and with small force and others which seemed to be very weake and feeble haue by the grace of God resisted the greatest princes of Europe which could not ouercome them with all theyr forces and haue receaued therby great disgrace Let vs then conclude that there is nothing so strong as the house of God that is to say the Church which by his fauour is inuincible and inexpugnable for any power as Dauid sayeth Psal 46.5 God is in the middest of it therfore shall it not be mooued God shall helpe it very earlye when the nations raged and the kingdomes were moued God thundered and the earth melted the Lorde of hoastes is with vs the God of Iacob is our refuge How are the Apostates then so vnwise as euen in the time of warre to geue ouer such a houlde where they may sleepe and watche at ease hauing such a watchman as the god of Israell who for the great care he hathe to keepe all those that be his doeth neither slumber nor sleepe daye nor night as saieth the Prophet I will not suffer my foote to slippe Psal 121.3 for he that keepeth the will not flumber beholde he that keepeth Israell will neither slumber nor sleepe Considering that God doth neuer forsake them that truste in him and repose themselues and all their affaires on his prouidence though he saw himself in extreame daunger becaufe of the conspiracye of his sone and of all the people that were risen against him neuerthelesse he was neuer daunted at it Psal 3.4 as he doth shewe I did call vnto the Lord with my voice he heard me out of his holye mountaine I laide me downe and slept and rose vp againe for the Lord sustayned me I will not be affrayed for ten thousands of the people which should beset me rounde aboute O Lorde arise helpe me my God for thou hast smitten all mine enemies vpon the cheeke bone thou haste broken the teethe of the wicked Saluation belongethe vnto the Lorde and thy blessinge is vppon thy people Imitatinge then this his example whatsoeuer stormes or tempestes we shall see let vs diligentlye take heede that we goe not out of the house of the Lorde to shunne them as the Apostates doe But contrarily let vs beseeche God to warrant vs and saue vs that he woulde shewe vs so much fauoure as to take aside and place vs in some corner thereof when we shal be yet more in safetye then in all the castelles of the worlde And takinge this reasolution Let vs say with him Psal 27.4 One thinge haue I desyred of the Lorde and that I will require euen that I may dwell in the house of the Lorde all the dayes of my life For what can we looke for out of the pauillion of God but as Esaye sayeth Feare and the pitte Esay 24.17 and the snarres which are vpon the inhabitauntes of the earth and he that flieth from the noise of the feare shall fall into the pit and he that commeth out of the pit shall be taken in the snare for the windowes from an high are open and the foundations of the earth doe shake By these kindes of speech Psal 5. Gal. 6. the Prophet would signifie nothing els but the cursing and wrath of God which is spread euery where where sinne is which is the seede thereof and of all miseries that are in the world beside if then we wil find the blessing of God and the felicity which doth depend theron we must search where his grace is and his grace is where his righteousnes is 1. Cor. 1.4 Matth. 25. and his righteousnes is in Iesus Christ and Iesus Christ is in his house and in his Temple that is to saye in his Church where he doeth abide vnto the ende of the world as he also hath bene there since the beginning thereof and not any where els where a mā may be happy For there lieth the blessing and the blessed seed which was promised vnto Abraham from whom as from a spring it was deriued to all his family posterity whosoeuer would be participant thereof must first be adopted by faith ingrafted into the body of lesus Christ for there is none but he alone in whom the father taketh pleasure Mat. 3.17 now those which are vnited vnto him by faith are knowē to be his members so that the rest of the whole world this litle flocke onely excepted which the sheepheard hath gathered vp is within the compasse of this wrath and curse of God Are not then the Apostates wonderfull miserable that hauing the meanes to be as happye as Angels haue voluntarily abandoned it to become for euer as miserable as deuils If a man should aske them whether they do not thinke a man accursed that is iustly banished and cut of from the body of the Church where is only saluation and life I doe not doubt but they would answer by and by it were so what can they then thinke of themselues who voluntarily haue excommunicated themselues Ioh. 1. leauing Iesus Christ who is the fountaine of all good and all liberty to yeeld and put themselues vnder the power of the Deuill who is the cruellest tyrant both of soules and bodies that they could haue chosen declaring thereby that they loue darknes more then light death more then life bondage more then liberty and to liue vnder the dominion of a most barbarous murtherer as Satan is then in the kingdome of Iesus Christ who is the support shelter and refuge of al poore afflicted persons Where were ye a while agoe ô ye poore soules in the Church Mat. 13. that is to say in the kingdome