can exacte nor the exchequer inuade nor lawyers cauilling ouerthrowe in safe is layed vp that inheritance which is reserued in Gods custody this is to do for thy deare children against the time to come this is with fatherly piety to prouide for thy future heires according to the true saying of the scripture I was young Psal 36. and now am ould and I haue not seene the iust man forsaken nor his seed wanting bread All the day he pittieth and lendeth Prou. 20 and his seed shall be in benediction and againe he which coÌ„uerseth with out shame in iustice shall leaue behind him happy sonnes Thou arte therfore a peruerse and traiterous father if thou dost not faithfully prouide for thy children if thou lookest not how to maintaine them with religiouse and trew piety Thou which seekest rather the earthly than the heauenly patrimony Some fathers commend their children to the Deuell and to commend thy children rather to the Deuell than vnto Christ offendest twise committest a dubble hainous sinne both in that thou preparest not for thy children Gods fatherly helpe and in that thou teachest them to loue more their patrimony than Christ Be rather such a father to thy children as was Toby geue them profitable and holesome precepts Tob. 4. such as he gaue to his sonnes commaund thy children that which he commaunded his saying and now my sonne I charge thee serue God earnestly and do before him that which pleaseth him and geue charge vnto thy children that they do iustice and almes and be mindfull of God and alwaies praise his name and feare not whilest thou geuest almes for thou layest vp for thy selfe a good reward against the day of necessity for almes deliuereth from death and suffereth not the soule to go to hell Pratum spirituale Cap. 201. §. 3 A certaine Father tould as followeth A notable example of the care which god hath of good mens children I went vppon a time to Constantinople for some necessary busines and whilest I satte in the Church there came in a seculer man of great nobility and singulerly deuoute He whan he saw me came and saluted me with all dewtifull charity And sitting downe afterward he beganne to aske me of things appertaining to the good of the soule And when I tould him that to such as order well these earthlye thinges there are geuen also those which are heauenly you haue saied very well O Father saith he For blessed in deed is he which reposeth his hope in God committeth him selfe wholly vnto him And he saied moreouer I was the sonne of a certaine seculer man of great nobility and glory my father was very much addicted to the geuing of almes and bestowed very much vpon the poore And one day he calling me shewed me all his money saying my sonne whether wilt thou rather that I leaue thee this money or leaue thee Christ for thy guardian I liking very well that which he did answered him that I would rather haue Christ For all these thinges fade and this day are and to morrow shall not be but Christ remaineth for euer Which whan he had heard he frankely liberally gaue all to the poore so that dying he left me almost nothing And I now being brought vnto pouerty conuersed meanely hauing my hope in Christ to whom he had lefte me there was a nother very riche and principall man hauing a very deuoute wife and fearing God but had but one onely daughter she therfore saied to her husband We haue but this onely daughter and God hath geuen vs so great riches what therfore doth she want if we seeke to bestow her on any principall and riche man which is not of good behauiour he will be a perpetuall affliction vnto her Lett vs seeke forth for her an humble and deuoute maqn which may loue her and cherish her according vnto Gods will and pleasure Who saied vnto her Thou hast saied very well Go therfore into the Church pray very deuoutely there remaine and looke who first entereth he it is whom God sendeth as a spouse for our daughter She therfore did as her husband willed her and whan she had praied and there fatte still I was the first which entered in She therfore sending her seruant caused me to be brought beganne to aske me wheÌ„ce are you Than I answered I am of this citty and the sonne of such a one What saieth she of that great almes geuer Euen of the same say I Than shee PareÌ„ts now a daies do nothing but heape vp Gods wrath against their children haue you euer a wife I answered no. and tould her what my father saide vnto me and what answere I gaue him Than sâ—â—ee glorifying God saied Behould your good guardian hath sent you a wife money that you may vse the one the other with the feare of God And shee gaue me her daughter her money And so I pray continually that I may followe my fathers example euen vnto my end THE FIFTH CHAPTER Of renunciation of a mans selfe yet more in particuler and of the necessary obligation to suffer martirdome whaÌ„ otherwise God might be offended with diuerse forceable exhortations to the same S. Cyprian Epistola 56. Cyprian vnto the people of Thibaris sendeth greeting §. 