quiet from prittle prattle from scanning this neighbours wealth that neighbours wit this mans doings and that mans sayings and from coursing euen the whole country ouer til al men haue béene within the spéech of our tongues drawen out of vs by the power peraduenture of a pot too much or such a like influence Must not these things I say and the owners of them be accursed as sure as they liue if peace and loue and good agréement amongst men be of the Lorde blessed They must they must Frailtie For all the world knoweth the venome of these things in anie towne and their mightie working against vnitie and therfore I praie you and I praie you heartily consider of it and cast euen a long looke vppon them such an one as we doe when we would marke a thing indéede and beare it away And I doubt not but God shall giue you strength against your temptation There is no one thing so great a nurse of two of them namely of a misdéeming mind a pratling tongue as idlenes is when a man hath nothing to doe and to applie himselfe vnto but to sitte on a bulke in the stréete or bench in a tauerne or an ale house and to wet his tongue with drinke and drie it with talking or when a woman hath no setled gouernment of her selfe in house but is in the number of those that the Apostle Paul speaketh of which beeing idle learne to goe about from house to house Yea they are not onely idle but also pratlers and busie bodies speaking things which are not comelie Therfore whosoeuer wil be a preseruer of peace he must be an enimie to these curses assuredly and heare more with two eares than he speaketh with one tongue But I weary you with this digressioÌ„ which is longer than I meant and therefore I cut it off againe and againe requiring of you that you neuer hang vpon the accompt of men in anie thing that euer you goe about béeing commaunded by the expresse worde of God but fullie suffice your selfe with the acceptance of God and that which you haue here an assuraÌ„ce of if you be a peacemaker Blessed shall you be and euer accompted both with God and his true children the son of God And if this wil not coÌ„tent you quicken you strengthen and stay you in this vertue but that worldlie ingratitude shall quench you and drawe you to such extremitie as you spake of certainely Frailtie you deceiue your selfe there is no true godlinesse in you but euen your name is too gentle for your nature you are become plaine infidelitie But I hope the best and performe you no lesse if you regarde your owne comfort Sufficient is this yet once againe if you be the Lords Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God The eight Temptation Frailtie ONce more woulde I trouble you Faith if I might before we end it is in this I feare my nature if persecution shoulde arise for religion And what shoulde I doe to obtaine strength Faith There are manie treatises of this point godlie and comfortable wherevnto for larger discourse I referre you and wish you to peruse them For mine owne part whensoeuer I thinke of this matter these and such other considerations séeme most swéet vnto me as yet Further trial shal giue further assault but God will be euer good to Israel First it is ratified decréede and established by the Lorde our God that through manie tribulations wée must enter into the kingdome of heauen And therefore since it must be so so be it in the name of God be it vnto vs as it pleaseth him necessarie things are to be borne necessarily and with chéere For in vaine doe we grudge to doe what wée must néedes doe or grieue to beare what we must néedes beare Heathens and Pagans haue made a comfort of necessitie and shoulde Christians in better cause bewray more weakenesse No God forbid But let it euer be our spéech rather than theirs in such matters as our God sendeth and laieth vppon vs Ferenda quaecunque sunt They are welcome what soeuer they be Secondly this decrée course that the Lord hath laid down for his children thus to kéepe procéedeth not of anger and displeasure or of a minde delighting in our woe and séeking to punish vs but of great loue and most fatherly affection toward vs and in déede wonderfully worketh our better being and therefore tenns thousand times welcome shoulde this good will of his be to vs and very farre from shaking vs from the true profession of his name and trueth For his affection we heare his owne mouth speake it that whome he loueth he rebuketh and chasteneth many a time repeating the same that we might remember it And for the other we sée it and knowe it by the proofe of euery daies experience For what maketh vs sée the gaule of Sathans heart towarde vs and euen our euerlasting ouerthrowe sworne of him by his diuelhood if by