pleasure of Princes He that confesseth me before men I will confesse him before my father in heauen But he that denyeth me c. And we must learne to say with the Apostle Paule If I seeke to please men I am not the seruant of Christ It is an olde saying and a true All is not Gold that glistereth but the fiery fornace wil soon try it Euery piece of yron that wee see is not perfect and sound yron for sometimes it is eaten through with the canker and this when the file commeth vpon it is easily knowne Wheate and chaffe lye mingled together in one barne til a gale of wind come and blowe them in sunder and then they appeare both plainely what they are let vs acquaint our selues with our good GOD by continuall and heartie prayer that by his goodnes wee may bee prepared against the day of his visitation to abide what in mercy he shall think good to lay vpon vs. The fearefulnes of fleshe and blood is such and the delight therof in worldly prosperity so great that aduersitie is not easily borne Imprisonment is accounted painefull but it is more painefull to enioy libertie vpon euill conditions The prisons are thought lothsome vnsauery but yet not more lothsome then the sweetest houses where the feare of God is wanting It is grieuous to man to be solitary and alone yet better is it to be so then in companie with the wicked It toucheth vs very neare to loose liuing and goodes but it shal be found to touch nearer to loose the fauour and grace of God We vse it as a common speech that life is sweete but most sweete and pleasant is it to loose this life full of mortall miseries to finde and enioye the life full of eternall ioyes We are loth to leaue our friendes wife and children but we must beware that in abiding with them wee stay not in the displeasure of our God These trials must needes come vpon vs and whosoeuer liueth to it is like to tast of thē But be of good cheare Whom the Lord loueth hee chastiseth euen to this ende that hee might call them to remember their sinnes and so runne by repentance to him and aske mercy and then he might pardon and forgiue them in respect wherof we are not to lamēt but to prayse the Lorde not to be dismaide but to be cōforted that our God wil vouchsafe to offer vs his crosse whereby he seeketh to traine vs vp to the place of endlesse ioye and comfort It is an assurance laide vp vnto vs that if we suffer we shall raigne If we confesse him before men in earth hee will confesse vs beefore his father in heauen If wee bee not ashamed of his Gospell heere he will not be ashamed of vs at the last daye Remember the words of our sauiour Christ in the. 5. of Mathew Blessed are they that suffer persecution for righteousnes sake for theires is the kyngdome of heauen Call to mynde that which Paule saith in the 8. to the Romaines The afflictions of this life are not to be compared to the ioyes of the lyfe prepared for you Wherefore seeing that euen in the crosse we beholde and see the mercie of our God which is more sweete and to be set by then any mucke or pelfe of this world yea much more then is life it selfe Let vs keepe on our course Let vs walke before our God in simplicitie of heart knowing this that not a heyre of heade can perish without the wil of our heauenly father neither can any man or diuel be able to attēpt any thing much lesse to do any thing to vs without the sufferance of the Almightie And when leaue is graunted they shall goe no further then he will Wherefore casting all our care vppon the Lord who careth sufficiently for vs Let vs lay aside all feare and onely studie whilest we liue heare to please him and to keepe our consciences cleane from the pollutions of this present age that both our minde and tongue our life and beliefe may be answerable to eche other and that for euer the word of truth may be a light to lighten our steps in the path of true holines The Lorde in the riches of his mercy impart vnto vs all such portion of his holy spirit that when the time of our tryall shall come and that the winde of persecution shall blow vpon vs we may be founde pure golde made clearer by the fornace perfect yron bryghtened by the fyle and good Wheate seuered from the light chaffe and so constantly continue Christ his faythfull souldiers and seruantes to our liues end And thus Madam haue I dedicated to your selfe particulerly a translated treatise as a pledge of my reuerend loue I beare you and to others generally a long and rude Epistle with it Your selfe I trust will accept my simple trauaile therin take it in good part and others I hope to whose handes this Epistle and treatise shall come will make fauourable construction