1 I Had thought my beloued brethren He animateth them vnto martirdome did earnestly desire if the estate of our matters and the condition of the time would permitte according to your often desires to come vnto you my selfe and being present by such meane exhortation as I could afford you to strengthen your fraternity But because with vrgent busines we are so hindered that we cannot conueniently make any long excursions and be long absent from the people which by Gods mercy we haue vnder our charge He had a reuelation of the trouble at hand I haue in the meane while in steed of my selfe sent you this letter for whereas we our selues are oftentimes vrged and warned by our Lords mercy instructing vs we must of dewty be carefull for to warne also you For you must know and of certainety beleeue and hould it for trew that the day of tribulatioÌ„ beginneth to hang ouer our head and that the sunsetting of the world and time of Antichrist is at hand so that we must all of vs stand ready vnto the battell and thinke of nothing else but of the glory of euerlasting life of the Crowne of Confession of Christ neither let vs thinke that the thinges which do now come are of such maner as those which are past haue bene A greater and crueller conflicte is at hand for which with incorrupted faith and valiant courage the souldiers of Christ must prepare them selues considering that therfore they drinke daily the blood of Christ that they may theÌ„ selues also shed their blood for Christ For that is truely to desire to be with Christ to imitate that which Christ taught and
Euen as the heares in our body do seeme superfluous and without detriment of the flesh are shaueÌ„ away so whatsoeuer a furious Ruler can do vnto thee account that amongst thy superfluities He taketh away thy pouerty doth he take away thy riches Thy pouerty and thy riches are in thy hart thy superfluities he may take away he might damnifie them and being permitted euen hurte thy body A Christian shold make no account of his life For this life to those which thinke of another life euen this life I say is to be accounted amongst superfluities For the Martyrs contemned euen it also they loased not their life but they fouÌ„d it Assure your selues my brethren that enemies are not admitted against the faithfull but in as much as is profitable to tempt and proue the faithfull Assure your selues of this my brethren lett none say the contrary Cast all your care vpon our Lord lay your selues wholly vpon him He will not shrinke froÌ„ you to let you fall he which made vs and gaue vs security of our very heare Amen Mat. 10. I say to you your very heares of the head are all numbred Our heares are numbred vnto God how much more our manners whan our heares are so well knowen Behould that God doth not despise euen our least things for if he despised theÌ„ he would not create theÌ„ For he truly both made and numbreth our heares also Luc. 21. But now that they are thou wilt say they shall happely perish of this also heare what he saieth Amen I say to you a heare of your head shall not perishe Why fearest thou a man ô man which arte caried in Gods bosome See thou fall not out of his bosome whatsoeuer thou shalt suffer there shall be for thy saluation not for thy destruction The Martyrs suffered the quarterings of their members and are Christians afraide of the iniuries of ChristiaÌ„ times S. Augustin here speaketh of those countreies where infidell officers did of malice persecute Christians by false subornations He which doth thee an iniury now doth it with feare he saieth not openly come to the Idoll he saieth not openly come to my aultars and there bankett And if he say so and thou wilt not lett him make his complaint let him bring his action he would not come to my aultars he would not come to the temple which I reuerence Lett him say it he dare not but he deuiseth craftely other thinges prepare thy heare he whetteth his razour he is ready to take away thy superfluities to shaue away whatsoeuer thou must once leaue Let him take that which shall remaine if he can what hath this vniust ruler taken from thee what great thing hath he taken that which the theefe that which the burglar and if he go to the vttermost that with the murderer taketh if he be permitted to kill the very body what taketh he from thee but that with the murderer taketh I fauoured him whan I called him murderer for euery murderer how hainous soeuer is a man that which the agew which the scorpioÌ„ which the poisoning todstoole taketh all this their might whan they rage against vs is to do like the todstoole men eate the venemous todstoole and dye Behould in what brittlenes is this life which thou must once leaue do not so fight for it that thy selfe be lefte Our way is Christ Consider Christ he came to suffer but so to be glorified to be contemned but so to be exalted to dye but after to rise againe doth the worke terrifie thee but see the reward Why wilt thou in delicatenes come to that thing whitherto onely labour bringeth But thou fearest to loose thy siluer because thou camest by it with great labour if not without labour thou camest by thy siluer which one day at the least at thy death thou must leaue wilt thou atchieue life euerlasting without labour Sett more by it which thou shalt so obtaine after all thy labours that thou shalt neuer lose it if that be deare vnto thee which thou after all thy labours so obtainedst that once thou shalt loose it how much more ought we to desire those things which are euerlasting S. Bernard serm 61. in Cant vpon those wordes My Doue in the holes of the rocke §. 