heven and earth in worthines And that we may be mor surely perswaded that god wil never leave vs as abiects in the hands of the enemies / let vs not forget that same saing of Iesus Christe / wherin he saith / that it is he him selfe whom men do persequut in his membres Act. ix God had said before by Zacharye / who so towcheth youe towcheth the sight of myn eie Zach. ij This is moch more expressed / if we suffre for the gospel sake / it is eveÌ„ as the sonne of god hiÌ„ selfe were suffred in that afflictioÌ„ Therfor let vs thiÌ„k so that Iesê° Christe must forget hiÌ„ self / if he shold have no care thought of vs at that time wheÌ„ we be in prison and dauÌ„ger of life for his cause glorie and let vs also knowe that god will take all the coÌ„ tumelies and iniuries / as done agaiÌ„st his owne sonne Let vs come to the second place of coÌ„solatioÌ„ / with is one of the greatest among gods promises that is / that god will so hold vs vpp with the vertue of his spirit in thes afflictioÌ„s / that our enemies what so ever thei do / nor satan yeir chefe capitaine shall in any thiÌ„ge go awai with the over hand And truly we do see how in that necessitie / he doth shew the succour and helpes of his grace For the inviÌ„cible stowtnes and coÌ„staÌ„cye of mind with is sene in the true martyrs / is a notable token of that same most mighty power with god vseth in his saints Ther be two things in persequutions grevous / tediouse and intolerable to the flesh wherof the one coÌ„sisteth in the cheks and rebukes of men / the other in the paine and tormeÌ„t of the bodie In both thes kinds oftemtations god doth promise so his assistaunce that we shall easely over come all the iÌ„famie and violence of the grefs and paine And truly what he promiseth he doth performe in dede with most manifest and assured helpe Let vs then take this bucklere to defend vs against all fear / and let vs not measure the power of gods spirit so sclendrely / that we shold not thinke and beleve / that he will easely overcome all the iniuries / bittrenes / and contumelies of menn And of this divine and invincible operation / emong all other we have a notable exaÌ„ple in this our age A certain yonge man / who lived godlylye here with vs in this cytie / when he was taken at Dornick was coÌ„demned with this sentence / that yfhe wold denye the confession of his faith / he shold be but beheaded / but yfhe persevered in his purposed opinioÌ„ / he shold be burned WheÌ„ he was asked whether he wold do / he aÌ„swered plaiÌ„ly / he who wil geve me this grace to dye papatiently for his name / will also work by the selfe same grace / that j may abide broyliÌ„g and burning We ought to take this sentence not as pronounced of a mortall man / but of the holy ghost / that we shold thinke / that god can so wel confirme / and make vs over come al pains and tormeÌ„ts / as to move vs to take any other kinde of meaker death in good part Yea we see also often times / what constancye he geveth to evel and wickedmen / who suffre for their evel deades wickednes I do not speake of soch as be obstinat hardned iÌ„ their wickednes with have no repeÌ„taunce / but of them which do perceave consolation by the grace of Iesus Christe / so do take and suffre quietly and with good wil most grevouse and sharpe paine as we see a notable example in that thefe who turned at the death of our lord Iesus Christe Will god who assisteth with so great power wicked men the suffre condingly for their evell actes / forsake theÌ„ who defend his cause / and will he not rather geve them invincible power The third place of promises / whiche god promiseth to his martyres / is the fruit which thei ought to look for of their sufferiÌ„g and of death it selfe / yfnede so requier But this fruit is / that after thei have sett forth and honoured gods name / edified his church with their testimonie / thei may be gathered to gether in immortal glorye with the lord Iesus But be cause we have spokeÌ„ largely jnough before of this reward of eternall glorye / it is now sufficient / to renue the memorie of thos things the ar all readye spoken Wherfor let the faithfull learn to reare vpp their head to the crown of immortall glorye / wher vnto god doth call them / let them not take the losse of this lyfe grevously / coÌ„sideriÌ„g the greatnes / and worthines of the reward And that thei may besure and ê‘fectly perswaded of this so great a good thiÌ„g / as can not be expressed with any speache / nor in thought be comprehended / nor with any honoure jnough estemed / lett them have continually before their eies this like and conformable reason with our lord Iesus Christe that in death it selfe thei behold lyfe / as he by ignominie of the crosse and infamie came to gloriouse resurrectioÌ„ / wherin all our felicitie / trivmph and joye consisteth Amen
will not see me vnprovided for Godlines is great riches / wheÌ„ a maÌ„ is coÌ„teÌ„t with that he hath When we have fode raimeÌ„t let vs be ther with coÌ„tent j. Timot. vj. Heb. xiij For this is a plaine case we brought nothing in to the world / nor we cann carye nothiÌ„g away we have here no dwelling place / but we seeke a citie to come / the hevenly Ierusalem wher our saviour Iesus Christ is / For whos sake j counte all things but losse do judge them but doung that j may winne him Phi. iij. In him only resteth the whole riches of gods treasure / he is the only way to everlastiÌ„g lyff / wher vnto who so will attaine must seke it in the scripture / in the gospel of Christ / not in the filthye daÌ„nable traditiones / develish doctrine of the papistes Wherfor deare brethren seing you have tasted of the swete bread of lyff / gods most holy worde / take hede of the papistes so wer leven that worketh death And bycause j wolde you shold not be ignoraunt / how youe ought to be have your selves wher so moche jdolatrie is opeÌ„ly coÌ„mauÌ„ded / howe to learne youre Christes crosse a new / j meane to beare Christs crosse laid on your baks / to folow him stroÌ„gly and not to fainte / j have translated for you two sermones of that great learned godly man I. calviÌ„ made for that