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
caÌ„ coÌ„tinue it vnto theÌ„ can defend it a gainst al those that wold take it away froÌ„ theÌ„ as theprophet saith Psal 31.15 my times are in thy haÌ„d deliuer me froÌ„ the hande of myne enemies and from them that persecute me Furthermore in another place ye that loue the Lord Psal 97 10 hate euill he preserueth the soules of his saints he will deliuer theÌ„ froÌ„ the haÌ„d of the wicked light is sowen for the righteous and â—ye for the vpright in heart reioyce ye righteous in the Lord giue thanks for his holy remeÌ„braÌ„ce Againe in an other place Psal 17.8 He kepeth al his bones not one of theÌ„ is brokeÌ„ al these places do teach assure vs that no creature whatsoeuer can hurt vs either in our bodies or any thing else but by the permission will of God who keepeth vs as the apple of his eye hideth vs vnder the shadow of his winges Moreouer what reason is there to preserue the life of the body which is so vayne so shorte and moment anye so vncertaine so frayle and miserable in this worlde to loose the happye and eternall life aswell of the bodye as of the soule in the kingdome of heauen Psal 36.9 Ioh. 14.6 Ioh. 6. Abac. 2. For God being the well of life and Iesus Christ the waye truth and the life and the worde of God and faith being the two meanes whereby God graunteth life vnto vs if we be depriued of both these that is to saye of all causes and meanes of life as we are in deede being out of the Churche be not the delayers aswell as the Apostates wonderfullye deceaued seeking and hoping to finde life in the worlde Rom. 14.8 where there is nothing but death and malediction Furthermore do we not appertaine vnto Iesus Christ aswell concerning the body as the soule 1 Pet. 1.18 Who hath redeemed vs by his death and payed our ransome not with golde siluer or other corruptible thinges but with his precious bloude 1. Cor. 6.20 which was the greatest price which could be esteemed in the worlde Seing then we now belong vnto him and not vnto our selues and that he is Lord of our life and of our death is not the one and the other in his disposition to doe with them as it shall seeme good vnto him And ought not we also to consecrate them wholly vnto his honour and to haue them euer ready to employ in his seruice And casting away all feares and dread that may withdraw vs or keepe vs backe from doing our dutie resting wholly vpon the prouidence of God Mat. 28.20 who hath promised to be alwayes with vs and to haue so great a care of our soules and bodies Mat. 10.30 that euen one heare shall not fall from our head without his will and speciall ordinaunce Good God what maketh vs I praye you so to loue this life wherein there is no kinde of libertie no rest no pleasure that is perfect and that is not entermingled with a thousand griefes sorrowes and bitter vexations and where at all howers of the daye we are constrained to fee and heare against our willes innumerable thinges which grieue vs and which is worse wherein we can not walke three stepps but we shall meete with some offence that shall cause vs to stumble daungerouslye and offende our good God to whome we are so much bounde And alas what doth make vs likewise to haue so great a feare of death which is at this present so vnarmed 1. Cor. 15. that there is not so much as one stinge lefte vnto it to pricke vs withall Act 2.24 nor a chaine or coarde wherewith to binde vs which is the dore and entraunce into the kingdome of heauen and as a commissarye appointed and sent of God to put in possession and enioying of life glorye honour Rom. 8. peace ioye rest and all the perfect and abfolute felicitie which we possesse not here in earth but onelye by hope Where is the faith which we ought to haue of eternall life which can not be in our heartes but it shall send awaye presently all feare of death Luk. 24. Where is the spirite of strength and vertue from aboue that olde faith of the Martyres wherwith they haue astonished the most cruell and fiercest tyrauntes of the worlde Math. 12.24 and made Beelzebub himselfe the prince of the Deuills with all his troupes and legions to tremble in Hell Where are the inuincible courages which neuer yeelded either to the yron or to the fyre or to the teethe of Lyons or to threateninges or to armyes or to anye torment that was set before them He. 11.33 were it neuer so cruell and horrible For they had euer that before theire eyes If God be one our side Rom. 8 3â— who can be against vs And that which the Prophete sayde seing the rage of his enemyes Psal 118.9 The Lorde is with me Therefore I will not feare what man can doe vnto me The delayers then thinke to be at more sauegarde