wordes and sence off the same that they may ressayve as muche consolation in they re soules by the depe consyderation theroff as they gyve melodye to theyr eares by theyr voyce the which with out the sence ys all togyther vnprofytable I wyll confesse frely that I haue more serched in this Psalme that which seruethe to the purpose off the dialogue to comforte the fayghtfull and weake then any exquysyte or subtyll interpretation that may be gathered and borowed out off the bokes off shuche as haue wrytten vpō the Psaulter But me thynkes that I here al redy some that saye with Nathanaell Can there come any good thynge out off Nazarethe To whom I wyll answere Come and se A lytel vessell somtyme contaynethe good lyquoure And it ys not so myche to be passed on what the vessell ys nor whens it comethe so the lyquoure be good that ys drawen out off it Fynally this lytell beynge ressayved and accepted in good parte and that it dothe engender some good appetyte in the harte off thosse that with saffe to taste the same It shal occasiō me to take pleasure to prepare some other dishe no lesse delectable to the taste then this ys But the vometyng vp off this wyll cause me to cease from the reste for it were but lost laboure and exspēces yll imploied to prepare meate and no man to haue any appetyte to eate it And yet this myche wyl I saye that he ys very yll cōplexioned and hathe vtterly lost his stomake and taste that cannot digeste savor this lytell morsell off meate seynge that it ys all to gyther cōposed prepared off heauenly cōfections in the which chefly cōsistethe the lyffe off man who lyvethe not by brede only but by every worde that prosedethe out off the mouthe off God off the which it ys sayed that it ys lyke the raine snowe which cometh downe frō heaven and retornethe not thyther agayne Esa 55. but watereth the eat the and makethe it frutfull grene that it may gyve corne vnto the sower and brede vnto hym that eateth Even so the worde of God dothe not retorne to hym in vayne but dothe accōplyshe his wyll prosper in the thynges where vnto he sendethe it Those thē are to muche simple that followynge the hoūgrey fooles do imploye they re mony in that which ys no brede they re labour about the thynge that dothe not satisfye and wyll not gyve eare vnto the lorde to eate the thynge that ys good Sapi. 7. to th ende they re soul may haue pleasure in his plentiousnes The lorde gyve vs his wysdome in the which ys the spiret off vnderstandynge which ys holy intere plentyfull subtyll courtoys discrete quycke vndefyled playne swete lovynge the thynge that ys good sharpe which forbyddeth not to do well gentyll kynde stedfaste sure fre hauynge all vertues syrcomspecte in all thynges which comprehendethe all spiretes off vnderstandynge beyng pure sharpe So be it FINIS ¶ A moste comfortable dialogue betwyne the Consolator / and the Churche The Consolator WHen as I do beholde and consyder the Churche the Spouce off Iesus Christe the Electe and chosen off God by the malice off men to be so evell handeled and vnworthelye entreated bendynge vnder the crosse fatigated with stripes buffited with blowes seasoned with sorrowe travelynge in travaile as a woman redy to be delyvered beynge moued with compassion I desyre ernestly to comonicate with hyr and to comforte hyr to the vtter moste off my power to th ende I may some what asswage hyr sorrowe and induce hyr to a vertious and constant perseuerance The Churche Lamēt 3. How lōge O God infinitly good wilt thow abandon and leave me to the crualtye off intractable tyrātes Gene. 3. It semethe properly O my lorde that thow hast set me as a butt agaynst thyne arrowe Lamēt 3 For I do most bitterly feale the sharpe stynge of the serpent agaynste my hele Not witstandyng thow knowest ryght well the wronge that ys done vnto me and how myne enymes do sharpy pursewe me and hoūt me out as a byrde Yea that with out a cause And yet all this whyll O eternal God thow doeste dissimule and holde thy peace and semeste that thow haste forgotten me The Consolator Ioye be with the grace peace mercye from God the father from the Lorde Iesus Christe O thow best beloved amongest all other The Churche What ioye ys that thow gretest me with all that am assauted with so many enymes Tobi. 5. Iudg. 5. psal 65. And yff I be so myche beloved as thow sayeste