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
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
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
example / as a certain rule and definition / that jdolatrie is an outward action against gods honour / yea although it procede not from the wil and purpose of the minde / but be onlye colourable feined In whiche mater thei make goodli cavillationes that ther is no jdolatrie at all when as our affiaunce is not put in jdoles Yet shall thes men coutinually remain condemned by the sentence whiche thee mightiest judge hath pronounced But thes men do contend only for the name / oÌ„ly going about somdeall to lesson their faulte / which thei can by no means defend nor excuse Yea thei will graunt that this thing is evell done and not rightly / yet not with standiÌ„g thei wold have this fact to be judged as a certaine veniall sinne But although we grauÌ„t them as towching the name that thing they aske / yet thei shall not get so moche ther by that they may make their cause moche the better Let vs saye thê° / that soche maner of feined worshipping of jdoles / is not called jdolatrie / yet nevertheless it shal be a traitourous entrepece against god / a certain fact repugnaunt to the confessioÌ„ of faith / a fowl filthy pollution most full of wicked sacrilege I pray you when the most sacred service and honour of god is so violated / that we falsly break that promise we mad to him / that thorow cowardise and faiÌ„tnes of stomak we denie crokedly and falsly our Christian profession / that we be come inconstaunt and dowble / that we defile our selves fowly with thos things / whiche god hath cursed with all kinde of malediction is this so light a mater that after we have done it / we ought only to wipe our mouth / and confess that we have committed a certain small fault Let vs therfor put away thes shiftes / specially seing thei serve for no nother thinge but to make vs bouldre / and to geve vs greater libertie to sinne / and doth nothing at al diminish our fault Ther be also other more impudeÌ„t / whiche do not only / chauÌ„ging the name / goo about to perswade that it is not so great and vnworthy a sinne but do plaiÌ„ly and precisely deny it to be sinne It is sufficient / saye they / that god be honoured with hart minde EveÌ„ so truly if the hart it selff were not dowble For when the minde is truly sounde pure the bodye shall never be drawen in to a contrary parte I wold know of them what the is that moveth leadeth their feet to the temple For when thei goo to here mass / their legges will never be stirred of their owne morioÌ„ / but must nedes be moved bi the iÌ„ward power of the miÌ„de TheÌ„ must thei nedes confess that ther is in them selves a certain desier and motioÌ„ of miÌ„de wher of thei be caried to worship the jdoles / and chefely because they covet to apply theÌ„ selves after their wil and opinion / whiche ar enemies to the truth / yea and do so conforme them selves to please them / that they do moche more esteme their favour their owne lyf then gods honour and glorye Besids this / their impudency is so manifest and shamfull / that j am ashamed to dispute against it / as though it had som colour or lyknesse of reason / yet j must nedes do it / seing they do please theÌ„ selves so greatly / and arr / as it were men dronken in their own opiniones and pleasures / falleÌ„ fast on stepe They think this is jnough to worship god in sprit / whos then shall the body be Truli s Paull moveth vs to honour god / both in body and spirit / for they be his own and belongeth to none other God hath created the body / shall it be leafull for vs / therwith to serve honoure the devell as though he shold seem te be the author maker therof It were better they wold profess them selves opeÌ„ly to be maniches denye that god made the wholl maÌ„ Yf they had never so litle taste of the gospell thei wold not burst out in to so liceÌ„tious impudeÌ„cye But now it is plaine j nough / that thei in no wise know / what is the power greatnes of this benefite / to be redemed with the bloud of gods soÌ„n And to prove this true / how can we look for the resurrectione of the flesh except we beleve that Christe Iesus is the redemer both of bodyes souls