being one mens part then on Godes and that following the bande of the Idolaters and blasphemers they can not fall into the daungers whereunto they see the children and seruantes of God subiecte who do serue him and walke in his feare But Dauid is not of this opinion It is better to truste in the Lorde Psal 108.12 then to haue confidence in man It is better to truste in the Lorde then to haue confidence in Princes And otherwise Giue vs helpe against trouble for vaine is the helpe of man Thorough God we shall do valiauntly for he shall treade downe our enemies Then to assure our selues sufficientlye both liuing and dying we can not doe better then to coÌ„mit our selues to his protection who hath in his handes the keyes of life and of death Apoc. 1.18 The delayers alleadge also vnto those that doe exhorte them to come into the Churche to laye open themselues and to make publicke profession of their faith as God hath commaunded them that the feare wherein they are of the losse of their goodes doth hinder them Luk. 1.1 and that they will not be poore and naked as commonlye those are who make true profession of the Gospell Yea but I demaunde of them who hathe bestowed these goodes vppon them and to what ende they haue bene geuen vnto them is it not God who being more liberall towardes them then towardes manye others doth make them welthier then their fellowes that he may binde them vnto himselfe more straightlye and giue them occasion to loue him more and serue him with a more willing hearte and yet that which ought to drawe them nearer vnto him and make them more deuoute affectionate toward his seruice is that which doth withdrawe them and maketh them altogether to forget it Good Lord can they thinke that such a haynous ingratitude shall in the ende remaine
Heb. 10.26 If we sinne willingly after we haue receiued the knowledge of the truth there remayneth no more sacrifice for sinnes But a fearefull lookyng for of Iudgement and violent fire whiche shall deuoure the aduersaries To the Reader THere is some space of time expired since that I purposed to write some litle treatise of Apostasie and especially since the slaughter committed on Saint Bartholomewe his day in the which there chaunced a most horrible fearfull reuolting in all our Churches so that of three partes two of them at the least slipped backe of those which in the beginning entered into it with so great readinesse and courage that it seemed they would continually abide in it without a mind euer to departe whatsoeuer temptation shoulde offer it selfe vnto them Neuerthelesse I had hitherto deferred the same hoping that the feare being ouerpassed which as a storme and vehement wind had carried them away from the sheepefold and hauing had leisure to settle themselues and gather their wits together they might either of themselues returne or else be easily called backe againe by the voice of their pastors But perceiuiÌ„g that the most part of the Apostates do not only slumber harden themselues in their sins but also become contemners of God and blaspeme without shame his word and the true religion and not content with this striue by all meanes to withdrawe those from the house of God which continued stedfast in his seruice and to hinder those that desire to enter into it againe I deemed it not meete to dissemble any longer but to be necessary to put in execution the charge which God hath giuen his seruants whom he hath placed in the Church not onely to pronounce remission of sinnes to all those who by a liuely faith vvill lay hold of it through the preaching of the Ghospell but also the vvithholding of the same from all those vvho vvith an hard and obstinate heart do stillreâ—ect the vvordes and promises of saluation Which must not seeme strange seeing the Ministers of the Ghospell be not onely ordained to vnloose absolue those that beleeue but also to binde and condemne those that remaine obstinate in their infidelitie For vvhich cause God seeing the stubbornnes and hardnes of the Ievves doth send vnto them his Prophet Esay to blind and harden them yet more Esay 6.9 Go saith he and say vnto this people ye shall heare in deede but ye shall not vnderstand ye shall plainely see and not perceiue Make the heart of this people fat make their eares heauy and shut their eyes least they see with eyes and heare with eares and vnderstand with their hearts and conuert and he heale them Which afterward was oftentimes alledged against the Iewes by Iesus Christ Matth. 