purpose / thes have j done travailing / haviÌ„g no place certaine wher j will remai but j trust shortly to be wher j will stikke down the stake till god call me home againe But for so mocheas the bushop of Duresme did openlye to my face call the doctrine which j had taught in his dioces as towchiÌ„g the popish mass / heresie / jshall by gods grace / good christian bretthreÌ„ / declare ê“ve by the testimonie of the scriptures also of the auncieÌ„t fathers of christes church / that the popish mass is the greatest heresie / blasphemy / idolatrie / that ever was iÌ„ the church / which shal be the next thiÌ„g that youe shall looke for from me by gods grace In the meane seasoÌ„ / remeÌ„bre good brethreÌ„ / that our vnthaÌ„k fulnes was the cause of this our plage Let vs crye therfor vnto the lorde / powriÌ„g forth before him faithfull teares / he will delivere vs that we may trulye honoure him iÌ„ the gates of the daughter of Syon / that is opeÌ„ly iÌ„ the mides of the faithfull coÌ„gregation AmeÌ„ A sermon / wher in all Christianes ar admonished to flye the outward Idolatrie / taken out of the iij. verse of the xvj Psalme I will not coiÌ„cate with their bloudye sacrifices / nether will j take their names in my mouth The doctrine which we shal entreat in this place / is plaine ynough and easie / saving that the greatest parte of thos that profess them selves to be Christians / doo seek out and bringe / j can not tell what subtleties to cloke their evel withall But the summ of this wholl doctrine is / that after we knowe the liviÌ„g god to be our father / Iesus Christe oure redemere / we ought to consecrate bothe bodie and soull vnto him / who of his infinite goodnes hath taken vs in to the nuÌ„bre of his sonnes and to acknowlege withall kinde of benevoleÌ„ce / honour / obedience / the same benefite which oure most dear Savioure did vouch salf to bestowe on vs after he had bought it with so great a price And because we ar bound not onlye to renounce all infidelitie / but also to separate oure selves froÌ„ all superstitioÌ„s / which doo as well disagree with the true seruice of god as the honoure of his sonn / and which can by no means agree with the pure doctrine of the gospell and true confession of the faith / j said this doctrine of it selve to be so easie / that oÌ„lie the practise and exercise ther of ought to remaine vnto vs / saving that manye men doo seek certaine deceitfull shyftes / thorow which they will not be overcome in that thinge / the which is moste chiefly coÌ„deÌ„ned by gods owne mouth This cause constraineth vs at this time to tary longer in the declaratione of this mater / that every man may know his owne dutie / and deceav not him selfe / thinkinge that he is escaped when he is covered / as the common saing is / vndre a wett sack But for that ther be many of this opinioÌ„ / whos churches ar thorowly pourged froÌ„ the filthines / and jdolatries of the papisme / that this argumeÌ„t or treatice is but supfluouse / befor we pass any further / it is not vnprofitable to declare soche men most fowly to be deceived First when it is declared / how great an offence it is / for vs to be polluted and defiled with the jdolatours / feining our selves to cleave and consent to their impieties / wear admonished to mourn for our former sinnes / to aske of god forgevness of them / withall humblenes / and in this thiÌ„g to acknowledge the singular benefite whiche he gave vnto vs / drawing vs forth of that same filthe wherin we were holden down and drowned For we trulye ar not hable to sett forth this so great a benefit worthely jnough And for that we know not what shall happen vnto vs / and to what end god doth reserv vs / it is very expedient to be prepared and armed in time / that in to what state so ever we shal comme / or with what so ever temptations we may be oppugned / we never swerve from the pure word of god First it may be that many of this our church and congregation / shal travaill in to som papisticall coÌ„trie / who ought greatly now to be in a readines and armed to battell Then albeit god doth geve vs at this time libertie / to serve him purely and godlily / yet we know not how loÌ„g this benefite shal coÌ„tinew Let vs therfor take this time of our quietnes and tranquillitie / not as though it shal alwaies last / but as it were a time of truce / wherin god doth geve vs leisure / to streÌ„ghtheÌ„ our selves / least when we shal be called to vtter the confession of our faith / we be found new and vnprepared / bycause we coÌ„teÌ„ned the meditatioÌ„ of that mater in due time Nether truly ought we to forget in the meane while our bethren / which ar kept vndre the tyraÌ„ny of antichriste / oppressed with most miserable bondage / but to take care / remembrauÌ„ce / pitie over them / and to praie god to strenghtheÌ„ them with that coÌ„stancye / which he requireth in his worde We must also admonish and solicite theÌ„ by all waies / not to rest in places wher meÌ„ ar fast on slepe in their voluptuousnes / but to apply diligeÌ„tly this thought / and will / that thei confess
the glorie due vnto god For we ar not taught of god only for our selves / but that euerie man after the measure of his faith / shold brotherli coÌ„municate with his neghbours / and distribute vnto theÌ„ that thing he hath learned knowne in gods scholl Now see we theÌ„ that it is profitable / yea truly necessarie so wel to our selves / as to our brethreÌ„ / that the remeÌ„braunce of this doctrine shold be renued veray oft / especially seing the text it self whiche we shal expouÌ„d / doth lede vs to the same purpose David doth opeÌ„ly protest / and as it were doth make a soleÌ„ vowe / that he will never be partaker in the sacrifices of jdolatours / and also the he will so detest / and grevously hate the jdoles that he will not at any time once name theÌ„ / as though he shold defile his mouth in namiÌ„g theÌ„ This is not the fact of some one mean maÌ„ / but the example of David the most excellent kinge and prophet / which ought to be vnto all gods children / a certain comon rule to ryght godly lyff And to th entent we