wher for then are all thesse thynges happyned vnto me Where are all the marvayles off the lorde that are expressed vnto me in his holy scriptures He hath with drawē his hande psal 89. his ryght arme ys hyd in his besome His wrathfull displeasures are gone ouer me his ferefulnes hathe oppressed me They do dayly compasse me about lyke water and they haue inclosed me on euery syde My Lovers and fryndes hathe he put awaye from me and shuche as are off myn acquayntance psal 90. are in darknes and hyd out off my syghte Where are now his fyrste mercyes become that he sware to performe vnto me before by his fayghte The Consolator In herynge the mone and complayne thow shalt possible cause thosse that haue not knowē the to be abashed astoyned I do not as yet persayve the cause off thy lamentation onles it be by cause thow warest aged which naturally lovethe reste parauenture it greuethe the to endure payne The Churche I do not denye but that I am olde off a great Age yea lovynge reste But I am not as yet so feble neyther hathe strenght so vtterly forsaken me but that by the grace off my God I purpose fyrmely to resyste thosse stryffes and battaylles that are erected agaynst me And wheras thow calleste me aged It ought not to abashe the for that I mone my selfe for as muche as it ys comonly sayed euery aged cōplaynethe his sorrowe And forther more it ys no dyshonour vnto me to complayne and cast forthe my sobbynge syghtes before my spouce therby to prouoke hym to inclyne to helpe me The Consolator Agaynste whome The Churche Doest thow make inquisition of a thynge so apparant doest thow not se how I am dayly compassed about with most cruell bestes as Lyons Beares Tigres Leopardes Wolves Foxes psal 79. that seke no thīge els but to devoure me They haue gyuen for meate vnto the byrdes off the ayere the dead bodyes of my chyldrin And the fleshe off my holy ones vnto the bestes off the lande Theye shede they re bloude lyke water They are become an opē shame vnto they re enymes and a very scorne derysion vnto them that are rounde about them And yet thow askeste agaīste whome Beholde Fraunce Italye Spayne Flanders and now also Englāde and all other shuche contryes thow shalt
peace makers are sayd to be heretykes troublers off comen wealthes and good people are extemed worsse then dogges But yet the thynge that most troubleth my chyldren and ministreth matter off pryde vnto the ignorant ys that the lorde semethe interely to resiste agaynst thosse that by al meanes seke to avaunce his glorye and on the other syde ys fauorable vnto thosse that do resiste hym with all they re power from the which thynge only proceadeth that divers do affirme the evell to be good and the good to be evell lyght to be darknes Esa 5. and darknes to be lyght sower to be swete and swete to be sower I coulde produce vnto the sufficient examples hereof out off all ages past yff we had not now in thesse dayes some presently preste before oure eyes What fayghtfull man ys there that dothe not sobb and mourne when as he remembrethe that miserable realme eff England Whosse eyes are so dryed vp that dothe not distyll plenty off teares to be holde A lande so floryshynge A kynge so wel instructed Churches so well reformed to haue had so soddē a fall so spedy a rewyne and so hasty an ouerthrowe Was there euer tragedy more tyrryble horror more horrible and iudgment more admerable To beholde the holy seruyce off God and his diuine worde so tyrannously trodden vnder fotte dysdaynfully disspiced and contemptiously corrupted and contrarywysse the servyle supersticious servyces off idoles erected and avansed What may the wycked seduced saye at this present or at lest wayes all though they speke not what do they thynke Do they not saye that eyther the worde that was preched off late was not the pure worde off God or els they thynke that God ys weaker then the devell seynge that he dothe not defende and mayntay-his worde Ys not this an intollerable blasphemye and worthy to be lamented where fore yff there be any exhortatiō in Christe Phil. 2. yff there by any consolation off charite I praye the power forthe thesame in me The Consolator I wyll not depreue the off that for the which as I sayed before I was sent vnto the. Wherefor to satisfye vnto thy firste requeste wherby thow wēteft about to prove the occasion