13. Mark 14. Luk. 8. Acts. 28. Rom. 11. his Apostles to condemne their obstinacy And as Moses publishing the law said to the people that in it he set before their eies life death according to their obedience or disobedience towardes the same so S. Paule writeth that the one the other are represented in the Gospell according as the men to whom it is preached are faithfull or vnfaithful We are 2. Cor. 2.15 saith he vnto God the sweete sauour of Christ in them that are saued and in them that perish that is to say to the one the sauour of death vnto death to the other the sauour of life vnto life And Iesus Christ also as Simeon said to the Virgin is not he as well appointed for the fall as for the rising againe of many in Israell Luk. 2.34 And as he is to some sanctification and saluation is he not likewise to others a blocke of stumbling and of offence a snare and a net vnto all those which abide in vnbeleefe If then it chance that any Apostates or delayers of time vvill spare so much leisure as to reade this treatise I desire them that it may be with great attention and that vvithout any passionate or preiudicate minde they vveigh all the reasons and argumentes of the same setting alvvayes that before their eyes vvhich Iesus Christ spake to his Apostles that vvhatsoeuer they shoulde binde on earth by his vvorde shoulde be ratified firmly bound in heaueÌ„ To the end they may not deceiue themselues in their discourses vaine imaginations esteeming the thoughtes of God to be as their thoughts his waies as their wayes coÌ„trarie vnto that which the Prophet sayth Let all of vs therefore giue place vnto the worde of God and let vs beleeue that it shall be sure for euer endure eternally And considering that by the decree and irreuocable ordinance of God it is necessary that all knees should bende to do homage vnto Iesus Christ let vs rather choose to acknowledge and embrace him nowe for a Sauiour and welspring of life then in the ende be constrained to auouche him and finde him as the Deuils a iudge that will not be intreated and a consuming fire A TREATISE OF APOSTASIE MADE BY M. I. DE L'ESPINE MInister of the word of God in the Churche of Anger 's The Preface Chap. 1. THE inconstaÌ„cie of men is a thing which cannot be but most wonderfull vnto those who will coÌ„sider it well which may be perceâ—ued diuers wayes but especially in the varietie and alteration of their purposes affections and in that they can not find any state of life in this world whiche may either wholly satisfie their humor or in which they an abide and rest any long time for being by â—and by glutted with the thing whiche they â—resently enioye they do either with grief deâ—re that which is not any more in their power â—r els long for those thinges which they could â—ot as yet obtaine and when they haue obtaiâ—ed them they will loath them aswell as those which earst they had enioyed And are like vnto those who hauing a queasie stomake finde nothing wel seasoned for their tooth or as sick bodies whiche are not able to finde any good resting place in bed wheresoeuer they be layd And although God by an especiall fauor doth call some of them into his house Heb. 6.4 and bringing them into his church doth adopte theÌ„ into his familie to lighten theÌ„ and to make them taste of the heauenly gift and of the good word of God to make theÌ„ partakers of the holy ghost of the powers of the world to come which is a coÌ„dicion the best that can be chosen or desired in the world and the which alone is able to bring contentement and a perfect felicitie to all those that can obtaine it Neuerthelesse there are some so crooked froward that hauing tasted of it do in the ende loath and disdaine it aswell as the other Though in deed the dwelling in the house of God be so happy a thing Psal 84. that the silly doorekeepers of the same ought to account themselues more happy for hauing a
cause themselues to be enrolled and when first they muster vnder their captaines that there is no trouble no labour no citie no force that shall encounter with them which they are not able to foyle and ouerthrowe and yet neuerthelesse be discouraged and dismayed as soone as they come to any assault or skirmishe or els to any sore encounter wherein it behooueth them to bestirre themselues and shewe in deede their vertue and valour So they which neuer had assayed the enemies of Iesus Christ nor borne the bruntes and assaultes which the deuill the world the fleshe the Antichrist and all their troupes do raise against him and all those that follow him thought that the profession of the Gospell had bene but a play or sporte and vnder that hope entred into the Church of God But perceiuyng the euill intreatie whiche the children of God receiue in it at the handes of the world they continued not long in it without repenting and seeking the meanes by the which they might withdraw