may the better perceav this thing and more vehemeÌ„tly be moved with the true fear of god / the cause is to be noted which he addeth / wherin truly resteth as it were a certain foundation of that same alienatioÌ„ and offence / wher by he doth moste greatly abhorre the coÌ„munion of jdolatours The lorde / saith he / is myne enheritaunce But is not this thinge comoÌ„ to all faithful and godly meÌ„ Ther is no man truly which wold not glorie in so excellent a thing And this is sure without all doubte / that god being once geven vnto vs in the ê‘fone of his sonne / doth daily entise vs to possess hime But ther be veray fewe which ar so affected in this part / as the greatnes and worthines of this same mater shold seme to aske and deserve Nether truly caÌ„ we by any meanes possess god / onles on this coÌ„dition that we also be come his David therfor of good right / and worthely did set the fouÌ„dation of his godlynes / and religion in this sentence / reason / seing that god is his cnheritauÌ„ce / he wil refraiÌ„ from all pollutions of jdoles / which do turne vs from God him selff This is the cause why the prophet Esay / wheÌ„ he had vpbraided the jewes that they had geveÌ„ theÌ„selves to fals straunge gods / whom they had made / added afterward / theis / saith he / ar thy portion / signifieng by thes wordes / that god doth deny to the worshippers of jdoles all bond and felowship of covenant / and disenheriteth theÌ„ / and vtterly depriveth them / of that so iÌ„finitly great benefite / whiche he wold have bestowed on them / geviÌ„g him selff vnto them Som man will except say / that the prophet entreateth in that place only of theÌ„ which put their affiance in jdoles / and deceaveth them selves thorow opinion and incredulitie I grauÌ„t / but this alfo j answer / yf thei that do transfere gods honour vnto jdoles / ar vtterly separated and cutt of from his folowship / thei also do err and decline fom what from him / whiche do feiÌ„ them selves to consent to superstitions thorow fear and weaknes of minde For no man can in hart or any conformable fashion or in wil / in purpose of minde / or feining / or by any true or feined waie approche to jdoles / but he must so farr go bak from god Wherfor let this sentence be thorowly persuaded / and remain depely printed in our hartes / that thei whiche seke god with a true and pure minde / to the end to possess him for their enheritauÌ„ce / will have no communioÌ„ felowship with jdoles / withwhome god hath that divorce and debate / that he wold have all his to proclaim and make continuall deadly warre vpoÌ„ them And in this place David by name doth express / that he wil never be partakre of their oblations / nether have their names in his mouth and talking He might have said on this wise / I will not deceave my self with the uÌ„wise folish devotioÌ„s of the vnbelevers j wil not put my trust in soche abvses / nor j will neverforsake gods truth / to folow yes lies / but he speaketh not on this maner / but doth ra yer ê“mise coÌ„staÌ„tly / that he wil never be conversauÌ„t amoÌ„g yer ceremoiÌ„es Therfor he doth testifie that so farr forth as coÌ„cerneth the service of god / he wil abide continually in al puritie and holines both of body and sowle And first in this place we must considre / whether this be not jdolatrie to signifie declare by owtward tokens / our agreament / with thos superstitions / wher with the service of god is corrupted vtterly perverted They that swiÌ„ asy e coÌ„moÌ„ saiÌ„g is betwixt twoo waters / alleage this saiÌ„g / seiÌ„g that god wold be honored iÌ„ spirit / jdoles caÌ„ by no waies be honoured oÌ„les amaÌ„ put his trust in theÌ„ But to this may be easely answered / that god doth not so require the service / adoration of the minde / that he graunteth remitteth the other ê‘te of our nature vnto jdoles / as though that ê‘te shold seme nothiÌ„g at alto belong vnto him For it is said in many places / that the knees must be bowed befor god / also the haÌ„des lyfted vp to heven What then Surely the chefe honour that god requireth is spirituall / but the owtward signification wherby the faithfull do testifie that it is god only whom they serve honour / must so immediatly folow / that thei must at one time be ioyned to gether But one place shall so suffice for all / to confute that obiection whiche thei snatch of one word / that thei shal be plainly rebuked and coÌ„victe In the third chapt of Daniel it is written that Sidrach Misach and abdenago / refused and denied vndre any maner of colour / to coÌ„sent vnto the superstition set vp and erected by Nabuchodonosor / declaring that thei wold in no wise honour his gods If theis goodly wittye sophisters had bene ther at that time / thei wold have laught to scorne the simplicitie of thes thre servaunts of god For j suppose they wold have tawnted them with sochelike words / you folish meÌ„ / this truly is not to honour them / seing youe put no affiaunce in thes things Ther is no jdolatrie but wher ther is devotion / that is to say / a certain beÌ„ding and application of the minde to honour and worshipe the jdoles But thes godly men did folow a better and wisar counsall / for this answer whiche thei made proceded not of their own wit / but rather of the holy ghost / whiche moved them thus to speake / whom yf we will not resist / we must accept this place this