thereof and will beare with all defectes therein whatsoeuer My desire was to warne encourage which how weakely soeuer it be perfourmed I trust it shall no whit hinder but rather further to so necessary a meditation that obtained I haue my desire beseeching God to open our eyes that we may see our deserts thereby know our perils and knowing the same may labour to meete the Lord by repentance before he come whether it bee for a time to scourge vs in iustice or to performe the last time of his comming in iudgement to euery one the portion allotted vnto him for his hire from the beginning which time of his comming the Lorde hasten to performe and fulfill for his electes sake Amen ¶ Grace mercie and peace from God our Father through our Lorde Iesus Christ I Was very glad deere brethren when I vnderstood how God of his goodnes mercie had visited you to the grace of the holy Gospell and to the knowledge of his truth and thereby to the cōmunion of his sonne Iesus Christ who is the treasure of all ages for this is a treasure conteyning immortall riches wherein lyeth all our blessednes and felicitie this is an inestimable benefite and the greatest wée coulde receiue of God Wherefore we haue good cause to giue him thankes for the same continually to the intent that by our ingratitude wee may not prouoke him to anger against vs nor stirre him vp or moue him to take from vs the talent which he hath giuen vs for we may well say of our selues that which Dauid said of himselfe and of all the people of God The Lorde hath not thus done to all nations neither hath hee manifested to them his iudgements When a king taketh some one into his seruice and giueth him some honorable office in his Court we thinke it a greate honour vnto him which is called to such a promotion and esteeme him greately beholding and bounde to the King Let vs then
finde some way to support Sect. the infirmitie of fleshe in this case and to please it a litle in these great temptations For it may be if we were in the same danger whether we should be more weake fraile more strong constant then those whom we proue God knoweth who giueth strength and cōstancie to whom it pleaseth him without whom we all are nothing but I dispute not nowe what constancie or inconstancie might bee in mee or some other what we should do in such a case I dispute what ought to be done in such a case what wee owe to God as far as I can iudge by the scriptures for to flatter our selues to lie against the truth of God we shal gaine nothing for all our coulours and excuses although they please our fleshe shall nothing auaile vs in the iudgement of God if they haue no foundation in his worde which wee must not corrupt and peruert to make it serue our affections and to allowe our infirmitie and incredulitie as good What then haue wee to do Did not Nichodemus goe to Iesus Christe in the night durst Sect. Ioh. 3. he confesse him publikely is he therefore condemned As I cannot altogether excuse Nichodemus as though he had not at that time some incredulitie and infirmitie in him so I wishe that if wee haue not more faith and constancie then he that we be not worse but at the least like vnto him Saint Iohn did not write in the commendation of the chiefe of Hierusalem that Ioh. 2. they did beleeue in Iesus Christ but that they durst not confesse him because they feared to be cast out of the Synagogue and that they loued more the prayse of men then the praise of God If Nichodemus went to Iesus Christ by night yet dyd hee not blaspheme him and denye hym by day If at the first he confessed him not openly and maynteyned his cause publikely yet did he not consent to his death nor suffered for Luk. 23. Ioh. 9. Ioh. 7. his part that any shoulde doe hym harme or displeasure but he alwayes maynteyned his cause in that he could he declareth him selfe with Ioseph of Arimathea to bee one of his disciples Mat. 27. Luk. 13. Ioh. 19. when all his disciples forsooke him hee made publike confession of him in the greatest danger he cold be in And when hee had more cause of feare and offence then euer he had they demanded the body of Pilate to bury it Woulde God that wee had many such Nichodemians Sect. y◠wereso feareful that they would shewe them selues alwayes at neede for they should be more worthy prayse then a company of rashe heads which play the hardy men at the beginning make great shewes but they faile at neede and for a thing of nothing denie and blaspheme the Gospel and woulde not lose one heire of their head for it or then a company of wise men of the world who will couer themselues with the example of Nichodemus and in a counsell or company of