themselues from it Ioh. 6. with some honest cloake if it might be possible because they could be content to followe Iesus Christ as those who hoped to haue liued of free cost in his company and to finde alway the tables furnished but not as Simon of Cyren vpon coÌ„dicion to cary his crosse after him I appeale vnto your conscieÌ„ces O ye Apostates is not this the truth of it If the kitchin of the Huguenotes had bene as fatte as that of the Chanons Bishoppes Abbotes and Cardinalles of Papistry and the ReligioÌ„ which we follow as easie to the flesh as Antichristes you would doutlesse haue stayed with vs being yet at this day conuinced in your owne consciences at least if there remaine any at all in you that the â—ruth is on our side and that the seruice done vnto God in our Churches is wholy administred accordyng to the rules and ordinances which he himselfe hath left vs in his word and that contrariwise the Popes and all his adherents Religion is nothing els but meere trifles and toyes and vayne ceremonies which light headed men haue inuented and established in â—he Church of God of their owne braine Psal 119. wheÌ„ the candell of the word of God was extinguished and put out which ought euer to go beâ—ore vs as a light to lighten and guide vs in all â—hinges which we do to serue him for we can â—ot swerue neuer so litle from it but we shall â—umble by and by like silly blind men consiâ—eryng that the whole seruice of God to be â—ue and lawfull must be measured by obedience which can onely be grounded vpon his lawes and holy decrees 1. Sam. 15. For if we wil go about to do any thing which concerneth his seruice except that which he himselfe hath expressely prescribed he will say vnto vs that whiche is written in the Prophesie of Esay Esay 1.12 who required or sought these things at your handes Let the Apostates then giue glory vnto God and cease if they caÌ„ from blaspheming agaynst the spirite of God against the doctrine of the Gospell against the Church against Iesus Christ to conclude agaynst the truth and wisedome which they themselues haue iustified and approued when they were as yet in their right wittes and when as the deuill which is entred into their hartes with seueÌ„ other spirites worse then himselfe had not troubled their myndes as he hath done since they are departed from the house of God and let them accuse rather their owne foolish inconstancie whiche hath caused them to giue ouer the best side without all comparison and the surest the most honorable that can be chosen by reasonable meÌ„ namely God his side of whiche Dauid speaketh Psal 16.5 The Lord is the portion of mine inhetaunce and of my cuppe thou shalt maintayne my lotte the lynes are fallen vnto me in pleasant places yea I haue afayre heritage And moreouer I will prayse the Lord who hath giuen me counsayle my reynes also teache me in the â—ightes I haue set the Lord alwayes before me for he is at my right haÌ„d therfore I shal not slide And â—n another place yet I was alway with thee Psal 73.23 thou â—ast holdeÌ„ me by my right hand thou wilt guide me â—y thy counsail and afterward receiue me to glory What the wretchednesse of the Apostates is Chap. 3. BVt now let the Apostates stay themselues here a while to consider into what a â—eepe pit and gulfe of wretchednesse and miâ—eries they haue cast themselues into leauyng God who is the welspring and fountayne of â—ife alfelicitie Psal 36.8 in whom alone consisteth all â—he good that we caÌ„ euer desire looke or hope â—or and who alone by his aboundance is able â—o satisfie and content all our appetites and â—onely by the brightnesse of his countenance Psal 16. â—o make vs perfectly happy The happy and eâ—ernall life sayth S. Augustine coÌ„sisteth in that we liue with God and of God that is to say that he himselfe be the soule whiche doth animate and quickeÌ„ vs and the foode which doth â—ourish vs. O God sayd Dauid Psal 23. thou art my portion and all my good and in the 23. Psalme The Lorde is my shephearde I shall not want which is to say that we may handle more particularly that which he saith in generall into what danger so euer I fall thou shalt be my Sauiour in darknesse thou shalt be my light in warre thou shalt be my defender in sicknesse thou shalt be my Phisition in sorrowe and wearinesse of mynde thou shalt be my comforte in my feeblenesse thou shalt be my supporte in perplexitie thou shalt be my counsaile when I am gone astray thou shalt be my guide being fallen thou shalt take me vp agayne standing thou shalt maintayne me in pouertie thou shalt be my treasure in miserie thou shalt be my felicitie in payne thou shalt be my solace in sinne thy mercy shal be my iustice in