moche as may be to spare them / but both j and they must be condemned so sone as god hath spoken therfore yf we will tendre our own salvation / let vs take it in good parte They say they fiÌ„d no maÌ„ more severe and sharp then j am / but j will declare vnto them / on the other parte / that j handle them more mekly tendrely / theÌ„ the truth of the cause / the worthines of gods name / and their own salvation did requier Which thing being so in dede / truly they can not excuse and deliver them selves from the necessitie of that dutie and testimonie / that the prophet Ieremie doth requier of the Iues captives in Babylon whom he not only forbiddeth to come near the abominations of the Chaldeans / or colourably and feinedly to geve any consent to them / but also doth geve a plain commaundement that they shold declare the wicked religion of the Chaldeans to be vnto them a most filthye savour You shall say to them saith the prophet Ieremie the gods which have not made heveÌ„ and earth shal perish both out froÌ„ the the earth / and also from vndre heveÌ„ Ther is also in this place an other circumstauÌ„ce to be marked / that when the prophet had written his boke in Hebrue / yet he put in this sentence exprest in the coÌ„moÌ„ vulgar speache of the CaldeaÌ„s / as though he wold by this meaÌ„s / constrain the jewes / to chaunge froÌ„ their tuÌ„ge / to the ende thei might more apertly profess the hatred and disagremeÌ„t thei have with the wicked jdolatours Now let our nice yonglings complain of me as though my advertismeÌ„t excadeth all measure / yet j have not at any time desiered the half part of that dutye which the prophet requiereth asketh so earnestly But what so ever be the maner / other of my saing moderation / or els of mi sileÌ„ce taciturnitie / never the less we ar tied bouÌ„de to that law which god doth geve vnto vs / And truly it is not wtout a cause / that god speakiÌ„g to his faith full / saith to them / you ar my witnesses my servaunt whoÌ„ j have chosen Wherfore who so ever wil prove him selfe to be a membre of Iesus Christe / ought by al waies to declare / that the praise honour of gods name doth so apertain to him / that thei which by their faining do hide burie the testimonie of his truthe / do leave them selves inexcusable What j praie you is to be thought of theÌ„ the do al yeirlyfe time subvert the same Of what sort ar yei that do not oÌ„ly hide the ê“fessioÌ„ of the ChristiaÌ„ religioÌ„ / sheweth no tokeÌ„ the rof before meÌ„ / but also coÌ„mitteth many things / thosmost coÌ„trarie vnsemely / This yerfore resteth that gods childrÌ„e which live wher yes impurities abomiÌ„atioÌ„s remaiÌ„ / doo mourne after the example of the godly maÌ„â—oth / and also speak so frely against so many so great abominable vices of meÌ„ / as god shal geve to them power oportunitie Let vs now com to shew certaine kiÌ„ds of jdolatries / which ar of most estimatioÌ„ in that is daies EmoÌ„g which sort / the mass is chefe / wherof j have towcht somthiÌ„g before For although it be so famouse notable blasp both iÌ„ absurdite greatnes of mischef that nothiÌ„g caÌ„ be imagined mor fowl wicked / yet stil beyer patroÌ„s fouÌ„d for aÌ„ evel cause / which do trifil forth iÌ„ this ê‘t But wil yei nil yei / yei shal be coÌ„pelled to coÌ„fess this that j saie / the the mass by it selfe is a denial of Ie. Christs death / a certaiÌ„ sacrilege inveÌ„ted ordeined by sataÌ„ to abolish the sacrament of the supp Nether ar yei able to denie but that yer invocatioÌ„ of saints / suffrages for the dead / ar wicked abuses / wherby that iÌ„nvocatioÌ„ of of gods nÌ„a / a thiÌ„g of al o yer most holi is ê“faned And yei who emoÌ„ge yepapist do defile yem selves with yes aboiÌ„natioÌ„s do thiÌ„k theÌ„ selves giltie of no fawlte What shold we do say yei It is not leaful for vs to correct ameÌ„d thos thiÌ„gs / with we know evel faultie / we ar privat meÌ„ yeiy e have the power publike autoritie do earnestly defeÌ„d yes thiÌ„gs Therfore we must suffer that violeÌ„t necessitie Igraunt al this to be true But j say this is not to the purpose It beloÌ„gth not to their office to correct and apoint a common ordre for the people / nether doth any maÌ„ requier this at their hand / yet nevertheless they arr admonished to amend them selves / and to institute an honest and manerly behavour of privat lyfe / which thing without al doubt pertaineth to their duytye Nether do we commaund theÌ„ to clense the temples and the coÌ„mon streates / but that everie man kepe his owne bodye and hart in puritie and holines / and labour by all meanes that god may be honoured / served / obeied / in his own house For thes arr farr vnlyke and moche dissonaunt / to abolishe the mass in any region / and not to be preseÌ„t at it / when as the vse therof and that religion can by no other means be letted But they repete and jterate their saing / that is / that they do not denie the death and passion of Iesus Christe / seing / they have no soche purpose / to worship it in their minde But j do aske of them / what is the a Christen man doth confess with his mouthe but that same the he beleveth in his hart This is plain and manifest jnough / that this thing whiche they do / is most disagreinge with the confession of faith So that / as moche as in theÌ„ lieth / they do not only hyde the true propre testimonye of faith but also do vtterly denye forsake it I will yet talk with them somthing more familiarly and plainely For the papistes do say the mass is a sacrifice wherin they will offer Iesus Christe to recoÌ„cile theÌ„ selves to god But if this be so / it foloweth that Iesus Christe hath not optained uÌ„to vs by his death righteousnes and eternall salvation Let them seke al the compases and shyftes thei will / yet must they come hervnto / that all whiche go to mass vndre the name of devotion and religion / do ê“fess that they consent ther with Therfore as moche truly as in them lieth they shewe the thei have not their redemption perfect jnough by the death of Iesus Christe Ther be many that speake not so largely / nether suffer their talk to wandre thorowout all sortes of masses / that is to saye sacrileges Thei choose owt one kiÌ„de of masses only that thei defeÌ„de it is called the parish mass / or the high mass / for in this the i thiÌ„ke ther is more liknes agreing with the