j. Corin. vij S. Paul also doth admonish vs / not to be the servants of men / because we were bought purchesed with so great apece / which is the bloud of gods soÌ„n Then he that doth joyn addict him self to the wicked service of jdoles / doth he not treade uÌ„dre his fete the most sacred bloud of Iesus Christ / wherin doth coÌ„sist the price of the eternall iÌ„mortall glorie / which we look for in our bodies What reasoÌ„ is it the our bodies shold be defiled ê“faned befor jdoles / seiÌ„ge the crown of eternal lyf is ê“mised vnto theÌ„ in heveÌ„ This wallowiÌ„g in sataÌ„s stews most filthye defiliÌ„g is it a meaÌ„ waie wher by we may come to the kiÌ„gdoÌ„ of god Morover it was not said with out a great cause / our bodiÌ„es at the teÌ„ples of the holy ghost / therfor thei which perceav not / that they ought to be kept in all holines / do plainly shew them selves to perceave vndrestaÌ„d nothiÌ„g at all of the gospell Also thei declare that they know no whit at al what is the powr of Iesus Christ of his grace For when it is said on this wise that we ar bone of his bones flesh of his flesh we ought to vndrestaÌ„d that we be joyned with him both in bodie and soull Therfor no mane can defile his own bodye with any maner of superstition / but he doth separat him self / from the coÌ„iunction and vnion / wher by we ar made the meÌ„bres of the soÌ„ne of god But now let thes wittye subtile doctours answer me / whether thei have receaved baptisme only in their souls / or whether god hath coÌ„mauÌ„ded rather instituted that this signe shold be impriÌ„ted in our flesh Shal the bodye then wherin the mark of Iesus Christ is printed / be polluted defiled with so contrarie / repugnaunt / and so wicked abominations Also the lordes supper / is it receaved in the minde only / and not also in the hands and mouth Hath god engraven in our bodies the armes badges of his soÌ„ne / that we afterward shold pollute our selves with all vncleannes / with most foul spotes shame / so vnsemly deform our selves / that no kiÌ„de nor likenes of christiaÌ„ bewtie shold appear It is not leaful in coyniÌ„g one pece of gold to priÌ„te two coÌ„trarie coynes / nether to set two sealls the one repuÌ„gnauÌ„t to the other / vnto one writiÌ„g
shal a mortal man take vpon hime to countrefete and corrupt baptisme / and the moste holy supper of Iesus Christ / also be bold to say that ther is no evel in so great and mischevous a fact Soche men truly ar worthye / that their servauÌ„tes shold perswade and make them beleve / thei have a great pleasur to do them service when not wtstandiÌ„g / they geve them selves to slepe / pleasurs and al jdlenes / do not move one finge to do any worke at all Yf they say it is not alike reason / by cause we have nede of their labour that be vndre vs j aÌ„swer although god have nonede of vs / yet for that he wil vse our labour / service / and obedieÌ„ce / to serve and honour him / truely it is to moche vnsemely / for vs the greatest shame and infamye / to do all thing other wise then he will / and cleane to be void of the studye and dutye whiche we owe vnto him / yea our shame is so moche the greater / that the worm of the earth and an vnliving creature shall requiere more power over vs / honour then his creatour But yet we must talk with thes beastes more plainly They say it is leafull for them to fein and cloke what so ever they will emong the papists / and to conforme them selves to that maner and fashion of religion / whiche is thought most apt to norish superstition Who is he then that geveth them bread to be fed with all ther Who doth make the grownd fertile to bring forth fruit If god do fede norishe them iÌ„ thos places wher thei dwell as he doth all other men in the other partes of the earth / why do thei not honour the gever of that benefite with that part of themselfe / whiche is so bountefully norished of him Why do they rather obei and serve the devel with theyr bodies Yf thes men were in any parte christians / j wold vse with theÌ„ more waighty and hygher reasons and j wold aske of them / to what end we lyve in this world / and wher vnto our lyfe ought to be referred But o miserable case that they whiche with subtleties and shiftes will dally with god / ar so brutishe / that they must