of heauen and now ye are gone downe to the bottom of hell to be banished perpetually with Antichrist and the prince of darkenes Ioh. 8. who for not hauing perseuered in the truth no more then you haue hath ben cast down from the highest degree of glory that it was possible for him to haue to the bottom of the pit of all misery and confusion without al hope of recouery Gen. 3.23 When our first parents saw themselues so shamefully banished and thrust out of the garden of paradise where they did abound in all dainties end brought by their ingratitude and rebellion to the miserable estate wherunto they came afterwards had they not great cause to lament all their life so great and horrible a change which happened vnto them by their owne fault would they not haue bene desperate at that time if God had not sodenly preuented them by his mercye and lifted vp their hope which was altogether beaten downe by the promise which he made vnto them of the seed of the woman Gen. 3.15 which should bruise the serpents head If the Apostates either could or would consider the miserie whereinto they haue cast themselues headlong by their reuolting they haue no lesse cause to be grieued then our first parents had for
litle corner to abide in it then if they had in other places the most rich gorgeous stately buildings in the whole world But that befalleth these kinde of men which the Poeteâ— and fables do record of the moone who desiryâ—ng her mother that she might haue a garment made fitte and proportionable for heâ— body she excusing her selfe sayd my daughter howe can that be since thou hast a bodye subiect to so many changes and alterations and which neuer anye space reteyneth the same forme Euen so it is not possible to fitte these men which are so inconstant and vnstable of any estate wherein they can abide and although to couer their shame and to cloake somwhat their inconstancie they seeke some vayne and friuolous excuses striuing to â—ay the fault of their lightnesse vpon that side which they had chosen raysing all the false rumors seladers that they can imagine to diffame it to shew that they haue not forsaken â—t without great cause neuerthelesse when all things shal be narrowly searched all the blame will light in their owne neckes and in the end â—t will appeare that euen as one can not fitte a garment for him that hath a body mishapen â—or a shooe for him that hath a stubbed foote â—ot because of the imperfection of the garmeÌ„t â—r shooe but because of the body and of the â—oote to which they should be fitted so these â—inde of men cannot finde any estate whiche â—oth beseeme them or is altogether answeraâ—le to their appetite onely because of the deâ—ulte and corruption of their myndes which â—e peruerse crooked for as a body stronge well made caÌ„ aswell beare the great coldes and intolerable sharpnesse of winter as the extreamest heates of sommer so a mind well disposed and aswell instructed is euer like vnto it selfe and doth not change according to the diuersitie of chances which happen vnto it but hauing foreseene that in all kinds of life there is pleasure and payne sweete and sower and a like successioÌ„ and recourse from the one to the other is neuer but well resolued happen what will but in all mutations remayneth stedfast and as a quadrate and fouresquare body is euer firme and stable on what side soeuer it be layd That there is want of iudgement in the Apostates Chap. 2. VVHat can then be sayd or iudged oâ— these wretched Apostates of our dayes who haue so disloyally betrayed and denyed Iesus Christ forsaken the Church for the redeeming and sanctifying whereof he yeldeâ— himselfe to death and reiected the doctrine oâ— the Gospell which was sent vs downe froÌ„ heauen by the spirite of God Ephe. 5.25 2. Pet. 1. Heb. 1. 1. Tim. 3. receiued of all thâ— Patriarches preached by the Prophetes Iesuâ— Christ and his Apostles beleued and approueâ— in the world and sealed by the death and blouâ— of so many millions of Martyrs and faithfull witnesses all which with great constancie and inuincible courage haue confessed and maintayned it euen before Kinges and Emperours being not astonyed either with their presence or threatninges or with most cruell tormentes which were prepared for theÌ„ or with any danger which either could be set before their eyes or els which they theÌ„selues could coÌ„ceiue what ca they alleage to colourther Apostasie They will in deede coÌ„dene in the coÌ„pany of infidels which allow all that they say take pleasure â—n their talke our ReligioÌ„ in generall yea there â—e some so farre gone and so shamelesse that they dare openly name it euill But when any do vrge them to shew or note some particular â—ointe either in the doctrine or discipline or â—ls in the whole order whiche we vse in our Churches that may with reason be reprehenâ—ed theÌ„ they become as dumbe as dogges and â—ewe vnto all meÌ„ of iudgemeÌ„t good vnderâ—aÌ„ding that they are but backbiters that it â—s not any waÌ„t or colour that they haue espied â—n the religioÌ„ that hath caused theÌ„ to reuolte or â—indered theÌ„ from perseuering constaÌ„tly in the â—me as many haue done vnto the ende But â—at it was their own affectioÌ„s which make all â—ose vnstedfast