place and courte / wher the truth hath her grave and true witnesses For to be short / thei them selves do know them selves giltye of that mater with thei have purposed to declare both to gods enemies also to the coÌ„mon people But god must neds denye him selff / yf he allowe the ordre and doing of that profession If all the men in the world with on minde and purpose wold conspire to pronounce thes men ryghteous / yet none be he never so ready and mightye can excuse and deliver them from this but thei shalve thought to halte on both sids And god doth declare by his prophet / that no so the haltig of any maÌ„ shal be euer allowed before him As towchiÌ„g the man whom thei choose to be the minister of their supper it is a folish thiÌ„g to abuse his persoÌ„ / as though thei could seme to make him an apte man to that office and fuÌ„ction Yea but the vertue of that same sacrament say thei / resteth not in the worthines of the ministres That j graunt and adde this to also yf any devel shold ministre the supper / it shold be never the worse On the coÌ„trarie part if an angel singe mass yet then shold it be no whit the better But we ar now in an other question / that is / whether ordres geven by the pope to a moÌ„k do make him apt to the office and function of a pastour If thei say contrarie that thei perceave / that thing doth make nothing to the purpose / and that thei do not choose him in that sort the thing it self sheweth contrarie But let it be that thei as towching the ministre have no soche respect Yet must j abide in that outward profession whiche thei take vpon theÌ„ and worship / yea j must press it earnestly / as a profession most contrarie and vnworthie a christen man For this is plain and manifest that thei do and will defend and cover them selves / vndre the person of a preste made for the nonce to colour and dissemble But if thei wold rightly and law fully celebrat the supper / it wer their dâ—ietie so to separat theÌ„ selves from the ordre ê“fession of jdolatours that thei shold appear in that to have nothiÌ„g comon with them But now thei be so farr froÌ„ this separatioÌ„ / that thei ascribe them selves in to their felowship and communion / do everie one of them feinedly profess them selves to be meÌ„bres of that bodie After this thei will compare vs to the olde heretikes / that did refuse the vse of the sacraments for the vices of the ministres / as though we do here respect the propre siÌ„ncs of everie man and not rather the comon state and condition I do pass over this mater shortly / by cause that whiche is spoken is sufficieÌ„t jnough to convince so foule and shamfull impudencye But if thes meÌ„ be so folish and dull witted that thei ê‘ceave not this filthines / the word of god must suffice vs / as wheÌ„ the lord saith by the prophet Ieremie / Israel if thow doste turne / turne vnto me In whiche words is most plainly expressed / with what simplicitie and integritie of miÌ„de we ought to deal and walk before god / with out any thought wil to returne to thos thiÌ„gs / whiche we know ar not thankfull nor allowed of him Whiche is a cause why s Paule also doth testifie that he was sent to turne the vnfaithful from their vanities / vnto the living god / as though he wold say / it is to no purpose to change som one olde accustomed evel with other hypocrises and feinings / but vtterly to a bolish al superstitions / that the true religion may be set in her own puritie and holines For with out this faith and integritie / men never come the right way vnto god / but do alwaies waver and ar vncertaiÌ„ to what parte thei may turne them selves Ther be others that ar come thus farr that they disalowe refuse the mass / but they wold have som patches kept stil whiche thei cal gods service / least as som men say / they shold seme to be destitute of all religion And it mai be that so me of thes be moved with a godly minde zeall at the least j will so thiÌ„k / but what so ever their zeall and purpose be / yet may we not say / that they kepe the true rule or any good measure Many say we may come to their baptismes / be cause ther is no manifest jdolatrie in them As who wold say / that this sacrament were not also corrupted / and vtterly deformed with al kinde of corruption / in so moche as Iesus Christe may seme to be yet stil iÌ„ Pilates house to suffre all opprobries shames To coÌ„clude / wher as thei sai that this is the cause / why thei wold retaine some ceremonies / least thei shold appear to be void of al religioÌ„ / if one shold examine their coÌ„scieÌ„ces / the same truly wil answer / that thei do it to satisfice the papists / and thei change their couÌ„tenance to fly ê‘sequution Other some do watch a time least thei com in the mass whille / and yet thei come to the temple / that meÌ„ shold suppose thei here mass Other some come but at evensong time / of whom j wold know / whether thei think this to be nothing / that at that same time the jdoles be honoured / that the pictures and images be sensed with fumigations / that a solem praier be made in the intercession of some saint / and grownded on his merits / that Salue regina be songe with a lowd voice / and that one verie side a mater is herd so filled and replenished with develish and cursed blasphemi that the miÌ„de shal not onlye abhorre the offenâ—… of the ears and eyes ther present / but most vehemently the thought and recordation ther of I do pass over that the singing it self in an vnknown tonge is manifest profanation of gods praises of holi scripture / ass s Paul doth admonish in the fourten to the Corinthes But let this last fault be forgeveÌ„ theÌ„ If thei come to eveÌ„song to geve some signe testimonie of their Christianitie / thei wil do this chefely on the soleÌ„ feastes But theÌ„ ther shal be solem ensensiÌ„g the cheffest jdoles / great plentie of swete fumigations powred out / the which is a kinde of sacrifice as the scripture teacheth It was also a maner vsed amonge the GeÌ„tles / wherby thei coÌ„pelled the weak meÌ„ to denie god And for this cause the greatest parte of martyrs did suffre death constantly / for that thei wold not make perfumes and burne incense to jdoles When thes men be come thus far / that thei receave in ther noses the savour of the sensours thei also pollute them selves with that pollutioÌ„ with is moste greatest and execrable ther. And yet thei thinke