iudgement thy grace shal be my absolution to coÌ„clude in death thy spirit shal be my life There is nothing then that can be waÌ„tyng vnto vs in God in whom are all thinges what didst thou thinke O thou most wretched creature when as thou forsookest him to yeld thy selfe ouer vnto Idols Psal 115.5 which cannot teach thee any thing being dumbe nor see thy miseries beyng blinde nor heare thy prayers beyng deafe Ier. 10. nor defend thee beyng vnable nor goe and come to succourthee Hab. 2. being notable to bestirre theÌ„selues at all doest thou not serue this day for an example to verifie the saying of the Prophet Psal 115.8 that those which serue and worshyp them are like vnto them hauing no more sence or vnderstanding then they haue for it is not needefull to alleadge any other argument to proue that thou art depriued of all iudgement then the onely exchange and permutation which thou hast made of god to
peace by god the father by our Sauiour Iesus Christ to teach vs that all prosperity commeth from God who doth giue send it by his sonne Iesus Christ which the Prophet Malachy would also haue signified vnto vs when calling him The sonne of righteousnes Mal. 4.2 He doeth adde that it is he that doeth beare health vnder his winges that is to say who by his light and heat which he sendeth to all the world by his beames doth reioice and blesse all his creatures Ioh. 8. 9. For by the selfe same reason he is called the light of the world not onely because he doth lighten our vnderstanding in the knowledge of God and of all things which are profitable vnto vs but also because in that respect he doeth resemble that corporall light that as it is the meanes of the bringing foorth growth and ripenesse of all the fruites plantes trees and sensible creatures of the earth so is Iesus Christ the cause and meane of the saluation of the good and of all the happinesse and felicity of the world And what other thing would the Prophet Esay teach Esay 11.6 when as prophesying of him he sayd that at his comming The wolfe shoulde dwel with the lambe the leopard shouldly with the kid the calfe the lyon and the fat beasts together and a litle childe should lead them and that the cowe and the beare should seede and their yong ones should lye together and the lyon shoulde eate straw like the bullocke and the sucking child should play vpon the hole of the aspe and the weaned child should put his hand on the cockatrice his hole Then should none hurt nor destroy in all the mountaine of his holines for the earth shoulde be full of the knowledge of the Lorde as the waters that couer the sea The Prophet by all this discourse by all these allegories which he hath vsed and wherewith he hath beautified his speeche woulde signifie vnto vs nothing else but that the felicity which had bene banished out of the worlde by the sinne of our first parentes shoulde be brought in againe at the comming of Iesus Christ by his righteousnes Whereof the Apostle in his epistle to the Romanes speaketh more plainely after this sorte Likewise then as by the offense of one Rom. 5.18 the fault came on all men to condemnation so by the iustifying of one the benefite abounded toward all men by the iustification of life And in the first to the Corinthians For as by man came death 1. Cor. 15.21 so by man came the resurrection of the dead for as in Adam all dye euen so in Christ shall all be made aliue In death which is extreame miserie he doeth comprehende all other calamities and curses which by sinne haue ouerflowed as a flood and violencie of waters and haue drowned the whole worlde and on the other parte by life which is the chiefest felicitie he doeth vnderstande the good the happinesse and all the blessinges that Iesus Christ comming into the worlde and taking in it our nature hath by his obedience brought vnto the elect as well in this worlde as in the worlde to come The case then standing so that he is the onely meanes whereby men may be blessed considering the Apostates haue separated themselues from him may it not thereof be inferred that they are wretched and miserable not onely in their persons but also in the vse and fruition of all other thinges which are in their power to attaine vnto though they doe not perceiue or feele it at this present because they are blockish and like vnto children who at the age of two or three yeares lose their fathers mothers with the rest of their friends who in the absence of their parentes might helpe and succour them in their necessities this losse is a great misery vnto them which neuerthelesse they doe not conceiue No more likewise doe fooles consider the losse of their vnderstanding and vse of reason though it be