incoÌ„staÌ„t which are not able to rule and gouerne theÌ„ and a grief of mynde which caÌ„ not beare the burtheÌ„ weight of the crosse 1. Tim. 3. which is ioyned with the profession of the true religion And finally a rashnes and raging of the passions whiche beare rule in that kind of men do egge theÌ„ forward and carie them away in all their intents and actioÌ„s more by a blind and vnbridled furie then by a prudent sage couÌ„saile if there had bene in theÌ„ but the least sparke of wit and discretioÌ„ before they had embraced the Religion should they not haue listened to the couÌ„sell of Iesus Christ Luk. 14.24 followed the exaÌ„ple of those who inteÌ„dyng to build a great sumptuous house do before the vndertaking therof cast an accounte of the cost charges which must be bestowed thereon lest that not hauyng well weighed their wealth taking more in haÌ„d then they are able to performe they be constrained with shame in the end to leaue their worke vnfinished or of the king who going to warre with another forecasteth diligently whether his power bâ— sufficient to ouercome his enemy fearing least that he assaulting him beyng but weake he should be vanquished and put to flight Our Apostates likewise ought they not before they embraced the Religion to haue coÌ„sidered first of all the incommodities and commodities they shoulde reape thereby and that no man is meete to follow Christ which is not resolued to expose himselfe to the haâ—red Math. 5. reproches iniuries and persecutions of the whole world that hath not a crosse continually loden on his shoulders to the whiche he be ready to be nailed and tyed vp for the confession of the name of God when as his houre shall come Math. 10. whiche also is not ready to giue ouer with a chearefull harte father mother wife children Math. 19. frendes houses landes honors estates kindred goods riches pleasures rest libertie life and all whatsoeuer he accounteth most deare and precious vnto him in this world to follow Christ And who to coÌ„clude accordyng to the example of Moses Heb. 11.25 doth not rather chose to suffer aduersitie with the people of God then to enâ—oye the pleasures of sinne for a season esteeâ—nying the Crosse and rebuke of Christ greater â—riches then all the glorie and treasures not oneâ—y of Egipt but also of all the Realmes and Empires of the whole earth If the Apostates â—ad bene wise and well aduised they ought to â—aue forecast all these thinges in their myndes before they entred into the Church and after â—o haue considered whether in takyng of this â—arte vpon these caâ—â—â—ons and conditions their â—trength were sufficient to sustaine theÌ„ which they did not but as freshwater souldiers who for want of experience thinke wheÌ„ they
withdrawing themselues from the church they are gone out of paradise wherein God sheweth his face Cant. 4. his glory Matt. 11. Ioh. 1. Esa 66. his magnificence and his great workes euery day and where he doth vnfold his great riches and blessings and the riche treasures of his deepe wisedome in the fulnes of his sonne to enter into hell where they finde nothing els but a fire to consume them and a worme that doth gnawe their heart and a torment and perpetuall disquietnes in their consciences without all hope to finde any remedye or any comfort or any refreshing in their miseries They are like vnto that poore wretched Caine Gen. ◠14 who was the firste Apostate in the worlde who hauing abandoned his fathers house and the Churche that did assemble it selfe therein and being by that meanes departed from before the face of the Lorde was all the rest of his life a vagabond and vnquiet in his minde not able to finde any resting place as also after him haue bene all his successors Cham Nimrod Ismael Esau Ieroboam with the tenne tribes that followed him the Sadduces Pharises Scribes and Priestes in the time of Iesus Christ and his Apostles and finally Simon Magus Ebion Chemnitus Carpocrates Marcion Valentinus Arrius Nestorius Eutiches and other Heretikes that came afterward who hauing seperated themselues from the Church of Iesus Christ haue met with a thousand miseries as also the two Princes and Heades of all the Apostates shall shortly doe that is to say Mahomet and the Pope with all their adherents 2. Thes 2.8 whom the Lord doth destroy euery day by litle and litle with the breath of his mouth vntill such time as he doth pronounce vnto them their last sentence and iudgement wherewith they shall be cast and banished into the pitte with the Dragon and his Angels that is to saye Apoc. 12.9 as Saint Iohn doth expound it that olde serpent called the deuill and Satan which deceiueth all the world For it is certaine that the great Captaine Michael who is the God of battailes and head of the army of the Lord after a long fight he will remaine victorious ouer all his enemies Apoc. 14.9.10 whome he will put vnder his feete to wit the Dragon the beast and all those that will worship him and receiue his marke on their foreheades or on their handes who shall drinke of the wine of the wrath of God yea of the pure wine which is powred into the cuppe of this wrathe and they shall be tormented in fire and brimstone before the holye Angels and before the Lambe And that great