we ought / to hide and cover this so great wickednes and mishef But j beseche thē in the honourable holy name of god / that thei wil diligētly marke this saīg of the Psalme / that jdoles ar so to be detested of the faithful godly man / that thei shold not be in his mouth or tonge / least the talke had of thē shold seme to cōtaminat defile him This one word ought to fraie with draw vs from all congregation and felowship of jdolatours / by cause that we livīg in that cōgregatiō may easely be wrapped in and defiled But to speak plaīly frely what j thīk of al yes / with seke ameā way betwixt god the devel yei have double variable mīds / j cā not fīde out a more apt fete cōparisō to set yem out paīt yem in yeir lively colours / thē that same whiche may be brought of Esau that same filthie double mā For whē he saw his brother Iacob sent by his father Isaac in to Mesopotamia to seke a wyf / because the womē of the land of Canaā did so moche mistike the father and his wyf Rebecca that thei thought their lyfe bitter irksom to lyve amōg thē rather wisheth death / he marieth anew wife / somwhat to satisfie his parēts / but he doth not put awaie the olde So that he doth kepe stil that evel wherof Isaac did so grevously complain / but somdeal to amēd the mater / he marieth anew wife Evē so thei that ar so wrapped vp in the world / that thei cā in no wise folow god do mēgle and tosse to gether many divers kīds of religions and superstitions / that ihei may applie and cōforme thē selves by some way to the wil of god / and thei alwaies kepe stil some corruptiō / so that what soever thei do / cā not apear to be pure and syncere I know also right wel that ther be in thos places many miserable souls / with lyve ther in great difficulties and cares / with truely coveteth to walk rightly wtout hypocrisie / yet can not lowse them selves / out of many doubtes scruples / with is no merveill in so great and horrible confusion as we see at this time in the papisme Yea j do greatly pitie their miserable state / which seke meanes wherby thei may serve god devoutly and live amōg the enemies of faith if it may be possible by any waies But what wil we I can do nothīg els to th one or to thother / but declare their errour and sinne / that thei thē selves may adde the remedie If thei come herafter to aske of me this or that more diligētly and particularly / j wil send soche curiouse inquisitours to the cōmon rule which have of god I speak this for that ther be some of this sort of men so importune / that yf a mā shold answer al their difficulties doubtes / he shold seme never to make an end of any thing And my think soche men may wel be cōpared to thē who after thei be taught in a sermō to vse sobre apparell and deckīg of the bodye wtout al dissolute and sumptuouse trimming / thei wold have the preacher to make their hoose and sewe their shoes Wel what must we do thē In this mater ther is a certain thīg set before vs wher vnto we ought to direct and conferr our wholl minde / studie and thought That is that the zeal of gods house may eat vp our hart and so move vs / that we bear and take vpon our selves / all dishonours / cōtumelies / and opprobries / with ar done most vnworthily agaīst gods holy name When soche desier of gods honour / and fervēt love shal be kindled in our hartes / not like drye stubble sone set on fier easely extinguished / but like a fier that burneth cotinually / a mā shal be so far frō sufferīg or approvīg yes aboīatiōs wherw t the name of god most shāfully vnwortheli is polluted / that whē he shal beholde yem / he shal be hable in no wise to suffer dissimulation / silence / taciturnitie And it is diligently to be marked / that he saith / The zeal of gods house / that we shold know that to be referred / vnto the outward ordre with is instituted in the churche / that we shold exercise our selves in cōfessiō of our faith I do not wey the mockers with say / that j my self lyvig here wtout any daūger / yea ratherin great quietnes / do talk goodlely of thes maters I ā not he wtwhom thes men have any thīg to do / For this is wel knowen j have here no land of myn owne So may we thīk say of al thes philsoophers with geve yeir judgmēt wtout knowlege of the cause For seing yei wil not here god / who doth now truly speak so jently to thē / to teache yem j do declare the daye judgmēt / at what time being called before the judgmēt seat of god / yei shal hear that sentēc / agaīst the whiche yer shal be no answer / nor defence For seing yei wil not heare him / as the best and most meke maister / thei shal then know at the last / fele him as their most severe just judge At which time the stowtest the craftiest of thē shal perceave know / that thei were deceaved in their opiniōs Let thē be so wel ezercised and prepared as thei wil / to obscure or subvert justice and equitie / yet their lawlike and judicial ornaments / and the badges of the great dignitie power / wherwith thei now prowdly wax insolēt / shal not then geve them the victorie I speak this by cause counseilours / judges / prortours / advocats / and soche other bearing the swinge in courtes and judgements / ar not only bold to strive with God / and so to contend / that thei wold seme / to have goten a certaine right to scorne and mock his maiestie / but also reiecting all holy scripture / do spue out their blasphemies / as the greatest sentences of the lawe / and most hygh decrees Thes men whō the world doth honour as certain jdoles / so sone as thei have spokē one word / can not suffre reason truth to have any place to rest in But yet by the way j admonish and warn thē before hand / that it shal be better for them / to have some remembraūce of that same horrible vēgeāce / with is ordeined for thē that chaūge justice with iniquitie / truth with lyēge Neyer the doctours chābremastres / the delitiouse bāckettours verai voluptuose mē / take ani higher degre here / then that thei may chatter in their feastes and banquets bable forth their words agaīst the hevēly maister / to whom truly al men ought to geve most diligēt eare Nether can their goodly famouse