the greatest euill that can befall them So these poore soules being in the extremitie of all miseries as well for hauing forsaken as for hauing beene forsaken of God and of Iesus Christ thinke to be at safâ—tie because they haue abandoned the Church and hope in time to come to liue at their ease and in the meane season doe not perceiue a thousand thousand miseries which they dragge after them in euery place wheresoeuer they goe An old Father had wont to say he was content if it were possible neuer to be sicke but if he were he desired to haue a feeling of his sicknes and surely not without a cause for the sore which is not felt is a double sore so that the miserie of the Apostates is so much the more dangerous by howe much the lesse they feele and knowe it Nowe that we may conclude these thinges namely that as those who are and doe abide in Iesus Christ are by his meanes happye in all things so contrariwise those that are separated from him in whome alone consist all the blessings which are in the worlde can not be but most miserable As it doth appeare by the sentence which shall be pronounced at that last iudgement wherein those that shall haue abode constantly with Iesus Christ shall be called the blessed of God and the other Mat. 25.34 who haue forsaken him cursed eternally with the Deuils O good God! how should we be happie without Iesus Christ who is our righteousnes 1. Cor. 1.30 without him then we are in sinne Secondly he is our life without him then we are in death He is our sanctification without him then we are polluted and profane He is our light and wisedome what are we then without him but darkenes and silly blind men groping and going at all aduentures vntill we haue found the pit euen to cast our selues headlong into the same He is our redemption and without him we are seruantes vnto the Deuill who is the cruellest and most barbarous tyrant that can be imagined Psal 17.8 He is our King our Protector and Defender and we are at safetye vnder the shadow of his wings but if we be once from vnder them we are a pray to all our enemies He is our suerty and if by him we be not acquited considering it is impossible for vs to paye the debt otherwise 1. Ioh. 2.1 we must remaine in perpetuall prison He is our Aduocate and he onely can make our attonement with God without him then we are in perpetuall ennemitie and discord with God Neither can we call vpon him or demand any thing at his hands without him S. Ambr. for he is our mouth and spokesman neither if he speake vnto vs can we vnderstand him for he is our eare To conclude he is our eye without which we can neither see nor beholde him He is our hand without which we can neither offer vnto him any thing nor
GOD let them call to remembrance that whiche the Prophet saith speaking vnto God in the griese he had to see himselfe banished from his house Psal 87.9 Beholde O GOD our shield and looke vppon the face of thyne unnoynted For a daye in thy Court is better then a thousand other vvhere I had rather be a dore-keeper in the house of my GOD then to dvvell in the Tabernacles of vvickednes The honours then and the great offices which either we haue or hope to obtaine in the Courtes of Kinges and earthly Princes ought not to hinder vs from enteruig into the house of GOD wherein wee can not be so base but we shall be higher then all the Lordes or moste famous and noble men that are in the worlde as Iesus Christ shewed speaking to the people of Iohn Baptist whom he preferred before all other men Verily I saye vnto you Mat. 11.11 amonge them vvhich are begotten of vvomen arose there not a greater then Iohn Baptist notvvithstanding he that is least in the kingdome of heauen is greater then he For all the seruantes of GOD Apoc. 19. and all those that are in his kingdome be all Kinges and Priestes and Iudges of the world and of the Angels All that then which we could possibly lose in the worlde we doe recouer to followe Iesus Christ not two folde or foure folde but an hundred folde and ouer and besides life euerlasting Heb. 11.25 which can not be measured Which Moses considering he was not grieued to giue ouer the kingdome and all the glorie of Egypt to serue God to couple himselfe with his people and to be partaker with them of all their afflictions which were more deare vnto him then all the riches and royall wealth The chiefest Gentlemen and Officers in the Court of the Emperour of Constance at being preferred and permitted vnto them to keepe their Estates and the seruices of their Lorde so that they woulde forsake their Religion chose rather to forgoe all the honors and fauours of the Court then decline neuer so litle from the pure and lawfull seruice