promis of his heauēlye kingedome heretikes be excluded from this rewarde because they suffer not propter iustitiam for iustice Where there is not a sound faithe there cā not be iustice for the iuste man liueth by faithe Nor can schismatikes enioye this reward because where there is not charitie there can not bee iustice When therfore the doers do like and the sufferers suffer like wee must discerne the mindes of them that be doers and the cause of them that be sufferers Certaine it is that bothe good and euil do some tyme afflicte vse the like punishementes and pretende the same cause euen the cause of religion The difference is bothe do it not in like order with one minde nor to one ende In the cause of religiō the good afflicte the euil by censures and churche lawe to represse diuision to