we can or will bear and suffer nothing at all Then must we neds refuse gods grace wherby he calleth vs to the hope of salvation leadeth vs ther to by this way Forthes two ar so ioyned to gether that the one can not be separated from the other / that we be the membres of Iesus Christe / and that by means of this coniunction and communioÌ„ / we be exercised with many afflictiones and calamities This same maner of our lyfe so ioyned with gods sonne / and soche conformitie to him / we ought to esteme mor then we do / and also to judge it not only by all wayes most worthye to be professed but also to be folowed The suffering of calamities for the gospell / in the opinion and judgment of the world / is the greatest infamie but seing we know that all the vnfaithful ar so blinded / that they can see or ryghtly judge nothing at all / ought not we to have clear eies / and to judge mor perfectly It is shame to be afflicted and vexed of theÌ„ that occupie the seat of justice But s Paul doth shew vs by his example / that we have great occasion to glorie in the scarres of Iesus Christe / and as it wer in certain markes imprinted in vs / wher with we being marked deckt / god doth acknowleg and receav vs for his servauÌ„ts aÌ„delect And we know this that s Luke doth reherse of Peter and Ioan / that they were veray glad and joyfull / that thei were thought worthie to suffer for the lord Iesus name / sclandre rebuks and shame Wher in two things may be seen contrarie in them selves / shame / and honour / by this that the world running hedlong in furie and madnes doth iudge against all reason / and by this means doth chaunge the glori of god with dishonour and infamie Let not vs now disdain so to be dispised and to be rebuked of the world / that we may herafter optaine with god and his angells / honour / glorie praise We see what great labours ambitiouse men taketh to obtaine the ordre of some king / and after thei have at cheved it / what trivmphes they make but the sonne of god doth offre to vs his ordre / and yet everie one dispiseth it / and is turned with the wholl power of the miÌ„de to the vanitie of the world I pray you wheÌ„ we behave our selves so ê“udly vnthaÌ„kfully / ar we worthie to have any thiÌ„g comoÌ„ with him Although our vndrestaÌ„ding caÌ„ ê‘ceave coÌ„preheÌ„d nothiÌ„g heriÌ„ / yet of a truth thes ar the ê“pre honorable badges and armes of hevenly nobilitie ImprisonmeÌ„ts / banishments / maledictions / after the opinion of men bring nothing ells then great sham and infamie But what doth let vs to see what god doth judge ê“nouÌ„ce of yes thiÌ„gs / saviÌ„g our own iÌ„fidelitie Wherfor we must labour that the name of gods soÌ„ne be of soche authoritie / waight / honour with vs / as it is most worthie / that we thiÌ„k we ar well honourably delt with al / that his burnes as it wer certaine badges ar printed in vs / or els our vnthaÌ„kfulnes caÌ„ in no wise be borne If god shold ê‘sequut vs after our merits / hath he not iust cause everie daye to chastice punish vs iÌ„finite waies Yea surly no deathes put vnto vs were able to recoÌ„peÌ„ce the least part of our mischefe But of his great infinite goodnes / he treadeth vndre fote al our siÌ„nes / doth vtterli abolish the same / wheras he might punishe vs accordiÌ„g to the greatnes of our siÌ„nes / he hath iÌ„veÌ„ted aÌ„ other merveilous way / wherby the afflictioÌ„s ar traduced froÌ„ our deserved paine punishmeÌ„t / to a great honour / a certaiÌ„privilege siÌ„guler benefite / because that by the partakiÌ„g sufferiÌ„g of theÌ„ we ar receaved in to the felowship of gods soÌ„ne May it be o yer waies said or judged / then that we / seing we despise and disdain this so excelleÌ„t and blisfull condition and maner of living / have litle profetted in the christian doctrin This is the cause why s Peter after he had moved vs to lyve a godly holye lyfe in the fear of god / farr from that lyfe wherfor other men as theves / whormongers / adulterours / and meÌ„killers suffre / by by addeth this / yfwe must suffer as christeÌ„ men / ther in we geve glory to god for that great and singuler benefite / which he hath bestowed on vs. Nor it is not for nothing that the holy maÌ„ speaketh thus / what ar we / j pray youe / that we shold be witnesses of gods truth / and as it were proctours apointed to defend his cause Behold we be miserable meÌ„ as it wer wormes of the earth creaturs full of vanities and lies / yet god will have his truth defeÌ„ded by vs / which is truly so great honour / that it semeth not to pertain to the angells in heven This one reason well considered / ovght it not to enflame and stire vp our minds / to offre our selves wholy to god / and to shew our wholl endevoire in so holye and excellent a mater to please him And yet many can not forbear / but that thei wil speak against god or at the least thei will complaine / that he hath no greater regard to ease their imbecillitie it is a merveilous mater / say they / that seing god hath borne vs thus moche fovoure / that he hath chosen vs to be his children / yet he wil suffer vs to be so cruelly vexed oppressed of wicked men I do yet answer thes men / that although we knew no reason why god doth so deall with vs / yet his authoritie shold be soche with vs / that we shold applye / conforme our selves to his will But now when we see Iesus Christe to be set for an example to vs / least we shold seke any other / ought we not to think our selves greatly happye / that we be so drawen after his jmage and liknes Morover god doth set forth and she we plaiÌ„e and manifest causes / wherfor he will have vs to suffre persequution / emonge which / if ther wer non other but that reason and advertisment which s Peter geveth / we must neds be veray pevish and sturdye / onless we be satisfied ther with This is his reason / that seing gold and silver which ar corruptible metalls ar purged and tried in the fier / it is reason that our faith also / whiche in value excelleth all riches / be tried approved with soche perills of lyfe and greves He could by and by after our calling / with out any conflict and suffering of thes calamities have crowned vs. But as he wold have Christe to raiÌ„g in the mides of his enemies / eveÌ„ so he wold have vs also dwelliÌ„g emong that selfsame / to bear suffre