6. The Martyr needeth not to be afraide to lifte vp his pale and wan face to him Cant. 2. A comfore for Martyrs in torments Psal 67. by whose wannes we were saued or to represent the glorious similitude of his death of which it was saied the hinder partes of his backe in the palenes of gould What should he feare to whom our Lord saieth shew me thy face to what intent as it seemeth vnto me he desireth rather to shew him selfe So it is he desireth to be seene not to see For what doth not he see there is no need that a man shew him selfe vnto him to whoÌ„ there is none but is seene although he hide him selfe from him He desireth therfore to be seene the noble courteous Captaine will haue his souldiers countenance and eyes to be lifted vp to his woundes that so he may encourage his mind and by his owne example make him the more couragious in suffering Verely he shall not feele his owne whan he behouldeth his Captaines wounds There standeth the Martyr leaping triumphing although with his body thoroughly quartered whilest the sworde searcheth his sides not onely stoutly but also ioifully he behouldeth on euery side the sacred blood to gush from his flesh Where is than the soule of the Martyr surely in safety surely in the rocke surely in the bowels of Iesus and no meruaile the woundes being open for his entring in if he were in his owne bowells searching them As Martyrs were in time past tormeÌ„ted for to deny God so now to betray their brethren he should surely feele the sword he should not abide the paine he would yeelde and denye but now dwelling in the rocke what meruaile if he bee become hard as the rocke But neither is it to be meruailed at if being exiled from his body he feeleth not the griefes of his body Neither is this caused by nummnes but by loue for the sense is subdued not destroyed neither wanteth there griefes but it is ouercome it is despised Than from the rocke cometh the Martyrs fortitude thence is he fully able to drinke of the cuppe of our Lord and this solaâ—ing cuppe Psal 22. how notable is it it is notable and pleasant no lesse to the Captaine behoulding than to the souldier triumphing for the ioy of our Lord 2. Esd. 8. is our fortitude what should he do but reioise at the voice of a most stoute confest on Cant. 2 wherfore he doth euen seeke it with great desire Let thy voice sound saieth he in my eares neither will he be slow in repaying the reward but that he will confesse him before his father Mar. 8 whosoeuer shall confesse him
Christ his Church concerning Christian renunciation that so all hope may be taken away from the renouncers of Gods auncient Church to blame the wilfulnes of any young Clergy How important this case was in S. Ambrose his opiniō The matter trewly seemeth vnto me so important and the case so vrgent that if the holy Bishop of Milan S. Ambrose accounted it to be the necessary dewty of Gods Priestes euen vnto death to resist those Parents which withdrew their daughters from being Nunnes a thing of indifferent choice vnto euery one l. 3. de Virg. farre greater necessity will there be in confuting those euen with daunger of death which seeke to withdrawe them from all Christian dewty Et potest esse saieth that most godly Doctour patientia Sacerdotum vt non vel morte oblata si ita necesse est integritatis sacrificium vindicetur And can a Preist haue patience that euen with manifest perill of death if occasion be offered he reschue not the sacrifice of integritye maruaile not therfore good reader if I one farre vnworthy of the least credit of any Catholicke Clergy man seeme ouer earnest in this my preface for by reading ouer this treatise thou shalt see that I differ not herin from the zeale of most graue Sainctes of God if I shall profit thē any thing by my reprehension I shall be gladd because they are made sory vnto penance if I shall do no more but incense them yet I hope I shall profit many Let them in the meane time take it for parte of penance wheras in deed this is but a pibble stone in respect of the milstone which they must expect from the iudgement of Christ if they will not be reformed and except they hould their handes from paper and auoid publicke occasion of scandalous doctrine in this behaulfe they must needs thinke that if Priests for wāt of meanes