aduersaries they durst not open their mouth to vtter one word in fauour of the trueth Nichodemus did farre otherwise howe fearefull soeuer he had been before but these men will consent rather to the death of the innocent and if it be needfull they wil condemne them themselues for feare of being suspected Neyther Nichodemus nor Ioseph of Arimathea woulde haue done that for their life no not a good Pagan which had anie loue to Iustice and equitie yet is this the order of many which will arme themselues with Nichodemus but such men might haue better occasion to alleadge the example of Pilate in their behalf to accōpanie thēselues with him for they take more of him then of Nichodemus So then as I cannot condemne the true Nichodemians although that fayth and constancie Sect. is not such in them as it is to be required in a true Christian so can I not allowe those which in all thinges agree with the Idolaters and renounce Iesus Christ without any stay and then wil excuse and defend themselues that it is lawfull for them and that they doe not agaynst the woorde of God there is enough of one euil without adding two It sufficeth once to haue blasphemed Iesus Christ without blaspheming him againe in affirming that blasphemie is not blasphemie and in going about to induce others to blaspheme him with vs that we may haue mo companions with vs to couer our wickednes Were it not rather the duetie of a good christian Sect. Psal 136. Exo. 16. Act. 15. to confesse his infirmitie sinne weepe with the captiues of Babylon Egypt thē to defend his euill and to lie vnto the spirite of God with Ananias and Sacharia do wee not see the subtiltie of the fleshe whence commeth these delayes and excuses but of this fleshe which is so delicate that it cannot suffer the thornes of Iesus Christ and so glorious that it cannot suffer to be reprooued and condemned and therefore must shee forge her selfe a newe Iesus Christ that hee may not diminishe any of her pleasures and delights nor her glory and arrogancie but may entertayne both the one and the other with her carnall Iesus Christ whiche he hath fayned to her selfe for the fleshe is altogether contrary to Saint Paul who will not glorie in any thing but in the crosse of Christe Iesus and in his tribulations and infirmities But he abhorreth and detesteth them for shee hath not well noted the lesson that our Sauiour Christ gaue to his disciples as it hath been already sayde who so wyll be my disciple hee must carry his crosse euery day and follow me then he addeth a comparison to teach vs howe we ought to preferre our selues to his seruice he instructeth vs to doe lyke a wyse prince who before he giue his defie vnto his enemye and ioyne battayle with hym hee examineth his force and riches to knowe whether he be strong enough to resist him to the intent he be not shamed and confounded if after he haue begonne he be constrayned to leaue all and flye or yeelde him selfe to his enemie he wil also that we take example of the wise builder who before hee beginne his building he reckoneth whether hee shall haue money and stuffe enough to furnishe him therein that after he hath layd the foundation he be not constrayned to cease off and to leaue his enterpryse and in the ende bee mocked By this he giueth vs to vnderstande that yf Sect. wee will fight vnder his banner and lay hande to the buylding of his house wee must prepare our selues to worke not to rest and to fight not to sleepe and to receiue blowes rather then benefites also he giueth vs to vnderstande that in beginning wee must prepare our selues to go forwarde and that we must not forsake his banner nor our captaine when we heare the larom sounded and the assault is giuen we must
thinke what cause we haue to glorifie and magnifie GOD our father seeyng that wee see hee is come to elect and choose vs from amongest all other not onelye to be his seruantes but also to bee his children and to bee kinges and heyres of his kingdome and that he leaueth a greate number of others that bee wyser richer and that beare a greater shewe then wee to put the treasures of his grace into so poore vessels of earth as we be so vyle so base so weake so frayle and brittle And therefore wee ought greatly to feare Sect. to abuse this greate goodnes of GOD towardes vs and the giftes which wee haue receaued of him we must take good heede wee hyde them not in the earth as the slouthfull and vnfaithfull seruant did hide his talent but as the other good and faithfull seruauntes did we must put them to some vse to the intent they maye bring foorth fruite to their Maister and Lorde who to this ende hath pu◠them