be handled / as men not only destitute of gods spirit / but in a maner void of naturall common sence They think this is a sufficient excuse / to saye / they do nothing in this kinde / but for feare of perill and daungere / but yf this colour may take place / then must we say that Ioseph shold have done none evel / yf he had committed whordom with his maistres when it was violently offered him / seing he shold not have folowed his own will / but have geven place to necessitie violence whiche she did vnto him It shold have bene a foolish fact of him / to entre soche perill and infamie / as after ward he suffred by the false accusation of the naughty woman / seing he might have escaped thos evels yf he had accoÌ„plished hir will But we ought rather to folow the exaÌ„ple of Ioseph / and alowe the testimonie of the holy ghoste / who doth commend his constancye If ther be no wickednes in taking vpon vs jdolatrouse religion when we do it to avoid the raging crueltie of the papistes / the servaunt shall not sinn / who for his masters pleasure / shall playe the bawde / kill / and playe the traitour / for fear to displease him / vndre whos power he is But j abide to longe in this mater / wher in as j said before ther is no doubt or difficultie It shall not befarr froÌ„ the purpose to coÌ„sidre in to how great confusjon thei falle / whiche travail with al their craftes to escape gods judgmeÌ„t Others ther be that have fouÌ„d an other shyft stertiÌ„g holle / thei graunt / that the suê‘stition of the geÌ„tles is a wicked detestable religioÌ„ / but it is not all on reason of thes the superstitioÌ„s whiche arr in the papisme As though all the false religioÌ„ that ever was emoÌ„g the heitheÌ„ / was not a corruptiÌ„g depravatioÌ„ of the true religion of god From wheÌ„ce did the heathen draw tak to them selves the yr ceremonies but of the holy fathers In which doiÌ„g this was their great fault / that thei depraved vtterly ê‘verted thos thiÌ„gs whiche thei had receaved / well wisely iÌ„stituted of god But yet al the abominatioÌ„es that ever wer in the world have bene cloked with a bewtiful title of god hiÌ„ selfe the culture of his religioÌ„ But thos couÌ„trefet religions / had never that coÌ„meÌ„dation / power authoritie / that god did at any time apê“ve thos services coÌ„gregations / or that faithful meÌ„ did vse frequeÌ„t them Goo to let vs ê“cede forther Although j shold grauÌ„t the jdolatrie of the papistes to be vnlike differ from the suê‘stition of the old geÌ„tles / yet caÌ„ thei not denye but god so earnestly dide forbid the religioÌ„ wickedly set vp iÌ„ be thel / as al other suê‘stitioÌ„s which were iÌ„stituted celebrated iÌ„other places WheÌ„ the calves were erected iÌ„ DaÌ„ Bethel this was iÌ„stituted done uÌ„dre a certaiÌ„e colour of his naeÌ„ with had brought his people out of egipt iet the same religioÌ„ with was yer appoiÌ„ted is manifestly agaiÌ„st the doctrine of the law God doth coÌ„deÌ„ne al thos the goeth thither to defile and pollute them selves And truly the supper of Iesê° Christ the popish mass arr no less repugnauÌ„t and coÌ„trarie the on to the other then the sacrifices of Moses and Ieroboam From whence then is this vispensation and licence to goo and here mass vndre this colour that the supper of Iesus Christe is but transformed yea rather in dede deformed But j say and affirme coÌ„trariwaise / that all they that do fear god truly honour him godlily / ought so moche the more to hate detest it / for that it doth more openly violat and profane the holy institution of Iesus Christe / then if it were not so repugnaunt and coÌ„trarie vnto the same Wherfore let vs kepe this common rule generally / that all the ordinaunce and inventions of meÌ„ proponed and takeÌ„ in haÌ„d to corrupt the simple truth of gods word / to pervert that religioÌ„ which he requireth alloweth / arr veray sacrileges with whiche the Christian man / may in no wise communicate / without that iniurie and contumelye / whiche treadeth vndre feet gods honour most wickedly I know wel jnough how grevous and vntolerable this severe judgmeÌ„t semeth to them / whiche wold after their own lust and delicat minde / be more nicely and mekly spoken to and taught Wherin what wold they j shold doo What moderatioÌ„ and lenitie shold j vse Truly now j perceave how tendre and deintie they arr / j covet so