and commodit◠haue patience and hould theire peace there wil be notwithstanding some one or other alwaies ready to reuenge Gods cause and to stand in the defence of the necessary confession of Christ our Redeemer and of his holy Crosse Thus much therfore being spoken of the cause and generall maner of this Treatise The order of this Treatise I will now set downe the order of proceeding therin for although I could not easely distinguish the seuerall matters handled by the Fathers and almost in euery particuler allegation there is occasion of speaking of euery thing belonging to our purpose yet haue I for the more perspicuity and for the more ease of the reader so deuided the wholle that we may reduce all to a few principall points The first chapter therfore shall be to shew that it is very meritorious and acceptable vnto God to renounce parents and all things for perfection For if this be once fully perswaded lesse difficulty will it be to proue that it is lawfull in cases of necessity The second That a man is bound vnder paine of eternall damnation vnto a perfect renunciation of all frendes kinsefolkes parents and superiours their intreaties examples and commaundements yea and him selfe also and all that he hath whan otherwise he should be hindered from the dewty of a Christian The third shall intreate in particuler of the necessary renunciatiō sometimes to be made of husband and wife where as well for to take away occasion of errour as for to represse the arrogant peruersnes of some husbands which challenge more autoritie ouer wiues than God or nature hath geuen them We must necessarily intreat of some lawfull separations of man and wife which we must be forced to doe of our owne although if leasure will permitte we purpose to proue it out of Gods word and auncient Fathers which if we shall not for haste be permitted to perfourme yet this will we promise that we will set nothing downe but according to the common opinion of Catholicke Doctours The fourth chapter we will make more particulerly of renunciation of a mans patrimony and care of prouision for children The fifth besides that which was saide in the second chapter shall intreate of renunciation of a mans selfe and necessary obligation to suffer martyrdome whā otherwise God might be offended with diuerse forceable exhortations to the same Finally shall follow the Conclusion So that in no parte of this Treatise except onely in this preface in the conclusion and in some parte of the third chapter thou must thinke that I speake gentle Reader but imagin that the Saintes of God do speake vnto thee I haue vndoubtedly lest infinite places and many Doctors which might haue bene brought but this is as much as my time and cōmodity could afford thee others perhaps may take occasion hereby to adde other like these I hope will no lesse moue them which with sincere mindes shall read them than they haue comforted my selfe whan I haue wrotten them This onely I desire of the deuout Readers that as I haue sought nothing else in this small labour but my Catholike Brethrens comfort so I may reape againe the comforte of their gratefull acceptation S. Bern. lib. de praecept dispens Siue Deus siue homo vicarius Dei mandatum quodcunque tradiderit pariprofecto obsequendum est cura pari reuerentia deferendum vbitamen Deo contraria non praecipit homo quod si contigerit Act. 5. pergendum indubitanter consulo in Petri sententiam quia obedire oportet Deo magis quam hominibus Whether God or man being the Vicar of God do geue any commandment with the like care it must be obeied with equall reuerence it is to be esteemed yet so long as man commandeth not contrary vnto God which if it happen than do I counsell euery one to follow Peters counsell that we must obey God rather then men A TREATISE OF CHRISTIAN Renunciation THE FIRST CHAPTER That it is very meritorious acceptable vnto God to renounce Parents and all things for perfection The 38 epistle of S Augustine vnto Laetus §. 1 I Haue read the Epistle which you sent vnto our Brethren An exhortation to an estate of perfection against the mothers will requesting that they would comforte you because your new beginnings were shaken with great tentations where also you signified that you desired our letters I was very sory and could not cease from writing least I should withdraw both from my owne and from your desire that which I sawe in deed I did owe by the duety of charity If therfore you professe your selfe a nouice of Christ forsake not the tents in the which you must euen build that tower of which in the Gospell our Lord speaketh for whosoeuer remaineth in the same tower vnder the banner of the word of God doth fight him no tentations may pearce on any side from thence both dartes being cast do flye with great force and being foreseene are with most firme repaire auoided Luc. 14. Consider also that our Lord Iesus Christ although he