of thy sorrowe to be iuste allegynge for the same divers testimonyes worthy off credyte which here to fore were produced off shuche as were perplexed as thow art now The one purposynge to dispute with God and to talke in iudgment with hym Iere. 12. Psal 73. Iob. 21. Abac. 1. The other sayinge that his fette were al most gon his treadynges had well nye slypte The thyrde troublynge hym selfe sayed that fere had pocessed his fleshe And the fourthe complaynethe to haue cryed violētly yet not hearde Wherin it behoueth the to vnderstande that not witstandynge the fidelite vertu and piete of thesse holy men yet had they theyr humayne affectiōs off the which the scriptures hath not kepte sylence to declare therby that no thynge ys perfytt but one only God who hath easely pardoned them that faute wherin also they dyd not remayne as wery well declareth they re godly sayinges afterwardes Forther more it may be sayed with out straynge from the truthe that shuche questions are as excessyve admirations off myndes transported and rapte into the iudgment off God Consyderynge that a nō after Abac. 1. one off thē sayeth O lorde my God my holy one thyne eyes are clere thow mayst not se evel thow cannest not beholde the thynge that ys wycked The other dothe he not saye with a great confidence Iere. 12. But thow Lorde to whom I am well knowen thow hast sene me and proved my herte And Dauid comynge to hym selfe dothe he not saye by and by after Psal 73. Yea I had all most sayed evē as they but Lo then I should haue comdemned the generation off the chyldren off God vntyll I went into the sanctuarye off the lorde then vnderstode I the ende off the wycked Iob. 21. But Iob spekynge more profoundly sayed who cā teache God any knowlege in as myche as he hathe the hyghest power off all For other wysse it ys wrytten Esa 45. Cursed be he that stryuethe againste his maker as the pott agaynst the potter seynge that he ys that great lorde formynge the lyghte and creatynge darknes makynge peace and creatynge aduersite Hathe he not created the waster to distroye Iob. 5. Ys not he also the almyghty that makethe the wounde layethe to the playster that hurtethe and makethe whole agayne Iob. 9. Who shall saye vnto hym thē wherfore doste thow this or that and be reputed innocent And therefore the iustice off his wyll ys a sufficient contentation in this behalfe not witstandynge the scriptures dothe here there declare certayne causes Wherfor then as to wchynge the wycked I beleue that thow art not offended with the goodnes that God dothe vnto them Math. 5. Causynge his sonne to shyne vpon them and sendynge them rayne Math. 20 as to the good for other wysse that great father off how sholde myght iustly allege agaynst the that which was sayed vnto the murmerynge laborers Ys it not lawfull for me to do with myne owne what I wyl And thyn eye ys it evel by cause I am good But I persayve very well that the cheffe cause why thow art offended ys to beholde the godly comtemned dispyced persecuted oppressed and God in them dyshonored Thow haste all redy harde how that every man in this respecte ought to captyvate his vnderstandynge and to subdew hym selfe vnto the pleasure off God as he hath also wylled vs to praye That his wyll be done in earth as it ys in heaven beynge ryche and plentyfull in bothe Psal 115. For all the wholl heavens are the lordes the earthe hath he gyvē vnto the children off men yea even to the wycked to th ende that there by they myght be made inexcusable Iob. 9. when as God shall reproche them off theyr ingratitude and that there was no lett in hym why they should not be ressayved into the ryches off the celestiall kyngdom seynge that he hath all redy so benyngly allured them there vnto by earthly goodes and pleasures Even so was it answered vnto that wycked Diues beynge in tormentes in hell Luc. 16. Sonne sayed Abraham vnto hym in whosse bosome was Lazarus one off thy chyldren remember that thow ressayvedst felicyte in this lyffe and Lazarus ressayved payne and now ys he comforted and thow art tormented Even so then the wycked neyther belevynge nor scerchynge any thynge els but thynges temporall God dothe gyve vnto them some tyme for some speciall respecte prosperyte wherin also shynethe forthe the greatnes off his mercye And this truly may suffice to cōtente the vnderstādynge that god reseruinge to thosse that are his the celestial treasour and ryches to come he wyll not haue them to mvse to be carfull about the felicites and pleasures off