into our handes for why doth GOD call vs into his seruice but to serue him why doth GOD communicate his graces vnto vs but that wee shoulde employe them to his honour and glorie and to the edifiyng of his Churche howe can wee bee Gods seruantes and remayne idle in his house and doe nothing but which is worse how will he suffer vs there if in steede of seruing Christ Iesus we serue Antichrist and the Deuill his aduersaries Let vs therefore remember that which the Lorde sayth To him that hath it shal bee giuen and to him that hath nothing it shal be taken from him euen that he hath Wee see this by experience before our eyes euerye day to come to passe wee see Sect. howe GOD encreaseth his graces towards them which vse them as they ought and how on the contrary he depriueth them thereof which abuse them and howe hee giueth them vp into a reprobate sense for when they knewe GOD they glorified him not as God but gaue the honour which apperteyneth to him onelie to creatures and Idols Wherefore we ought not to maruell if we see many to whō God hath giuē some knowledge of truth which become godles mockers of holy scriptures to become as dogges to eate that which they once vomited and as swyne to wallowe themselues in the myre and filthe out of the which God had drawen them wee cannot doubt but such a curse is the most horrible most fearefull iudgement of God which can come to man it is the iudgement which he is woont to execute vpon the ingratefull and contemners of his word and blasphemers of his graces therefore let vs take heede that we neither dally of him nor with him let vs hearken how the Apostle warneth vs let vs not abuse our selues for God can neither be deluded nor mocked And therefore let vs learne to walke with Sect. him in all feare honour and reuerence let vs make our profite of his seuere iudgement whiche hee setteth before our eyes as in a glasse when hee punisheth so sharply those which after they had known him haue forsakē him and despised his worde let vs beware we esteeme not lightly anye thing that hee hath commaunded or forbidden but let vs feare to offende him in anye thing whatsoeuer eyther in omitting that which hee hath commanded vs to doe or in doyng that which he hath forbidden Let vs looke more to the authoritie of the Sect. Lawe maker and to his will then to the naked lawe and let vs iudge thereof according to his will and not according to our owne let vs consider with our selues that we cannot transgresse the left commandement that euer he gaue without despising his maiestie and authoritie For if we regard not his commaundements we declare manifestly thereby that wee feare him not but that we dally with him as though wee helde him in our sleeue to doe with him as pleaseth vs or els we giue to vnderstād that we wil correct him as not well aduised and as though he had fayled eyther in cōmaunding or forbidding things vnworthy to be cōmaunded or forbidden Ought this arrogācy presumptiō despising of god his authority to be esteemed a smal fault Is it not greater then high treason seeing that the Maiesty and authority of God passeth all authoritie and excellencie of man What lesse punishment then can he deserue then death and eternal dānation if God wil condemne him according to the rigour of his iudgement And therefore my brethren wee must take Sect. Seducing of himselfe good heede that wee deceaue not our selues or that we suffer not our selues to bee easilye seduced by others which may bee among vs for many doe boast of the knowledge of God which notwithstanding make no great conscience to doe contrary to his will in all things which are of no small importance which notwithstāding seeme to them very smal because they perswade themselues so and that they iudge thereof according to their owne affectiō But if they did iudge of them according to the iudgemēt of the spirit of God they should know that they are very vnpleasant detestable before God of that nature that there is nothing that he doth more abhorre detest nor that hee hath punished more grieuously at al times It is not a small matter to prouoke God to anger and we cannot more prouoke him then by Idolatrie and superstition which is the fountaine of all other euils and a sinne which doth estrange and draw vs wholly from God Let vs not abuse our selues for it may seeme to vs that the thinges which wee doe Sect. to keepe vs in league with the children of this worlde are not of great importance Let vs beware that Sathan drawe vs not from obeying the commandement of GOD by the deceaueablenes of our fleshe as he withdrew Adam by the meanes of Eue after that by his Gen. 3. lye she