we may both espye and keepe backe the enemie of euerlasting life The heauenly trompett doth inuite the souldier of Christ vnto the combateâ— and thy mother doth withdraw thee not such a mother truely as was that of the Machabees nor yet like vnto the Lacedemonian mothers 2. Mach. 7. of whâ—m it is recorded that more effectually and earnestly then the very displaiing of banners and sound of trompetts they incited their children to shedd their blood for their earthly countrey For that mother which for the learning of life doth not suffer you to be estraunged from seculer cares doth sufficiently shew how well she would permitt you if such necessity happened vtterly to abandon the world for to suffer death But what saieth she What doth she alleage perhapps those tenne monethes in which you loaded her bowells the trauailes of her bringing forth and the labours of your bringing vp O this this o kill this with the word of saluation destroy this of your mother yâ— you may find her for life euerlasting This do you remember to hate in her if you loue her if you be the Nouice of Christ if you haue laied the foundation of the tower least the passengers say Luc. 14. Carnall affection this man beganne to builde and could not finish For this is a carnall affection and yet smelleth of the olde man This carnall affection as well in our selues as in our frendes doth the warfare of a Christian exhorte vs to destroye Yet lett no man be vnthankfull to his parents neither sette light by these very benefittes of his bringing forth and nourishing in this life but lett him rather obserue euery where piety Lett these things take place The Church our mother where greater thinges do not inuite vs. The Church our mother is mother also of thy mother she hath conceiued vs of Christ she hath brought vs forth by the blood of Martyrs she hath borne vs vnto euerlasting light she hath nursed vs and yet doth nourish vs with the milke of faith and preparing still more perfect meates quaketh to see you yet little ones and like toothles infants to do nothing but crye This mother enlarged ouer the wholle world is tossed with so many and so diuerse incursions of errours that her vntimely childreÌ„ are not now affraid with deadly armour to warre against her Also through the sluggishnes and benummed dulnes of certaine which as yet she hath in her lappe Necessity of the Church she bewaileth that her members are in very many places waxen colde and now vnfitte for to cherish her little ones Whence but of her other children whence but of her other members amongst which your selfe are one doth she require her iust and dew succour And you forsaking her necessities will you turne backe vnto carnall speaches doth not she with more greeuous complaints fill your eares doth not she shew vnto you more louing bowells and heauenly pappes Herunto adde her spowses taking flesh vpon him that you should not cleaue vnto fleshly things the eternall word vndertaking those things which your mother doth contumeliously reproue least you should deale therwith adde also reproches whippings death yea and the death of the Crosse O you which were conceiued of such see o you borne vnto a new life in such a wedlocke do you languish and consume away againe into the olde man Example of Christ Yea had not your Emperour an earthly mother who notwithstanding whilest he was busie in heauenly thinges hearing tidings of her answered Which is my mother or which are my brethren and stretching out his handes towardes his Disciples saide Mat. 12. that none belonged to his kinne but such as did his Fathers will In which number vndoubtedly he comprehended the holy Virgin her selfe for she also fulfilled the will of his Father And so that excellent and Diuine master both despised in comparison of heauenly alliance the name of a mother which was spoken vnto him as priuate and peculier because it was earthly and declaring the same heauenly alliance in his Disciples shewed with what lincke of kinred that same Virgin with other of his Saintes was ioined vnto him But least by this most holesome instruction wherin he taught that carnall affection in parents should be conteÌ„ned he might geue any colour vnto errour wheras some men deny that he had a mother in another place he warneth his Disciples that they should not say they haue a father on earth to the intent that as it was manifest that they had fathers so it might be euident that he had a mother whose earthly alliance yet he despising might geue vnto his Disciples example of despising the like affinities And are these things interrupted by the voices of thy mother and amongst these thinges is there any roome for the memory of a bigge belly and of a nurse that of Adame and Eue thou mightest be borne another Adam Beholde rather beholde the second Adam from heauen and cary now the likenesse of the heauenly Adam as thou hast carried of the earthly Yea here lett take place those motherly benefittes which are reckoned vp vnto thee for the effeminating of thy minde Let them