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
mark wel that thes two reasons do partaine to oure dutye / and must be joyned to gether / that the one may in no wise be separated and disioyned from the other It is mete therfor to take our beginning of this / that we vndrestand know / what is our Christian religion / what faith it is that we ought to holde and folow / what rule of lyf god hath geven vs. Nether must we only have our miÌ„ds instruct with this godly doctrin / but also have our mindes so armed and prepared / that we may freli and boldly damne all errours / lies / superstitions / which satan hath brought in to the world / to corrupt the pure simplicitie of gods doctrine Therfor it is no mervaill / that ther is so small a numbre of men / that have a ready minde and desier to suffre for the gospel / and that the greatest part of them / that profess them selves Christians / knoweth not the power of the Christian religion / and ther own profession Al men in a maner ar negligeÌ„t / and have no desier or veray small / to here and read / who thinketh it sufficient / yf thei have gotteÌ„ so me smal tast of the ChristiaÌ„ faith And this is the cause why ther is â—ene in thes no surety and coÌ„stancie of minde / and that so sone as thei come in to any conflict / thei ar so abashed / as though thei shold bye and bye vtterly perish For with coÌ„sideration our desier ought to be greater to pur sue and serche out most diligently gods truth / that therwith our hartes may be perswaded with out any doubt Nether is this al to have soche knowledge and vndrestanding For we see many so well travailed in gods doctrine that thei seme as though thei were stained and died yer with / in whom never the less ther is no desier love of god / no more truly then if thei had knowen nothing at any time of the godly doctrin / but by a certain vnsure / light / and wavering opinion But what other cause is ther of this so great vncertaintie and levitie / but that thei did never ê‘ceave in ther minde the maiestie of that holy scripture And truly if we wold rightly waye / that it is god that speaketh to vs theirin we wold here him with more diligence / attention and revereÌ„ce If we wold think in readiÌ„g the scripture / that we ar in the schole and discipline of angels / we shold have an other maner of desier to exercise our selves in that doctrine / which is setforth to vs / to confort / strengththeÌ„ / and instruct our miÌ„ds Now we see what is the waye to prepare our selves to patience sufferaunce for the gospel / that is so to goo forward in the doctrine ther of / that being throwly perswaded of the true religion that doctrine which we ought to holde and defend / we may nothing esteme / and despise all the fravds and illusions of the devel / and al the inveÌ„tions of men / as things not only of no value / but also execrable / by cause thei vttrely corrupt the Christian synceritie And herin we differ as true martyres of Iesus Christ / from the furiouse and stifnecked men / which suffre for their own folish opinions SecoÌ„dly we ought to be so minded / that being assured of the right and goodnes of the cause / we shold be enflamed with this due desier to folow god whither so ever he shal call vs / to embrace his word with soche reverence as it is worthie / and being called bak froÌ„ the deceitfull fashion of this world / as men ravished / with their whol miÌ„de endevoir shold be caried to an heveÌ„ly lyfe But o most miserable case / that wheÌ„ the light of god doth shine vnto vs in thes daies so bright as it did never shine in the remeÌ„brauÌ„ce of meÌ„ / yet so litle zeal / favo 2 love shold be fouÌ„d WheriÌ„ our miserie is so moche the greater / that in so great filthines and vnthankfulnes we ar not overwhelmed with blushing shame For we must shortly come before that judge / before whom our vice and evel with we by al means go abovt to hide / shall be brought forth / with that rebuke and chek / wherby the just cause of our destruction shal apear For yf we be so endebted and bound to god / that for the knowlege he hath geven vs / we ought to geve to him honourable and thankfull testimonie / why is our