anie meanes hée can worke it to the ende we may perfectly hate so perfect a foe and yet so â—â—â—ring a friend The crosse What rowseth vs out of dull securitie and colde conceit of our owne wantes or the necessitie of Gods protection and succour and maketh not only our tongues to speake but the fire to kindle and burne within vs and so our prayers to haue spirite and power before the Lorde The Crosse What killeth this intemperancie of our affections and this blustring impaciencie of our natures and maketh vs méeke milde humble gentle and like lambes not lyons appointed to the slaughter The crosse What worketh the decaie euen of the whole olde Adam in vs with all his lustes concupiscence and venome and daily raiseth vp as a meanes the newe man with al his swéete motions heauenly and reformed actions The Crosse What maketh vs spitte in the face of this flattering worlde whose loue causeth losse both of body and soule in the worlde to come and to be content to part with her paps and to bid al her pleasures adue The crosse Lastly what maketh vs teare our bellies from the earth whereto they cleaue so fast and lift vp our heades to heauen long for the life that lasteth and desire heartily to be clothed with our house which is froÌ„ aboue The crosse Wherfore then since it is decréed and that in loue to our so great good that all which will liue godlie in Jesus Christ must suffer persecution what cause haue we would the Lorde voutsafe vs eyes with the crosse to be discouraged and driuen from the Lorde Thirdly it neuer hapneth to vs by fortune and chance or by ignoraunce in our God or inabilitie to let it if it pleased him but by his knowledge by his will and by his hande and he is our father bounde vnto vs in league and couenant of loue that of his part shall neuer be broken while wee hang of him The mother may forget
c. Againe both publikelie abroad in such as I deale with all and priuately at home in such as I trust I finde such naughtie vnfaithfulnes such vnfaithfull naughtinesse as that I am driuen into greater choler and heate than can anie way stand with my profession of the Gospell and with the liking of my heauenly father whome I haue euer founde good vnto me and therefore iustly I stande in feare that he will punish me for such intemperancie and yet I cannot amende it Nowe I pray you let me goe no further without some comfort if you know any for so wretched and wofull a case Faith Indéede Frailtie your tearmes are too sharpe and sower For me thinke for any thing you haue yet vttered your estate is neither wretched nor woful in trueth but Christianlike if you wil lay a while away your earthly eyes and be iudged by the word of God Frailtie Ah fie fie is your feeling of my case no more then haue I vttered inough too much But see my heauie plight I am euerie way wrapped in woe and yet I am not pitied Faith Nay but staie your selfe for shame Frailtie and be not so rash And if I can not prooue what I say then be offended but if I can then as you feare God be reformed for this impaciencie in you is daungerous I say therefore againe me thinke your tentations be not strange but such as vsuallie happen to Gods déere ones and such as for anie thing I sée Jesus Christ the Sauiour of man did foretell and deliuer sure and soueraygne comfortes for while hee was here on earth in diuers places and by name in that notable Chapter of Mathewe the fifth But before I can applie the same vnto you I must knowe of you one thing concerning your first griefe namely how you féele your heart within humbled by these thinges For indéede if you be poore and bare and so forced to stoupe in outward matters to the richer and yet your heart remaine proude within you arrogant hawtie and conceited your tongue bragging the best and your vanitie euer as it can breaking out giuing testimonie what you would doe if your handes were not tyed and your hornes made shorte of purpose by the Lorde then indéede I must plainely tell you that your pouertie is a whippe of an angrie God as yet with you and it will not certainely be remoued from you in anie fauour but euen still God shall checke you and euerie neighbour either openlie or secretly mislike you For a beggers hand and a proude heart hath euer offended the eye both of God and man But if God hath giuen you this blessed grace that by this crosse of want disdaine contempt scorne and such like in your calling your soule is schooled your heart is humbled your spirite broken all your vnrulie and headie affections tamed within you verie greatly in comparison of former times so that euen truelie your conscience doth witnesse to you it is not with you as it hath béene in manie respectes and if now you