in any wise take place be not vngratfull returne spirituall things for carnall for temporall euerlasting if she will not follow thee lett her not hinder thee Will she not be conuerted vnto better lett her not peruert thee vnto worse and so ouerthrow thee What Skilleth it whether in a wife or in a mother so that in enery woman Eue be auoided For this pretence of piety and dewty All excuses in the seruice of God are Adames leaues Gen. 3. commeth from the leaues of that tree wherw t our first parents did first couer them selues in that damnable nakednes And whatsoeuer in those wordes and suggestions she alleageth vnto you as an office of charity that she may wrest you from the most pure and sincere charity of the gospell appertaineth vnto the crafte of the serpent and to the dubble dealing of that King which hath twenty thousand which we are taught by the simplicity of ten thousand that is by the simplicity of a harte wherin we seeke God to ouerthrow Carying the Crosse Harken rather vnto these thinges my dearest and take vp your Crosse and follow our Lord. for whan we being togither I perceaued that you were hindered by domesticall cares froÌ„ the study of godlines I esteemed you rather to be caried lead by your Crosse than to beare and carry it For our Crosse which our Lord will haue vs carry that we may readely follow him what doth it signifie but the mortality of this flesh For this is that which crosseth and afflicteth vs vntill death be swallowed into victory This very Crosse therfore it selfe must be crucified and pearsed with the nailes of the feare of God least with loose and not restrained members you be not able to carry her rebelling For follow our Lord but carrying her
did according to S. Iohn 1. Io. 2 saying Who saieth that he remaineth in Christ must so walke as he hath walked The blessed Apostle S. Paule also exhorteth teacheth vs saying Ro. 2. we are sonnes but if we be sonnes we are heires also of God and coheires of Christ if so be that we do suffer with him that we may be glorified with him all which thinges are now to be considered by vs that no man desire any thing of the now dying world but follow Christ who both liueth for euer and quickneth his seruants which retaine the confession of his name Io. 16 For the time is come my deare brethren which long since out Lord foretould saying The houre will come that euery one which shall kill you shall thinke he doth God good seruice But these things shall they dâ— because they know not my father nor me This haue I spoken vnto you that whan the houre of these things shall come you remember that I tould you neither lett any one meruaile that we are afflicted with daily persecutions and oftentimes oppressed with greeuous tribulations wheras our Lord hath foretould that these thinges should happen in the latter times and hath furnished our warfare with his owne instruction and exhortation Peter also his Apostle hath taught vs that therfore persecutions are made that we may be proued euen we also by the example of those iust persons which are gone before vs 1. Pet. 4 be ioined through death and sufferings vnto the loue of God My dearest saieth he wonder not at the feruour which happeneth vn to you which is made for your tentation neither do you shrinke as if any new thing happened to you but so ofte as you communicate with the passions of Christ in all things reioise that in the reuelation of his glory you may reioise being gladd If you be reuiled in the name of Christ you are happy because the name of the maiesty and vertue of God resteth in you which name truely by them is blasphemed but by vs is honoured The Apostles taught vs concerning the precepts of our Lord and heauenly commaundments that which them selues therby had learned wheras our Lord him selfe doth confirme vs saying Mat. 1â— Luc. 1â— There is none which leaueth house or land or parents or brethren or sisters or wife or children for the Kingdome of God and receiueth not seauen times as much in this time in the world to come life euerlasting And againe blessed shall you be whan men shall hate you and separate you and thrust you forth Luc. â— and curse your name as euell for the sonne of man Be you gladd in that day and reioise for behould your reward is much in heauen our Lord would haue vs be gladd reioise in persecutions because when persecutions are raised than are crownes of faith bestowed than the souldiers of God are proued than vnto Martyrs are the heauens opened Neither did we so ascribe our selues to this warfare that we should onely thinke of peace and shunne and refuse the battaile wheras in this very warfare our Lord hath walked before vs that master of humility and patience and suffering first doing that which he taught for to do and first suffering that which he exherteth to suffer Lay before your cies most beloued brethren that he which onely hath receiued all iudgement of his father and is for to come to iudge hath already sette