Babylon the mother of whoredomes and abhominations of the earth Apoc. 17.5 which beareth a name written in her foreheade a mysterye whiche is dronken with the blood of the Saintes and with the bloode of the Martyres of Iesus muste stumble and her fall must be so great that all the earth shal be astonied therat Apo. 14.8 For which cause all the children and seruantes of God are exhorted by a voyce comming from heauen to go out of her quickly Apoc. 18.4 that they be not partakers of her sinnes and consequently of her plagues What will then become of the Apostates who in steade of cōming and going from it Apoc. 18.2 doe returne vnto it thinking to be at more safety in Babilon which is as S. Ihon saieth the habitation of Deuills and the houlde of all foule spirites and a cage of euery vncleane and noysome birde then in the Church of God which is the holy city Heb. 12.22 and the celestiall Ierusalem where there is an innumerable companye of Angels set round about it for to keepe it and the fauour of God which is in the midst as a tower to fortifie strēghthen it on all sides may not one saye of them with the Prophet Psal 94.8 vnderstand ye vnwise among the people and ye fooles when will ye he wyse for ar they not wonderfully depriued of their senses that do preferre Bethauen before Bethel that is to say a house of impiety of errors and lyes of Idolatry of blasphemy of abhomination before the house of God of piety trueth and holynesse of prayers and thanks geuing and loue rather to returne againe into Egypt there to feede of Garlike and rotten Onions which they had left behind them then to be daintily fed with the Manna of heauen and with the foode of Angels Dauid desiring with griefe in banishment the dainties and great comforts he did receaue in the house of God then when he had libertie to frequent it with the rest of the people whereof he sawe himselfe depriued Psal 84.34 liuing amonge the barbarous and idolatrous spake vnto God complaining Where be thine altars O Lorde of Hostes vers 10. my King and my God Blessed are they that dwell in thy house they will euer praise thee for a day in thy Courts is better then a thousand otherwhere I had rather be a doore-keeper in the house of my God then to dwell in the Tabernacles of wickednesse If the Prophet esteemeth them happy 1. Cor. 14. which may with all libertie frequent the house of God and therewith enioye the exhortations comforts prayers confessions and publike prayses which are songe to his Name Psal 42. and moreouer beholde his glorious face whiche doth shine in this notable order which is kept in these holye assemblies of the people doth he not repute contrariwise all those vnhappy who are excluded from the enioying of so great a good and especially when as they doe depriue themselues thereof and forsake it willingly Ge. 25 33. making no more accompt of it then Esau did of his birthright which he solde vnto his brother Iacob for a mease of pottage made of Lentils I dare saye that none of all the Apostates who haue left our Churches to returne to Papistrye and to their Masses that is to saye 2. Pet. 2 22 to their owne vomite as Dogs and to the wallowing in the myre as Swine did euer taste except it were with the tippe of the tongue onely the sweetenes of the pretious and exquisite meates wherewyth God doeth nourishe and feede his familye For if they had swallowed them kept and well digested them in their stomachs they woulde haue forgotten all the davnties of the worlde in which the children of God after they haue once with a good appetite eaten of the celestiall bread doo finde no more sauour Ioh. 6 67. When Iesus Christ demaunded of the Apostles whether they woulde follow the Apostates who beeinge offended at hys Sermon touching the eating of hys flesh and drinking of his bloud had gone backe from him and walked no more with him Saint Peter answering for all his fellowes sayd Maister to whome shall we go For thou hast the wordes o◠eternall life Shewing thereby the good will that hee and hys fellowes had neuer to forsake hys companie because of
the Church of God and wouldest shew them by thine example the way to followe and enter in For it is the schoole and only place where it is possible for anye man to learne to be happie and if they refused to followe thee being not drawne of the Father without whose fauour none can come to Iesus Christ thou art yet at the least discharged of thy dutie towardes them and towardes God But what if a woman be so willfull that she will torment her husband without ceasing if he doe not consent vnto her to commit idolatrye and goe to the Masse with her ought he not in this to obeye her to liue with her in friendshippe and to continue peace in his house To aunswere to this question when that chanceth it is a great temptation for the husbande who ought then to praye vnto God earnestly that he woulde strengthen him to abide constantly in the obedience of his holye will without declining from the same in any sorte Gen. 3. And not doe as Adam did who willing to please his wife displeased God breaking his commaundement whereby a thousande and a thousande euils ensued vnto him and all his posteritie 1. King 11. Neither as Salomon who to the ende he might not