was seduced he thought with himselfe it was no greate faulte to eate of the fruite of a Tree but it was very great sith GOD had forbidden it as experience taught it afterwarde for by this transgression all the lynage of man was destroyed and all creatures were made subiect to Curse Let vs neuer suffer therfore the word of God Sect. To hold the word fast to bee snatched out of our handes whatsoeuer reason or whatsoeuer colour or cloke fleshe can alleadge vnto vs let vs bee as warye as wee woulde bee to fall into the fire to drawe backe from this worde and to abandon it one only steppe For wee neede not goe farre aside to misse the waye to set vs altogether out of the way and when one is once fallen out of the way the further hee goeth on the further hee wandreth and multiplyeth errour vppon errour so that after it is verye harde for him to finde his right waye and to come thither whether hee purposed Wherefore to auoyde the falling into
receiueth it And when we are partakers of the ceremonies sacrifices and Sacraments whether they be of the faithful or infidels we bynde our selues sweare vnto that religion by which we communicate with them We haue then trimly sayde that our meaning is farre other for God alloweth no Sophistrie he cānot cal things by but their name fraude and deceit is somewhat more honest amongest men then manifest thefte yet is it accounted before God for theft in deede what name so euer men giue it wherfore let vs not thinke that by our goodlie shewes our Idolatry is so excused that it is not Idolatrye and a true kinde of renouncing Christ Iesus although it seme to vs somewhat more alowable then to deny him openly S. Peter denyed Christ with his mouth he said he was none of his and do wee make anie more of him what speech do our works vtter els but the same of S. Peter where vnto tendeth our Idolatries and outward hipocrysies but to let Infidels vnderstand that wee are not the Disciples of Christ Iesus that we know neither him nor his Gospel To replie that we do it not with the hart but Sect. the heart is farre otherwise So was euen the heart of S. Peter it grieued him greatly to deny Christ Iesus but the infirmitie of the flesh feare of death ouercame the christian constancie which ought to haue bene in him yet can we not excuse him but that he sinned greatlie and we are lesse to bee excused then he for he denyed not Iesus Christ for feare of loosing his worldly goodes or for any light cause as we customablie doe but for feare of death he went not to present him selfe willingly to renounce him as we doe he went not to the Byshops houses nor to the high Priestes of the Lawe to please them or other of the Iewes or to make them beleeue he was of their company or that he had no acquaintance or familiaritie with Iesus as they doe which frequent the temples of Idols he went thither to stand faythfully vnto him as he had promised for the loue and affection he bare to him yet was hee caught and seeing how his maister was handled amongst the murderers and veiwing the place where he was fearing death which was manifestly before his face was ouercome by the infirmitie of his flesh for he was so troubled that he knewe not what he sayd or did for that hee saw not Iesus Christ then but as a poore miserable creature forsakē of al men for he had not yet such knowledg of his diuinitie nor had not receiued the holy Ghost so abundantly as he had after But we that confesse Iesus Christ to be set Sect. at the right hand of God his father aboue al the heauens we tary not till our aduersarie vrge vs and presse vpon vs and that tyrants constraine vs to renounce him but imediatly of our own accord voluntarily we go to the assemblies of Idolaters to the same purpose knowing well that we must needes dishonour Iesus Christ with them howe much the more they marke behold vs so much the more we shew our selues plentifull in all kindes of blasphemies Idolatries There is not so smal an Idol wherūto we do not reuerence wherunto we do not bow the knee fearing to be accounted true scholers of Christ Iesus The auncient christians did so lightly esteem Sect. these matters as we do but they thought it so vile so detestable vnworthie a thing for a christian that hardly they would account thē for brethren christians which had not beene constant in the torments and which liked better to forsake and forsweare Christ Iesus then to suffer death at the least those which accounted their life more deare to them then the glory of Iesus Christ hardly could they euer bee receiued into the ministerie of the Gospel yet was it sufficient to the Idolaters and Infidels that those whom