apostle doth saie of them / and doth set forth for vs to folow Some saith he / Heb. xj were hanged vp like belles and stretched / dispising to be delivred that thei might optaine a beter resurrection other were proved with opprobrious wordes and strippes / or with bondes and prisonment other wer stoned / or cutt insondre / or killed with the swerd other some went wandering hether and thether thorow hills caves of the earth Let vs now come to make coÌ„parison betwixt theÌ„ vs. Yf yei suffred so mani great tormeÌ„ts for the truth / with was as then but obscure / what ought we to do in this great light / with hath shined vnto vs in this time God speaketh vnto vs now as with full mouth The greatest gate of the kingdome of heven is made open vnto vs. Iesus Christe comen froÌ„ heven vnto vs doth so call vs to him / that we have him present as it were before our eies In to how great ingratitude shaÌ„full wickednes shall we ruÌ„n iÌ„ to / if we have less stomak love to bear suffre for the gospel / theÌ„ thei had with did behold the promises of god but as it were a farre of / who had but a veray litle dore opened to entre in to the higdome of god / who had receaved only a remeÌ„braunc obscure testimoni in figures of Iesus Christe Thes great maters caÌ„ not be declared expressed with any wordes as thei beworthy Wherfor j leave them to be weied in everie manes thoughts meditations This doctrin as it hath a comon vniversall reason / so it must be referred to the exercise ordre of everie manes lyfe But everie man must apply it to his propre vse profett apt for his own coÌ„solatioÌ„ And j speak this for this cause / least that thei with see them selves to be in no manifest perill / shold suppose this doctrin to be vaine not to ê‘taine to theÌ„ Now thei arr not in the handes of tiraÌ„tes / but what know thei howe god wil deal with theÌ„ herafter Therfor we must be of the miÌ„d judgmeÌ„t / that if any ê‘sequntioÌ„ / with we loked not for happeÌ„ vnto vs / that we fal not yer iÌ„ to vnwares vnê“vided / but that we come to it prepared loÌ„g befor haÌ„d but jÌ„ feare yer be mani deaph eares to whoÌ„ yis my oratioÌ„ is made wtout fruit For yei that live iÌ„ quiet / haviÌ„g all thiÌ„gs at wil / ar so far froÌ„ prepariÌ„g yem selves to take suffre death wheÌ„ nede shal be / that yei have no care nor yought of serviÌ„g god at al. But yes ought to be al our studie coÌ„tinualli / espetialli iÌ„yes great troublesoÌ„ times / wheriÌ„ we live iÌ„ great peril In the meaÌ„ time yei whoÌ„ god calleth to suffre for the testiÌ„onie of his name / must yinke iÌ„verai dede that thei were prepared loÌ„g before / brought to this suffrauÌ„c of evels / bi the motioÌ„ certain judgemeÌ„t of yeâ—prit / that yei might bear yem selves yeriÌ„ boldly coÌ„staÌ„tli TheÌ„ also yei must diligeÌ„tly call to yer remeÌ„brauÌ„c al the exhortatioÌ„s with yei have herd before / be so stirred vp with the advertismeÌ„t of theÌ„ / as the valiauÌ„t souldiare to take his armour wheÌ„ he hereth the truÌ„pet blowe But what seke we Truly in yes perils we do nothiÌ„g ells but seke shiftes waies how to escape I meaÌ„ this by the most ê‘t of meÌ„ For this same ê‘sequutioÌ„s is as it were a towche stone / wherw t god doth trye ê“ve who be his but yer ar fewe fouÌ„d of that faith cowrage godlines to wards god / that thei will offre theÌ„ selves fraÌ„kly freely vnto death for his names sake This is a thing almost incredible / that yei with do glory / that yei have some knowlege in the gospell / arso impudent and vnshamfast / thei will vse soch cavillations Some will say / what shall it availl to confess our faith before thos stubborne stifnecked men / which ar purposed to warre agaist god him selfe Is not this to cast pearls before swine As who wold say / Iesus Christe doth not most plainly declare / the he doth requier of vs the coÌ„fessioÌ„ of his name / yea among most perverse wicked men But if this our testimonie do nothiÌ„g profett to their edifieÌ„g / yet shal it profett to yeir coÌ„fusion Alwaies the coÌ„fession of our faith doth savour swetly before god although it briÌ„ge death destructjoÌ„ to wicked men Ther be other also which will say this / what shall our death profett when it shall seme to geve more offeÌ„ce then vtilitie As though god hath left to them selves fre choyse to dye when thei will or when thei shall thiÌ„k it the most apte time of death But we coÌ„trarie wise do obey him but as for the fruit that must come by our death / we leave to the hand providence of god Wherfore the christian man must most cheflye in what place so ever he be / diligeÌ„tly se that he lyve in the simplicitie integritie that god requireth / and that he be not brought from that miÌ„d maner of godly holy life at any time with any dauÌ„gers or threatniÌ„gs Let him eschue so mothe as is possible the ragiÌ„g madnes of the wolves / so that the same wtarenes be not joyned with the prudeÌ„ce craftines of the flesh First of all let him do this / that he geve over resigne his lyfe in to the handes of god the most faithfull keaper When he hath ordeiÌ„ed kept diligeÌ„tly this maner fashione of lyfe / yf afterward he fall in to the handes of enemies / let him thiÌ„k perswad him selfe / that he is brought in to that place of god / for this cause that he mai have him a witnes of his soÌ„ne Therfor seiÌ„g he is called brought to that coÌ„fession by the certaine decree of god / ther is no way to goo bak / onles he will be vnfaithful vn to him / to whom we have promised all our endevours both to lyve and dye yea whos we arr although we had promised nothiÌ„g at all I meaÌ„ not herby to drive everie man of necessitie at all times to geve a full ê‘fect coÌ„fessioÌ„ of yeir faith / no not soÌ„times wheÌ„ yei be asked For j know what measure moderatioÌ„ s Paul vsed / who was as readye with hart miÌ„de to defeÌ„d the gospel as any other Nether was this spoken by the lord Iesus promised with out a cause / that god wold geve vs in that time matter / a mouth prudeÌ„ce As though he wold have said / the office of the holie ghost / is not oÌ„ly to coÌ„firme vs the we may be williÌ„g / bold strong / but also it coÌ„sisteth iÌ„ geviÌ„g vs judgmeÌ„t prudeÌ„e couÌ„sail / how we mai / as it be cometh