downe the summe Mat. 1â— of his iudgemeÌ„t sentence to come forewarning vs proclaiming that before his father he will both confesse those which confesse him and deny those which deny him if we could escape death we might worthely feare it But wheras it is necessary that he which is mortall do dye lett vs imbrace this occasion proceeding from Gods promise and liberality and leavs so passe by death that we may receaue the reward of immortality neither lett vs seare to be killed it being certaine that whan we are killed we are crowned Catholicke Prisoners ought not to be dismaied by the want of Priestes And lett no man my brethren seeing our people for feare of persecution to be driuen away and scattered be therfore troubled in mind because he seeth not the coÌ„fraternity gathered togither neither heareth the Bishops preaching All cannot than be togither as who may not lawfully kill but must of reccessâ—ty be killed Whersoeuer at such time any brother shall be separated for a while in body but not in spiritt from the flocke because of the necessity of the time lett him not be moued with the horrour of such flight or retiring and hiding him selfe be terrified with the solitarines of a deserte place He is not alone whose companion is Christ euen in his flight he is not alone which conseruing the temple of God whersoeuer he is is not without God And if whilest he flâ—eth in the wildernesse and mountaines the murderer oppresse him a wilde beast destroy him hunger or thirst or colde confume him or if whilest he hasteth by the seas with daungerous nauigation a storme or tempest do drowne him Christ behouldeth his souldier whersoeuer he fighteth and to him which dieth by reason of persecution for the honour of his name he geueth that reward which he promised to geue in persecutioÌ„ neither is it a lesse glory of martirdome that one dieth not publickely amongst a multitude whaÌ„ the cause of dying is to dye for Christ Sufficient to the testimoy of a Martyr is that witnesse who proueth crowneth the Martyrs Lett vs follow deare brethren iust Abel Gen. â— who laied the first foundation of of martirdomes whilest be first was killed for iustice Lett vs imitate AbrahaÌ„ Gen. 2â— the frend of God which did not stay to sacrifice with his owne hands his sonne whilest with a faithfull deuotion he obeyed God Lett vs imitate the three children Ananias Azarias and Misael who neither astonished with their age Dan. 3 nor discouraged with their captiuity after the conquest of Iewry and the surprising of Hierusalem by the valour of their faith ouercame the King in his owne Kingdome who being coÌ„maunded to adore the image which Nabuchodonozor made were stronger thaÌ„ either his threates or flames by these wordes proclaiming and witnessing their faith O King Nabuchodonozor we need not answere thee concerning this matter For God whom we serue is able to take vs forth of the fornace of burning fire and to deliuer vs out of thy handes ô King And if he will not know thou that we serue not thy Gods we worship not the goulden image which thou hast erected They beleeued that according to their faith they might escape but they added if he will not that the King mighty know that they could euen dye for the God which they worshipped For this is the force of courage of faith to beleeue and know that God is able to deliuer from death eueÌ„ present and yet not to
feare death nor to yeeld at all that faith may so be more effectually proued There issued forth of their mouth the vncorrupted and inuincible vigour of the holy ghost that we may see those thinges to be trew which our Lord saieth in the gospell Mat. 10 whan they shall apprehend you do not thinke what you may speake for there shall be geuen you euen in that houre what you may speake for it is not you which speake but the spiritt of your father which speaketh within you he sayed that from aboue there should euen at that time be geuen vs what to speake and answere and that they did not than speake but the spirit of God their father which not departing nor being separated from Confessours both speaketh is crowned within vs. So also Daniel whan he was compelled to adore the Idol Bel whom both the king and people did worship with full liberty of faith broke forth for the defence of Gods honour into these words I worship nothing but my Lord God which made heauen earth What I pray you the greeuous torments of the blessed Martyrs amongst the Machabeâ—s 2. Mach. 7 and variety of paines of the seauen brethren and the mother comforting her children in torments and dying her selfe also with her children are not these great examples of fortitude and faith and do not these persons by their passions excite vs to the triumph of martirdome The Prophetts whom the holy ghost did inhabite to teach them thinges to come the Apostles whom our Lord did choose the iust persons which are killed for iustice haue not all these taught vs to dye The natiuity of Christ presently