find that often you are driuen to God and his prouidence by this meanes casting vp your eyes to heauen for helpe staie and succour because you finde but frosen heartes in men and falsehoode in the best fellowship lesse or more truelie then must I as plainely tel you againe and with as bolde a spirite as such a truth requires your pouertie is welth your contempt may be your comfort if euer man or woman had God their friende you may assure your soule in truth he is no foe vnto you Frailtie O Faith say not this but prooue it Comfort against pouertie Faith With a verie good will I pray you therefore marke me When Christ as I saide before was here vpon earth to gather vnto himselfe the soules of men by life and death knowing in his infinite wisedome the raine that would fal the floudes that woulde come and the windes that woulde blowe and beate vpon the houses of mē that is their faith and religion on a time his disciples being come together and much people beside out of manie places hee sate him downe and tooke as it séemeth to me this matter in hande of verie purpose deliuering out such comfortes and helpes such defences and staies as béeing of men and women rightlie applied and vsed shall euer holde vp their course and kéepe their pathes straight in the feare of the Lorde and true religion And sée amongst the manifold temptations that he sawe in wisedome would arise and be vrged by Sathan to shake men from y e trueth this of yours which nowe we speake of is the first namely pouertie Against which his heauenly voyce deliuereth out this comfort Blessed are the poore for theirs is the kingdome of God Which golden sentence laide out in fuller tearmes carieth and implieth vnto vs this sense and meaning Although earthlie mindes can frame out no felicitie vnlesse with worldly wealth their cuppe may ouerflowe yet I auouch vnto you contrarie to the wit and wisedome of them all that in my fathers kingdome blessed are the poore the poore I say againe and such as want what others wallowe in not halfe so loued of the Lorde as they Now least his meaning should be mistaken he saying no more but so and euerie spoiling vnthrift whose vnreformed heart doeth make an vnrepaired purse or idle drones that shunne the course of men and shut themselues vp in cloisters as pore that with more ease they may liue of other mens labours or anie proud heart yet wanting wealth might thinke it spoken vnto him hée more plainely hath interpreted his meaning and shewed what poore hée thinketh of namely the poore in spirite That is such as vsing godly means yet are of purpose by their God kepte vnder and being vnder doe not swel with pride arrogancie and conceit but euen as the beggar knowing his want and no way hauing of his own to trust to confesseth other mens helpe néedefull for him humbleth himself before them beggeth their aide and giueth them as instruments the praise of his liuing so they humbled tamed schooled and reformed by their want towardes all men carie a lowlie heart and onely at the Lordes handes looke for both comfort in this world and saluation in the worlde to come These poore men and women that is these that are thus affected vnder their Crosse saith Christ were their want more than euer any abode the companions of their wantes snubbes checkes taunts and such like moe and more bitter than euer anie mans were yet euen in the most of them all I pronounce them blessed and I assure them happie that euer they liued for theirs is the kingdome of God For this cause therefore I asked you howe you were affected vnder your pouertie And nowe Frailtie consider and weigh this sentence of the Lord. For ynough it is of it selfe if our incredulitie be not monstrous to comfort the hart of any man or
dissembling and so thereby to winne fauour to winne wealth to winne friends countenance in their dealings that me thinke I cannot stand anie longer in the innocencie of a good conscience but I must doe as they doe that I may get what they get Yet knowe I this to be diuelish but I am Frailtie by name and I feare mee by nature I shall be no lesse Thirdly when any vnquietnesse growes in towne and countrie or any iarring vnkindnesse I see such hazard in dealing betwixt them such subtilties and fetches to make a man a partie in that which his soule hated and so to trouble him and let the best be supposed I see vsually so small thanke gotten of either partie but euen the cōtrarie that I assure you I sit still and let them bate the fire that made the fire and themselues waste one an other and a thousande moe too for mee if they wil. Notwithstanding my conscience accuseth mee secretly that this is not wel doone of mee And thus indangered without and