offende the strange woman which he had taken to wife against the commaundement of God was by them brought euen to that poynt namely to build Temples to their Idols and forgate himselfe so muche that he worshipped and offered sacrifice vnto them 1. King 12. Which was the cause that of three parts of his Realme two and more were taken away from his sonne Reheboam and translated to lereboam the sonne of Nebat Deut. 13. If there had bene founde in olde time amonge the people of Israell a woman which woulde haue entised her husband to goe and serue straunge Gods the husband was commaunded by and by to make her knowen vnto the Magistrate that she might be condemned and after sentence giuen that he might cast at her the first stone to stone her So farre was it in those times from the husbands to be permitted to beleeue their wiues to obey them worship strange Gods with them Let them then alledge no more such excuses to cloke their disloyalty There are some also who when they are vrged to enter into the Congregation of the Church that alledge for their excuse that it is good to waite vntill all things be at a better staye and more at quiet but they staye for that they will not be of a long tyme ready Gen. 3. for doe they thinke that the Deuill who beareth a deadly hate against the Church who hath sworne to make warre euen from the beginning of the world will euer cease to prouoke stir vp by almeans possible the tyrāts the heretiks the Philosophers the hypocrites the whole synagogue with all her adherents against it Apoc. 20. to persecute it especially in these last times wherin he is loosed more fierce then euer he was before seeing the day of his iudgement draweth neare wherin he shal be condēned to the bottōles pit of hel for euer Apoc. 9. Do they think also that the 2. Antichrists that is to say Mahomet the Pope the one in the East and the other in the West would not striue with al their might to maintaine their tyranny which they haue vsurped in the Church of God to this end 2. Thes 2. they would not endeuor stil to put out the light of the gospell of the word of God which is the sword wherby the one the other shall in the end be destroied Doe they thinke moreouer that the truth can be without enemies in the world where the deuil the father of lies beareth rule men being liers vnfaithfull by nature be his bondslaues Moreouer what doth the Apostle promise vs more in the end and latter age of the worlde 2. Tim. 3. This knovve saith he to Timothe That in the last daies shal come perillous times for men shal be louers of their owne selues couetous boasters proud cursed speakers disobediēt to parents vnthākful vnholy without natural affection truce breakers false accusers intemperdte fierce despisers of thē which are good traiterous heady highminded louers of pleasure more then louers of God hauing a shewe of godlines denying the power thereof Matth. 24. And hath not Iesus Christ admonished vs foretold vs that there shall be so great tribulation as was not from the beginning of the world nor is at this present nor shal be hereafter We must not then hope that in this wretched world Psal 12. 119. where good men are abased where there is no faith no law that can hold backe the malice of men that we shal euer haue rest that shal be permanēt or sure By reason wherof the delaiers must not flatter thēselues nor feede this vaine hope nor thinke that in the Church of Iesus Christ so lōg as it endureth in the world there should euer be peace which wil not be troubled by the deuil the wicked Let vs tary to se those happy times enioy that rest which we desire Psal 110. vntill Iesus Christ put all his our enemies vnder his footstoole that the son hauing abolished al principalities all powers strength Heb. 1. 1. Cor. 15. giue the kingdome to his Father God be all in all Finally there are some that alledge for their excuse when they are exhorted to come to the Churche that they praye vnto God in their houses that is sufficient for them but they abuse thēselues 2. waies first in that they thinke that beinge out of the bodye of the Church their praiers and other exercises can be acceptable vnto God for if the father approueth no oblation but that which is offered vpon the altar that is to say which is presented vnto him by the sonne howe can they assure themselues that their praiers are heard granted of him seeing they are not members of the bodye of Iesus Christ And also that they be cast of and denied of him which knoweth his sheepe and those which are in his sheepefolde My sheepe sayth he heare my voice Ioh. 10. and I know them and they follow me Considering then that they doe followe not the pastor and heare not his voice Thereof it insueth that they are not numbred among his sheepe and consequently that they and all that proceedeth from them is abhominable before God Therfore he saith speaking of such persons who being separated from the Church content themselues to make their praiers priuately Matth. 7. Euery one that sayth vnme Lord Lord shall not enter into my kingdome of heauen but he that doeth the will of my father which is in heauen Many will say vnto me in that day Lord Lord haue we not by thy name prophesied and by thy name cast out Deuils and by thy