they persecuted for christians should make onely the least shewe onely in the world to allow their doings and to honour their Idols by outward tokens they cared not what the heart was so that they might onely draw one woorde from their mouthes or cause them to shewe foorth some gesture whiche they might drawe to theyr aduantage to boast that they had made them to abiure But the fleshe wil replie that if it should do otherwise Sect. it should put it self in danger of being persecuted to cause others to be persecuted should stir vp great offences Neere are goodly reasons of mans wisedome and very fit for the fleshe and the schoole from whence they proceede I am in cōpany of Adulterers which go into a brothell house and fearing to offende them I enter in with them to keepe them companie But some will replie againe that the Brothell house and Idoles temple is not al one but much worse for what is Idolatrie and superstition else but adultery and fornication with strāge gods the tēples of Idols what are they els but brothel houses of Sathan wherin we violate the fayth promysed to our Lord Iesus Christ and wherin we giue our selues ouer as whooremongers and adulterers vnto strange Goddes and to the Diuel as to our lovers I knowe not howe wee maye speake this more ciuilly if we will not correct the speech which the spirit of GOD hath vttered by his Prophets whiche commonly vse these Exo. 16. kinde of speeches when they preache agaynst the Idolatrye of the chyldren of Israell But a man may yet reply Although the body be there yet we consent not in heart and yet we auoyde offence and persecution Dina the daughter of Iacob whom the Sonne of the king of Sichem rauished consented not in heart to the wickednes of the adulterer yet was shee not altogether without faulte she was for all that corrupted and counted for an harlot for if she had remayned in her fathers house without wandering abrode to go see the daughters of the countrie she might haue auoided that great inconuenience whereby she fell into great dishonour and was cause of great euill Which of vs all would be content if his wife Sect. after shee had yeelded her body to an adulterer should make him this answeare saying although he had his pleasure of me yet was it against my will but because I saw my selfe amongst adulterers fearing to be spoiled that they woulde cut my Purse or take awaye my Gowne or my Kercheife I consented to their will but I did it vnwillingly to auoyde that they might doe me no displeasure and for the feare I had to offend and anger them Had not the husband good cause to say what hadst thou to doe in the brothels house why wentest thou thither had not it been better for thee to haue lost all that thou haddest all thy Iewelles thy rayment yea thy lyfe then thy chastitie soule and to offend God who commandeth vs to choose
they do wherein doe they differ from them but that some are more ignorant then others and therefore lesse to bee excused for it is good reason that the seruant which knoweth his masters wil and doth it not should be more grieuously punished then he that neither knoweth it nor doeth it The others because they haue not the true Sect. knowledge of God doe dedicate their bodies soules to their half gods Thou that hast the knowledge of God knowest how he wil be serued thou wilt part stakes with him thou wilt make the parts distribute thē as thou list thou saiest thou giuest the heart the soule to God who shal haue the body the diuel God hath no parting with the diuel he will haue the body the soule whollie or els he wil haue neither if he had not promised life eternal but to the soule that hee woulde onely glorifie it and leaue the body in corruption and damnation there were some more colour to serue God with the heart soule and his aduersarie with the body but seeyng he will glorifie both the one and the other and that he hath sanctified them to dwel in them and to transforme them to his image howe is it 1. Cor. 13. 