accused within me thinke my case is harde and grieuous But I wil not wearie you with any moe of my infirmities For I euen shame to shewe you these but that you are Faith a friend where you take strong and comfortable and gaue me libertie to be thus boulde with you before Faith In déede Frailtie you are when these things thus flowe vpon you yet Frailtie may you cease to be by the grace of God if you wil diligently wey what strength in the scripture is ministred against them For to begin with you first letting store of other scriptures passe to kéep me stil in this fift of Matthew euidently it may there appéere that the Lord knewe it would assault his children and therefore vttered this sentence no doubt of purpose to confirme them still that Blessed are the mercifull for they shall obtaine mercie Wherein if it were well marked there is comfort hidden euen sufficiēt against this vile suggestion For shall the Lord of heauen set a blessing vpon the head of a thing and we not be mooued with it Nay shall it not more mooue vs than al the spéeches or conceites in the worlde to the contrarie tending What though a dull heart say let all men perish so I may be safe or what though a thousand policies pricke to a priuate regarde aboue measure of priuate welbeing doe we not heare with our eares and sée with our eies the spéech of truth which shall stand when heauen and earth shal fall Blessed is the merciful Either then make God false or this blessing assured to the vertue euer And if it be assured then neuer regarde the conceits of a witlesse world but consider the vertue in it selfe and what it shall pull vppon you Then to the imagination of want that may growe by this grace and to the sting that ariseth vpon their ingratitude whom we haue béene mercifull vnto oppose the promise that followeth in the place For they shall obtaine mercie Doth a man obtaine mercie when he is in this world made worse and in the world to come no better No you know he doth not and therefore it must néedes folow that this promised mercie implieth a greater good than euer can come harme by a liberall and mercifull hande in order either in this world or in the other or in both And it hath confirmation also of scriptures beside For I haue beene yong saieth the Prophet Dauid and nowe am olde yet sawe I neuer the righteous forsaken nor his seede begging their bread But the righteous is euer mercifull and lendeth and his seede is blessed And againe in another Psalme A good man is merciful and lendeth and he shall neuer be moued but had in euerlasting remēbrance Whereby it is plaine plaine inough that let the worlde and her chickens be as churlish as they may be yet mercie is gainefull by the promise of the Lord vnto the mercifull And more should we regarde what our God liketh loueth blesseth than what with worldly wretches getteth rewarde Yet euen here also it hath his praise as you may sée by proofe in Iob and others manie though not peraduenture euer in all that are most bound vnto it Wherfore euen a thousand times we shoulde contemne this rude nature of vnreformed worldlings and lette them be as vnkinde as vngratefull and as peruerse as their corruption can make thē if the Lorde soften our hearts and giue vs this vertue of mercie our rewarde is certaine the bill of our blessednesse is signed and we as we could euer desire assured to be gainers Sincke it then Frailtie in your heart if I may obtaine anie thing of you and heare not these things without any profit Ponder the good promised in your minde and ponder the trueth of him that promiseth it God of heauen earth If the good counteruaile your hurt as a thousād times it doth your temptatiō is strengthned and if he neuer deceiued that hath giuen his worde for payment of you it is more strengthned but both of these are true and therefore God giue you vse of them the blessing of mercifulnesse to al that truely néede your helpe is assured This were inough then if you be not vtterly fallen out with mée and will credite nothing that Faith telleth you to stay your steps in this godly duety of mercie yet regarding your nature rather than the néede of the thing adde vnto al this but some litle view in your minde of the vertue it selfe in it selfe and it may be you shall finde strength increased by it Is it not in his nature thinke you an assured vertue that God maketh euer anie promise of rewarde vnto Or can it make miserable that the Lord saith maketh blessed Or is it not cause ynough to continue you euer in the practise of it that the Lord so often so earnestly and so generally to all estates commaundeth it Surely it is and therefore mercie in it nature is a most notable vertue Is it not to be honored