off one mā Yff this Cyte were now gyven to an heyre and he never went through the perelous waye how woulde he enioye his enherytance Even shuche ys the portion off thy chyldren The which similitude Iesus Christe confirmethe saiynge Mat. 7. that the waye ys narrowe that leadethe vnto lyffe and fewe there be that enter there by There ys no doute but that this narrowe waye ys the pathe of afflyction 1. pet 4. as it ys sayed that the iuste ys scarsely saved by suffrynge And the cause ys that Adam hauynge ons trāsgressed the constitutiōs off the lorde 4. Esd 10 the entrance off the lyffe to come was forth with made strayte wery and paynfull And all be it that the same be comone as well to the fayghtfull as to the vnbelevers yet ys it so that the almyghty God wyllynge to declare his power towardes his chyldren doethe cause them to come to they re determyned and most happy ende by thynges that are cōtrarye to wytte to soveraigne felycite by great myserye to honour by dyshonour to blyssynge by cursynge to rest quyetnes by travayll and payne to ioye and gladnes by wepynge and sorrowe to tranquylyte and peace by troubles and afflictions to a haven of reste by a stormye tempeste to lyffe by deathe to salvation by perylles to libertye by captyvyte to lyght by darknes to ryches by povertye to contentation by contempte to amyte by inimyte to consolation by dyssolatiō to saciete and fulnes by hoūger and nedynes to pleasure by dyspleasure to a moderate coldnes by an excessyve heate to glorye by infamye to a happy state by an vnfortunate meanes Wherfor as thow hast now present eyperience off thynges aduerse and troublesome even so assure thy selfe off thynges happy prosperous in tyme to come The Churche The more that I heare thy swete saynges and comfortable consolations so myche the more do I ressayve cōtentation by thesame Wherefor blyssed be thow off the lorde that haste so myche comforted me And seynge thow doste so frely and largly comonycate thy selfe vnto me I am thereby so myche the more boldened to dysclose vnto the all that lyethe in my herte Thow hardest me saye even now Texte that the wycked haue assauted me all the daye longe even from my youthe vp haue many tymes vexed me but they coulde neuer as yet ouercome me nor dystroye me But I now feale my selfe greatly debylytated and weakened as well for that I am waxen decrepyte and aged as for that my great age ys not so prompte and apte to sustayne shuche grevous blowes and buffetes as when I was younge and stronge And yet not withstandinge the more that I am feabled and and approchynge towardes myn ende so myche the more do they lade me with strypes so that I fere me in the ende I shal be constrayned to yelde vp my weapon armore and to holde my selfe for vanqueshed For even as I do declyne to impotencye and feablenes so do myn enymes increase in force strēghte yea they haue made all redy a wonderful breache in my fortresse Truthe it ys that I haue plenty off monytions but yf I throuh weaknes cannot vse them nor defende my selfe with them what shall they proffyte me I was wount to haue the greateste and myghtyeste on my syde but now god hath taken them awaye frō me There are a great nomber that in the begynynge dyd showe them selfes very stoute and manly in my defence The Fait herted But afterwardes wayinge the longe contynewance off the battayll and the great dāger off the same they are now vtterly dyscourraged and are become very faynt harted and ferefull Other some are so gyven over to voluptiousnes The Libertines in the which they are so drowned that they seke no thynge but to haue peace wyth the enymye to th ende they may wallowe in they re wealthe and remayne in they re fylthy puddell off fleshly pleasure The Incōstante Mynded Othersome throught an inconstāt lyghtnes haue quyte abandoned and forsaken me at my nede haue vnyted them selfes with myn enymes to take part with them agaynst me Othersome are disperced here and there who do enforce them selfes to the vttermost off they re power not only to wage battayll agaynst me The Anabaptistes but also agaynste the Papistes myn aduersares The Davidiens Othersome are as spyes to spye on t