stomak so abashed fearful to entre in to the batell Especially seing god in this our age / hath so opened him selfe / that it may be rightly said and truly / that he hath opened and plainly set forth / the greatest treasurs of his secrets May not this be said / that we so think of god / as though we semed to staÌ„d no nede of him at all For yf we had any consideration of his maiestie / we durst never be so bold to turn the doctrine / whiche proceadeth out of his mouth in to philosophye and vaiÌ„ speculation In fine we can have no excuse / but this must be vnto vs the greatest shame / yea an horrible condemnation / that in so great knowlege / obtained by the singulare goodnes of god we have so litle love mind to defend kepe the same For first / yf we will call to our remaÌ„braunce the martyrs of olde time / and coÌ„pare their wondreful constancie with this our teÌ„dre slouthfulnes / we shal finde passing great cause to detest our own filthines For thei were not for the most part so travailed and excercised in the scripturs / that thei could learnedly dispute of all maters But first of al / thei knew held fast this / that ther is one god / whoÌ„ thei ought to serve and honoure then / that thei were redemed with the bloud of Iesus Christe / that in him only and in his grace thei shold put their affiaunce / and trust of salvation Morover they did judge all other inventions and ordinauÌ„ces of meÌ„ / to worship god / so vnworthy filthines / that thei could easely condemne al jdolatries superstitions to conclude in few words this was their divinitie / ther is one only god the maker of the whol world / which hath declared vnto vs his wil by Moses and the prophets / then by Iesus Christe and his apostles We have one redemer / with whos bloud we were bought / by whos grace we hope to be saved Al the jdoles of the world / ar to be detested and accursed Thei came stoutly and boldly to the fier / or other kinde of death / and punishment / instructed with no other doctrin and more hidden knowlege And the numbre of them was not small / as of two or thre / but so great that the multitude of theÌ„ / whiche were cruelly vexed and tormented of
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
yeir violeÌ„c oppressioÌ„ vntill we be delivered from thes afflictiones calamities by him And j am not ignoraunt / that the flesh will then greatly spurne and refuse to be ruled / wheÌ„ it must be brought in to this state / but yet the will of god must rule all our thoughtes and lustes Yf we fele in our selves som contradiction and resistaunc it is not greatly to be merveiled at For that is planted and engraven in our nature to flye the crosse Yet let vs not abide still / in that tendrenes of the fleshe / but let vs go on forward / knowing that our obedience is thankful acceptable to god / so that we cast down our sences and appetits / and do so subdue them / that thei be vndre his powr Nether did the prophetes and apostles com to death with minde / that thei did not perceave their will to be against it / and encliniÌ„g an other waie Thei shal lead the whether thow wolds not / said our lord Iesus to Peter So wheÌ„ soche fear of death doth prik our miÌ„ds let vs labour by al meanes / that we may have the overhand / or rather that god may overcome / and in the mean while let vs thus perswade our selves / that it is to him a most pleasant sacrifice / when we resist our appetites / and do so withstand them / that by this meanes being subdued vndre his power / we may ordre and lead our lyfe after his will and pleasure This is the cheffest and greatest battell / whervnto god will have all his with all ther power to applie / to th ende thei may laboure / to cast down and depress all that whiche doth so moche exalte it selfe in their sences / wittes and appetits / that it doth carye and withdrawe themfrom the way / which god doth shew to theÌ„ In the meaÌ„ season / the coÌ„solations ar so great and weightye / that it can not be expressed / how moche deyntie cowardnes is in vs / when we waxe faint herted / and geve over for thes perills and troubles In olde time the numbre was almost infinite of them / which for the desier of a garland made of corruptible leaves / did refuse no laboure / paine and wrastlinge / and also did so suffre death it selfe / that thei might seme to have their lyfe in no price And yet ther was none of them / but did contend chanceably beiÌ„g vncertain / whether he shold winne / or lose the game God doth set befor vs an immortall crown / wheriÌ„ we may optaine his own glorie And he hath not apointed vs / an vncertaine chanceable conflict / but doth promise soche are ward / to the whiche we ought to conferr all the counseills / studies / and desiers of our lyfe What is the cause / that we ar so faint herted in the largenes and worthines of this honour / which is certaine and eternal Do we think that this was spoken in vaine / that we shal lyve with Christe / yf we be dead with him The triuÌ„ph is prepared for vs / but we so moche as we may do flie from the conflict and battel But this doctrin is soche / that it semeth plainlie to disagree with mans judgemeÌ„t This is true Nether also Christe / wheÌ„ he pronounceth theÌ„ blessed which suffer ê‘sequution for right eousnes sake / doth propownd soche a sentenc as the opinion of the world wold allowe or receav Yea he wil have vs to thinke / that to be the cheffest felicitie / which we judge the greatest miserie We think our selves most miserable / wheÌ„ god doth suffre vs to be afflicted and oppressed with the tyraÌ„nye and crueltie of our enemies But we do wondrefully erre in this / that we set not befor our eies gods promises / with do plainli confirme vnto vs / that al things shal come to our profect / joye / and salvatioÌ„ We cast down our stomakes and dispare when we see wicked naughty men / to have the overhand on vs / to do that crueltie to vsy t thei seme to tread down our neck with their feet But this same most cruel vexation of the wicked / and so great trouble and coÌ„fusion of thiÌ„gs / as s Paul warneth / ought rather to coÌ„firm our miÌ„ds raise vp litte theÌ„ in to heveÌ„ For bi cause of our own natur we ar beÌ„t to the studie love of thiÌ„gs present / ar so inflamed that wtour whol knowlege / miÌ„d cogitatioÌ„ / we ar occupied in to moche leviÌ„g vsing this vanitie god / wheÌ„ he suffreth vs to be thê°evel vexed handled / the wicked to grow florish in al thiÌ„gs / doth teache admonish vs by thes plaine notable sings of his most just judgemeÌ„t / that / that daie shal once come / wheÌ„ all thiÌ„gs that be now troubled confused / shal be sattled But yf that same time seme far loÌ„g to / let vs flye to the reamedie / let vs not flatter our selves in our vice For this is certaine that we have no faith at al onless we cast the eies of our miÌ„de to the honourable coming of Iesus Christe And because god wold leave out no coÌ„sideration / that might be apt to move stirre vs / he doth set forthe on the one part ê“mises / on the other ê‘t threateniÌ„gs Do we fele that the ê“mises of god have not force jnough autoritie in vs To coÌ„firm theÌ„ wtal let vs joiÌ„ yerto the threateniÌ„gs We shew our selves woÌ„dousti froward / sence we beleve gods ê“mises no more yen we do WheÌ„ the lord Iesê° Chri. Mat. x. Luc. ij saith / he wil acknowleg vs for his own coÌ„fess so of vs befor his father / so that we also coÌ„fess him befor men / what shold let vs to geve to him that coÌ„fession / which he requireth of vs When men have done all thei can / the worst yei may do is to take away our lyves How preciouse then shall the heveÌ„ly lyfe be vnto vs wheÌ„ it is compared with this present lyfe whiche is lost It is not my purpose in this place to collect all the promises set forth in the scripture to this end Yet sence thei be repeated and so ofteÌ„ times renued vnto vs / we ought so to be exercised not only in the readiÌ„g / but also in the knowlege and coÌ„solation of them / that we might be as it wer died and surelye confirmed in them But yf when the plage hangeth over our heades thre or fower of them ar not fufficient to confirm strengthen vs / truely an hundreth shold be sufficient to overcome al adverse and contrarie temtations But yf god with thes great swete promises can not entice and draw vs to him / ar we not veray great dullerds / and betle heads / when nether the sever threatenings can work any more in vs Luc. ix Iesus Christe doth appointe adaye to accuse
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