that maketh men in whome it is so renowmed as that all ages speake and write of their names and natures for it But this vertue of mercie hath béene such to many and therefore in all truth a notable vertue For proofe of my assertion I let passe the multitude of the faithful whome either scriptures or stories or present practise as yet amongst vs honorably speake and think of And I remember you onelie of his name whose nature in this action being an heathen hath often well liked me Alexander the great Whom when one Petillus humblie besought to helpe him with some money towardes the bestowing of his daughter in mariage by and by he commaunded 50. talentes to be giuen vnto him and when the man refused so great a gift saying that ten talentes would suffise beeing tolde of it he also aunswered that it behooued a good nature not onelie to consider what an honest friende
heare the Lorde I say that neuer lied Blessed are the pure in hart for they shal see God you heare his seruant Dauid againe Blessed is that man in whose spirit there is no guile no guile I say againe and the Lord giue vs strength Against discouragement from peacemaking the seuenth temptation YOur next complaint is of slackenesse that créepeth vpon you daily more and more in laboring to pacifie disagréeing neighbors against which your conscience crieth and indéede with cause for it is a great offence hatefull to God and hurtfull to the common wealth in generall and to manie a man in seuerall But in the name of God Frailtie strengthen your selfe by an earnest consideration of the great excellencie of that Christian vertue of peace and vnitie and fix not your eie so much vppon the acceptaunce of men that haue euer had their corruptions and euer wil. The vertue you shall finde in verie high degrée commended vnto men by the holy scriptures of God in many places and by manie arguments but I will referre the noting and naming of them to your owne diligence and content my selfe in a short spéech with a verie fewe Beginning first with that notable Psalme of the Prophet Dauid wholie spent in this matter Where the first argument is this That which is good ought euer greatly to be regarded and maintained amongst men but much more if it both be good pleasant too for these both do not euer concurre together But such a thing is peace and loue amongest men For beholde howe good and pleasant a thing it is brethren to dwell together in vnitie behold I say and euen marke it earnestly Therefore it ought to be regarded and maintened euer to the vttermost of our powers amongst vs. His second argument is this that which casteth a comfort from it like the precious ointment that was appointed for the priests of the Lorde Aaron and his successors and euen such a comfort as that ointment hath when it is not sparingly dropped but euen plentifully powred and so plentifully as that it runneth down euen from the top of the head to the skirts of his clothing that is a notable thing amongst men and by all meanes to be retained and sought but this is peace and vnitie loue and agréement amongst them Therefore to be regarded and maintained greatly His third argumēt is this That which being had is to men as the dew descending from the mountains to y e ground and being wanting is as the want of moisture to the earth that is thrice néedefull gainefull and good to men but such is vnitie peace and loue euen like the dew of Hermon that fell vpon the hill of Sion Therefore to be regarded and maintained greatly His last and not his least argument wherewith hée endeth both this matter and that Psalme withall is this That which pulleth vppon men euen all the temporall blessings of God and life for euermore that is a thousand times profitable both to them and theirs but such saith the prophet is peace and vnitie loue and agréement amongst men therefore to be regarded and maintained greatly Thus you sée one mans iudgement and that such a mans as had abundance of Gods most blessed spirite to direct his heart to thinke and penne to write and as in trueth was euerie waie then renowmed and now remaineth by the Lord himselfe in high degrée aboue others commended to vs. Unto whome if you adde some other Scriptures you shall more peraduenture be cōfirmed with diuersitie though this indéede were sufficient Consider therefore also those often repetitions of Christ in the gospell My peace I giue to you my peace I leaue with you loue one an other for this is my commandement that you loue one an other as I haue loued you and hereby shall men know that you are my disciples if you loue one an other yea a new commandement I giue you that you loue one an other Woulde euer the Lorde Jesus haue thus gone ouer