thosse that are most weake to werye them and to pursewe the stronger to trouble thē So that fynaly I se none remaine on my syde 1. Cor. 4. but people condemned to deathe shuche as are made agasynge stocke vnto the worlde to the angelles and to men people that are become fooles for Christes sake and dyspiced vnto this tyme hauynge hounger thyrste and nakednes beynge buffyted with fystes strayinge from place to place laborynge and workynge with they re owne handes who are revyled and yet they blysse who are persecuted and yet thy suffer who are evell spoken of and yet they praye yea they are made as it were the fylthynes off the worlde and the ofscourynge of all thynges even vntyl this daye The Consolator Truly thow art worthely compared vnto the woman great with chylde Apo. 12. who cryethe in travell and suffrethe great payne to be delyvered For the serpent dothe most cruelly and continewally fyghte aagaynste thosse of thy seade that kepe the comaūdement off God and haue the testimonye off Iesus Christe whom I doute not but that thow loueste as a mother hyr dere chyldren But 4. Esd 5. Dani. 12. doeste thow love thē more thē he that hathe made thē Who by that meanes wyll clence pourge and proue them whether it be by sworde by fyre by captyvite or by the spoyle off they re goodes for a longe season But now I wyll answer particularely to all the complayntes that thow haste made Wheras thow allegeste that frō thy youthe vp they haue vexed the Lamē 3. that ought not to trouble the seyinge that it ys a good thynge to take vp the yoocke of the lorde in youthe prou 22. for so waxethe it the more easy in age for the waye that men are accustomed to travell in in they re youthe they do not lothe nor refuse in they re age Wherfor content thy selfe with the contynewance of this yoocke for the lorde wyll not forsake the for ever And me thynkes that thyne age vs more to thine avantage then otherwysse For the elder thow waxeste the better ougheste thow to be exersyced in the warre and the better that thow knoweste the cautel and sutteltye of thyne enymes so myche the easelyer mayst thowe ouer come thē for the more experyence that a man hathe off fyghtynge so myche the sonner doth he vanquyshe his aduersarye Which thynge ought not a lytel to encorrage the and to pull vp a good herte as one that hopeth shortly to fynyshe the battayll subdew the enyme and optayne full victorye Wherfor
the strēght of the poore the succor of the nedy in his trouble A refuge agaynste foul weather a shadowe agaynste the heate It ys he that suppressethe the noyse of the wycked infideles as the heate in a drye place bryngethe low the brāche of the myghty as the heate in the shadow of the cloude And the persecutors shal be trodden downe vnder hym Iere. 49. cōsumed to peces as strawe in a doūg hyll For beholde they that mē thought vnmete to dryncke of the cuppe haue tasted of it with the fyrste shall the vngodly the thynke to escape fre No for evē as they haue done to the so shall it be done to them agayne Esai 63. Thow shalt be as the fyre thy chyldren as the flābe thy persecutors shal be as the strawe For the lorde wyll tread them downe in his wrathe bathe thē in they re owne bloude in his displeasure beat downe they re strēght vpō the earthe cōsume them in the fury of hid indignation Deut. 33. But as for the ▪ thow art most happy O Churche who ys lyke vnto the for thow art saved in the lorde which ys the shylde off thy helpe the sworde off thy glorye thyne enymes shall losse they re strenght to the warde thow shalt tread vpon the hyghest of them This ys the iustyce of thy God Esai 66. the pacience of Saynctes who in the ende shall reioyse whē as the wycked shal be confoūded Then thy chyldren shall synge for ioye of herte and thy persecutors shall crye through sorrowe off mynde shall howle through dysquyetnes of spirete shall leve they re name for execration vnto the elect of god The Churche Truly thow haste greatly cōforted me haste spoken very lovyngly vnto me Ruth ▪ 2. hast sufficyently satisfyed all my demaundes not doubtinge but that throught thesse consolations off the scryptures which thow hast alleged I shall frō hens forthe be greatly fortyfyed in all my tribulations when as the glory of God shall requyre the same And seynge that he ys my helper Esai 50. I am sure I shall not be