beganne with the martirdomes of infants whan for his name all were killed from two yeeres of age douward the age not ready for the Skirmish was fitte for the crowne and that we may knowe that those are innocent which are killed for Christ innocent infancy was slaine for his name it was shewed that no man is free from daunger of persecution whan such as they receiued martirdome What shame were it than for a Christian if the seruant would not suffer whan his Lord first hath suffered and for vs to refuse for to suffer for our sinnes whan without sinne of his owne he suffered for vs The sonne of God suffered that he might make vs the sonnes of God will not the sonne of a man suffer that he may perseuer the sâ—nne of God if we sustaine the hatred of the world the same hatred of the world Christ suffered before vs if we aâ—â—de in this world reproches if flight if torments more greeuous things hath tasted the Lord maker of this world who saieth if you were of this world Io. 15. the worlde wold loue that which were his owne but because you are not of the world and I haue chosen you out of the world therfore doth the world hate you remember the word which I saied vnto you the seruant is not greater than his Lord if they haue persecuted you they will persecute you also Our Lord God whatsoeuer he taught he also did so that the disciple cannot be excused which learneth doeth not Let not yet any of you my bre threÌ„ be so terrified with the feare of persecution or with the coming of Antichrist at hand that he be not also armed against all things with the Euangelicall exhortations Antichrist cometh but Christ cometh after the enemy assaileth and rageth but Christ presently followth to reuenge our sufferings woundes the aduersary fretteth threatneth but there is one who is able to deliuer from his handes Mat. 10. he must be feared whose anger none can escape wheras be forewarneth vs saying feare not them which kill the body but cannot kill the soule but rather seare him w e can destroy both body and soule into bell Io. 12. And againe who loueth his life shall lose it and who hateth his life in this world Apoc. 14. To go to that Church is to adore the beast shall conserue it vnto euerlasting life And in the Apâ—calipse if any man adore the beast and his image taketh his marke in his forehead and in his hand be also shall drinke of the wine of the anger of God mingled in the cuppe of his anger and shall be punished with fire and brim slone before the eies of the holy Argells and before theeies of the lambe and the smoke shall ascend from their torments world without end and they shall haue no rest day night who soeuer do adore the beast and his image For worldly Skirmishes men are exercised and practised they repute it a great aduantage of their honour if they chaunce to be crowned in the sight of he people and in the presence of the Emperour Behould here a singuler and excellent Skirmishe and honoured with the reward of a heauenly crowne how God doth behould vs fighting and opening his eies vpon those whom he hath made his childreÌ„ is delighted with the vew of our Skirmish whilest we fight Skirmishe in this conflict of our faith God behouldeth vs his Angells behould vs Christ him selfe behouldeth vs. O what excellency of glory ô how great felicity it is to Skirmishe in the presence of God to be crowned by the iudgement of Christ Lett vs arme our selues deare brethren with all our force Lett vs be ready for the combate with a pure mind intiere faith and denoute courage Lett Gods army march to the field which is bidden vs. Let the constant be armed least they lose the benefitte of their late constant standing Lett the lapsed be armed that he may recouer the losse of his fall Let honour prouoke the constant and sorrow the lapsed vnto the combate The Apostle armeth and prepareth vs saying our wrestling is not against flesh and blood but against Princes Potestates Eph. 6. against the Rectours of the world of these darknes against the spiritualls of wickednes in the celestialls Therfore take the armour of God Spirituall armous that you may resist in the euell day and stand in all things perfect Stand therfore hauing your loines girded in truth and clothed with the breastplate of iustice and hauing your feete shodd to the preparation of the gospell of peate in all things taking the shield of faith wherwith you may extinguish all the fiery dartes of the most wicked one and take vnto you the helmet of saluation and the sword of the spirite which is the worde of God Let vs take these weapons with this spirituall and heauenly armour of proofe Lett vs safegarde our selues that in the euell day we may be able to withstand and resist the Deuills threatnings Lett vs putte on the brest-plate of iustice that our brest may be fensed and secure from the dartes of the enemy Lett our feet be shodd armed with the Euangelicall doctrine that when we begin to treade on and crush the serpent he be not able to