and ouer it againe and iterated charge vpon charge in this order if it had not béen a most excellent vertue in euerie countrey towne and house loue and agréement Marke againe that most earnest exhortation of the Apostle Paule vnto the same in his epistle to the Ephesians desiring them in his bondes for the Lordes cause that they would support one an other thorowe loue indeuoring to keepe the vnitie of the spirite in the bonde of peace And why For there is one bodie and one spirite one hope of calling one Lorde one faith one baptisme one God and father of all c. A most vehement and vrging reason if I should folowe it and laie it plainer open And marke a multitude of other places to the same conclusion which assuredly the Lorde would neuer haue vttered but that the price of peace vnitie and loue is verie precious in his eyes and to all estates a most soueraigne good in the worlde Sée also howe sensiblie thinges in nature carie vs to this consideration For by experience we finde it that if the heauens agrée to moysten the earth and the earth being moystened to giue her increase we are all the better for their vnitie and if they should but euen a litle while either of them denie his office quickly and greatly should we féele the smart of it also Therefore iudge by this the fruite of good agréement Againe if the humors in mens bodies be at an agréement not one aboue an other but verie equally as is best proportioned and mixed all the whole bodie is comfortable prospereth and doth well but if once any one aboundeth or wanteth and their swéete harmonie is broken then by and by the whole bodie féeleth it and if a reconciliation be not made with conuenient spéede it perisheth Therefore iudge by this the fruit of good agréement Againe if the members of the bodie well agrée to doe their seuerall duties all is well but if either eye denie to guide foote to goe hande to reach stomacke to digest or so foorth streight the whole bodie falleth to hurt And therefore sée by this the fruite of good agréement Last of all euen in musicall instrumentes marke how well we like the noyse so long as euerie string doth kéepe his iust proportion how presently we stop our eares from hearing if any one be out of tune twitched vp too high or let downe too lowe and all the musicke is marred All which and manie moe in nature sounde vnto vs and as they can deliuer it out that great is the fruite comfort and good of peace and loue amongst men and as great the euill as odious the sight if any one member in his own vaine conceite be twitched ouer high or negligently slacked ouer much whereby that fit proportion is not kept that euer soundeth sémeth swéet For then will followe assuredly ere the time bee long the proofe of Christ his spéeche A
y e childe that is her flesh before he can forget vs and aswell can a man suffer the apple of his eye to be pricked as he vs to be hurt if we cleaue to him then iudge if his crosse shoulde euer dismaie vs. Fourthly it is no strange thing or vnhearde of or vnséene before that befalleth to vs when we are persecuted but such as all our brethren haue tasted founde and felt before vs and why then should we faint when we drinke but of the same cuppe that the déerest saintes and soules nowe blessed with the Lorde haue begunne to vs in Cast your eyes about sée the course of times although I knowe you knowe it well ynough Beganne not Abell vnto vs in this cup and course assoone as euer the Lord bewrayed his loue vnto him before his brother Followed not the Patriarkes and Prophetes men and women elde and young in their times and measures euen till Christ came Then was it not the cuppe that his owne selfe beganne to his children in and the baptisme wherewith he was baptized Followed not his disciples sent out into the world as shéepe amongst wolues whipped and beaten checked and snubbed imprisoned and cheyned c. Followed not againe after them those thousandes of his children vnder the primitiue persecution some scalded some burned some broyled some hanged some headed some throwne down from the rocks vpon stakes some stabbed in with forkes some racked and torne in péeces their tongues cut out their eyes bored out their fleshe twitched off with pinsons womens brestes seared off with hoat yrons pricked vnder the nayles with néedles and a thousande waies tormented Yea was it not euer true with the godly In hoc vocati estis For this ende were yee called And good Lorde then why should not a common case be a cōmon comfort Why should any man or woman that loueth God séeke or wishe a priuiledge aboue all the children of God that euer were and euen aboue the sonne of God himselfe Christ Jesus Is it not honor ynough mercy