confoūded all though my face be hardened lyke a a flynt stone in the fyre yet am I certayne I shall not come to cōfusion for he that wyll iustifye me ys at hande who wyll thē go to the lawe with me Let myn adversarye come forthe now pleat agaynste me for the lorde shall heare my cause Beholde the lorde standethe by me what ys he then that shal condēne me Esai 51. I do not fere the curse of men I am not afferde of they re blasphemes and reuelynges for mothes shall eate them vp lyke clothe wormes shall devoure them lyke wooll Yet would I fayne haue forther instruction of the issew fynal ende of the vngodly myne aduersares all though thow haste partly all redy towched the same For what Shall they floryshe any lōge contynewāce before they re floure fall Shall they re glorye last for ever with out beynge throwen downe Shall they all wayes haue the vpper hande Shall they not one daye be brought vnder They re crualtye shall it not cease so that they shal no more shead the bloude of innocētes Whē shall the impostumation of they re corrupte hertes breke a sonder Shall not the dregges of they re pryde be shortly pressed out so that the fylthynes thereof may appere Shall the floure of they re vanyte laste lōge with out wytherynge corruption Ys the tyme longe before they re grennes be dryed vp to th ende they may be cast into the fyre and bornte The Consolator Iob. 34. The eare provethe deserueth the wordes the mouthe tasteth the meate I am glade that the lorde hathe gyven me a toūge to expresse in tyme cōvenyent the worde of cōsolation to hyr that ys vexed afflycted Hebr. 11. I haue all redy declared vnto the how that thy chyldren haue byn racked beaten woulde not be delyvered how that othersome were tryed with skornynges mockynges with bondes impresonmētes other were stoned were hewen a sunder were tēpted were slayne with sworde walked vp downe in shepskins gotskins beynge destitute troubled vexed of whō the worlde was not worthy of whosse enymes are also peryshed as though they never had byn But thesse are ryghtous mē whosse ryghtousnes shall never be forgottē Eccl. 44. whosse chyldren glorye shall never be forsaken they re bodeys are buryed in peace but they re name lyvethe for ever the people cā talke of they re wysdome the cōgregation cā speke of they re prayse for it was requysite that with out any excusse distructiō shoulde come vpō thosse that vsed tyrānye Sapi. 16. wherby they myght leve an exāple vnto men as a memoryall of they re follye to showe vnto other how they re enymes were dystroyed Sapi. 17. For when the vnryghtous thynke to haue thy holy people in subiection then shall they be boūde with the bondes of darknes longe nyght cut in peces Sapi. 3. But the soules of the ryghtous are in the handes of God the payne of deathe shall not towche them in the eyes of the vnryghtous they shall seme to dye they re ende to be very dystructiō but they rest in peace all though they suffer payne before men yet ys they re hope full off īmortalite they are ponyshed but in few thynges never the les in many thynges shall they be well rewarded Eccle 32. for God provethe them fyndethe them mete for him selfe As evell ys all wayes agaynst good deathe agaynste lyffe so ys the vngodly agaynste shuche as fere God the synner agaynste the ryghtous the persecuter agaynst the fayghtfull but in the ende god wyll breke the hedd off the enymes who saye Texte there are none but we Not witstandyng for thy cōsolation it ys sayed that shuche as hate the shall be confoūded put to silence psal 73. Esa 29. And that not with out a cause for they are set in slypry places God wyl make them fall into dystruction For evē as he that ys hongrye dremethe that he eateth but when he a wakethe his soule ys emptye as he that ys thurstye dremethe that he drynkethe but whē he awakethe he ys faynte his soule hathe appetyte even so shall it be to the multitude off all thosse nations that fyght agaynste the. For thosse that do the hurte shal be extermyned psal 37. it shall come to pas shortly that the vngodly shall haue no more place They shal peryshe cōsumynge as the fatt of a lābe vanyshe awaye as she smoke Tary the lordes leasure thow shalt se the dystruction of the wycked who all though they haue some tyme floryshed as the grene lawryell yet so ys it that they passynge a lytell forther shal be no