of God which the Prince perceiuing kept them in his house and continued vnto them and made them an assurance of all their estates and offices And contrariwise sent all from his house and out of his seruice whiche had offered to leaue their Religion and serue him deliueryng vnto them a sentence worthye remembraunce that seeyng they were faythlesse vnto God it was not possible they shoulde euer be faithfull vnto man When the Emperour Dioclesian made a proclamation of the generall persecutions which he and his fellowes had purposed to make agaynst all the Churches that were established within the dominions of the Romaine Empire the Gouernour of Nichomedia whiche was a Citie in Asia where the Court of the Emperour laye In the whiche the proclamation was first published went into the common place where it was set vp and in the presence of all the people pulled it downe and rent it as a thyng full of iniquitie and done agaynste God and agaynste all reason Whiche beyng signified vnto the Emperour he commaunded him forthwith to be put to death Now as they talked in the euenyng in the Pallace of the death of this Gouernour and of the great constancie whiche he had shewed vnto the ende three Gentlemen of the chamber whiche were moste in credite Euseb and whiche were the forewardest in the Court namely Peter Gorgogne and Dorotheus began to defende his innocencie and to holde that he was vniustlye condempned and that in no wife he had offended his Maiestye or done any thynge agaynste duetye opposinge him selfe vnto a cruell and barbarous Proclamation whiche was made agaynste all right and equitie and though the Emperour who loued them desired to saue them and to withdraw them from their Religion promised vnto them the chiefest offices in his house and the greatest gouernementes in his Empire neuerthelesse he could neuer obteyne any thyng at their handes nor preuayle with them in any sorte so farre but that they still rather chose to giue ouer the profers whiche he made vnto them and euen loose their liues then to saye or doe any thynge whiche shoulde derogate neuer so little from the Religion and seruice of God and from the duetye whereby they were bounde vnto him Valentinianus beyng sollicited by Iulian the Emperour to forsake his Religion if he ment to continue in the office and charge of his Conestableship whiche he had bestowe vppon him as well in recompence of his seruices as in consideration of his vertues made no difficultie to yeeld ouer presently his office into the handes of the Emperor to dispose it at his pleasure being fully resolued to perseuere constantly in his religion and shewe by deede that there was nothing in the world so great that could be more deare or pretious vnto him then the seruice of God The delayers shoulde propounde vnto themselues suche examples to imitate and following the heroicall vertue of those great men shoulde preferre the feare of God before all other thinges and not doe as Pilate did who for feare he shoulde incurre the displeasure of the Emperour and lose his office Ioh. 19. condemned Iesus Christ or as the Princes who louing the praise of men more then the praise of God durst not make manifest the faith which they had in him Ioh. 12. and in his doctrine which they hearde preached There be some also which alledge their wiues and their children whome they can not forsake with a good conscience and in the meane tyme are not afrayd to abandone God whose honour ought to be more deare vnto vs then the verye saluation of our owne soules for if our death could serue to aduance 〈◊〉 we must no more spare it in this case then our life considering he is as well the Lorde of the one as of the other and that he hath created vs and all other thinges for his glorye It is then too too great ingratitude in men when the wife and the children and other innumerable goods which GOD hath bestowed vpon vs to prouoke vs to serue and honour him are contrariwise an occasion to coole vs and in the ende altogether to withdrawe vs from his seruice It is true in deede 1. Tim. 5. that we ought to haue a singular care of our familie and of all those which are of our housholde loue our wiues and our children procure their good and their saluation as muche as lyeth in vs yea but the best meanes that we can inuent to that ende is it not that wee shoulde instruct them as well by worde as example to knowe loue and feare GOD sithence he doeth promise his grace Exod. 20. and all happinesse to those that shall loue him and keepe his commandements Thou doest then accuse thy selfe hypocrite when thou wouldest excuse thy selfe For if thou louedst thy wife and children as thou sayest thou wouldest bringe them to