ynough and fauour ynough to be dealt withall as they were Therefore the communitie of it to vs with all our brethren and sisters and euen with our eldest brother Christ Jesus should stay our hearts whensoeuer it pleaseth the Lord to sende it Fiftly the cause being not ours but the Lorde our Gods and good should also confirme vs. The short time that it can indure were it suppose as long as we liue should comfort vs. For our life is but a flower as grasse as smoke as a bubble of the water and as the vainest fickle fading thing that you can imagine Againe that passed promise from the Lorde of life and trueth sealed with the bloud of his owne sonne vnto vs the swéetenesse whereof all the tongues of men and Angels can neuer expresse That hee will neuer lay more vppon vs than hee will make vs able to beare should be like a thousande staies rounde about vs to houlde vs vp The promises of peace comfort and quiet for euermore aboue measure and concept of man in heauen if we continue faithfull to the end should hould vs vp That sentence passed in the Lords court of bastardie and consequently of depriuation of all inheritance if we be without correction should hould vs vp And what should I goe any further The examples of our brethren of al rallings of all ages men and women that haue constantly caried their crosse and neuer deliuered it vp till they deliuered soule and all to their God should hould vs vp Wherefore Frailtie euen as Iudas the Machabee could incourage his men not to feare the multitude of their enemies neither to be afraid of their assault but to remember howe their fathers were deliuered in the redde sea when Pharaoh pursued after them so say I to you and to my selfe let vs neuer feare affliction nor the euill day for our momentanie crosse causeth an euerlasting weight of glorie But let vs remember the firme faith of our fathers of our mothers of our brethren and friendes let vs looke vpon their paciencie vppon their constancie their hope beséech the liuing God we may followe their good steppes and staie in strength vppon his mercy whatsoeuer he sendeth vs knowing it as we know we liue that though our braines cleaue to the wales though our bones be strowed in the stréetes and our bloud runne downe euerie chanell yet shall we rise againe restored by the power of our God be gathered into his barne as his pure wheate our bloud reuenged we crowned and our tongues sounde the praise of him that sitteth vpon the throne with maiestie and honour aboue all concept of anie earthly heart Frailtie O but Faith the worlde will giue such a spitefull censure of a man or womans life religion honestie wisedome and such like as that it is euen a hell to heare them when the Lorde doth exercise vs. For it was euer and I thinke euer will be the concept of flesh and bloude that a good man and woman truely religious truely honest and sufficiently wise cannot bee so plagued as they tearme it of God at anie time and therefore the crosse must needes testifie to the worlde a want in all these Faith It is most certaine and daily found what you say yet is there nothing vnder heauen more absurde than that opinion For loued not God Abell Abraham Isaak and Iacob loued he not his Prophets loued he not his owne sonne and all that followed his steppes to this day Were none of them of a true religion of an honest life and wise ynough to take that course in the worlde that God allowed Yet all of them plagued he as they call it And neuer any further humbled in this world than Christ himselfe and therefore prosperitie or aduersitie may not be taken for signes euer of fauour or displeasure But the worst man most quiet often in this worlde and most honored loued promoted and renowned his deserued torment being deferred to an other day and the truest christian most troubled tossed reiected and humbled his comfort and rewarde remaining for him in an other worlde But beside all this plaine demonstration of a tried trueth vse with your selfe Frailtie to oppose against that concept of the worlde the sentence of the Lorde our God next following in the fifth of Matthewe after those that nowe haue béene considered of Blessed are they that suffer persecution for righteousnesse sake for theirs is the kingdome of heauen And thinke with your selfe as I haue nowe often sayde that if our God set a blessing vpon it what skilleth it what the whole worlde and ten thousande worldes moe if they were extant doth iudge Shall the voice of man be the guide of our course and the line of our life Shall mans iudgement or Gods iudgement stande in the later day O Frailtie we may not hang vppon so broken a réede as flesh and fleshlie wit is Wee may not be lifted vp with