2. Cor. 3. Rom. 8. possible that the soule shoulde carrie the marke and image of God and the body the image of the diuell howe is it possible that a man who is but one shoulde be deuided into two that hee may well serue two masters without offending the one or the other Iesus Christ hath saide it is impossible to serue well two masters If it be not possible to serue God and riches howe can Mat. 6. we serue God and Idols and the diuel in them But least perhappes it seeme that these Sect. reasons be not sufficient and that there is nothing like between the papists and the pagans let vs take a more euident exāple What other difference was there betwixt Iuda and Israel after that Ieroboam had made the golden calues but that whiche is betweene vs and our aduersaries all of them did boast to bee the people of God the sonnes of Abraham and to haue receiued the lawe of the Lord by Moses The Israelites did knowe their calues of gold and their images of Baal were not goddes but they kept them for a remembrance of GOD and to honour him by them they had no other opinion then the Christians haue of theyrs they did not vnderstande that they had forsaken God to serue an other The prophetes haue not yet refused to accuse them to haue forsaken God to serue strange Gods and to threaten them with his iudgement Did Helias alowe the doing of those which serued Baal in time of the greate persecution which Iesabel put in practise against the faithfull And the seuen thousand which God hath reserued to himself are they only praysed in that they did not honor Baal with the heart are they not expresly praised in that he bowed not the knee to him and did him no homage honour nor reuerence and that they kept their bodies without being polluted and defiled amongst others with the sacrilidges and abhominations of Baal Wee haue no reasons which the Idolaters in this time cannot bring for their defence they Sect. coulde alleadge that the people which serued Baal were not Pagans but their owne brethren brought vp one religion on lawe and one faith with them wee haue no colour for to set out our Images and our gods whether they be of golde siluer wood stones bread or meate which they had not to colour Baal and the Io. 3. golden Calues and especially the brasen Serpent For that Image had much more reason and greater shewe then all ours and so and his aduersarie with the body but seeyng he will glorifie both the one and the other and that he hath sanctified them to dwel in them and to transforme them to his image howe is it 1. Cor. 13. 2. Cor. 3. Rom. 8. possible that the soule shoulde carrie the marke and image of God and the body the image of the diuell howe is it possible that a man who is but one shoulde be deuided into two that hee may well serue two masters without offending the one or the other Iesus Christ hath saide it is impossible to serue well two masters If it be not possible to serue God and riches howe can Mat. 6. we serue God and Idols and the diuel in them But least perhappes it seeme that these Sect. reasons be not sufficient and that there is nothing like between the papists and the pagans let vs take a more euident exāple What other difference was there betwixt Iuda and Israel after that Ieroboam had made the golden calues but that whiche is betweene vs and our aduersaries all of them did boast to bee the people of God the sonnes of Abraham and to haue receiued the lawe of the Lord by Moses The Israelites did knowe their calues of gold and their images of Baal were not goddes but they kept them for a remembrance of GOD and to honour him by them they had no other opinion then the Christians haue of theyrs they did not vnderstande that they had forsaken God to serue an other The prophetes haue not yet refused to accuse them to haue forsaken God to serue strange Gods and to threaten them with his iudgement Did Helias alowe the doing of those which serued Baal in time of the greate persecution which Iesabel put in practise against the faithfull And the seuen thousand which God hath reserued to himself are they only praysed in that they did not honor Baal with the heart are they not expresly praised in that he bowed not the knee to him and did him no homage honour nor reuerence and that they kept their bodies without being polluted and defiled amongst others with the sacrilidges and abhominations of Baal Wee haue no reasons which the Idolaters Sect. in this time cannot bring for their defence they coulde alleadge that the people which serued Baal were not Pagans but their owne brethren brought vp one religion on lawe and one faith with them wee haue no colour for to set out our Images and our gods whether they be of golde siluer wood stones bread or meate which they had not to colour Baal and the Io. 3. golden Calues and especially the brasen Serpent For that Image had much more reason and greater shewe then all ours and so much more dangerous was it if we may speak of the persecutiōs and of the feare of Tyrants I doubt not but it was cruell and more cruell in Helias time then in ours Heliah saith not without cause they haue killed thy Prophetes ◠Reg. 19. and there is none left but I whome they seeke to the death But I maruaile at those which will make thēselues a buckler of Abdas Achas his stewarde Sect. saying he was one of