slaine vvith svvorde vvalked not they vp and dovvne destitute and trobeled dyd they not vvander in vvildernes in mountaines in dennes and caues of the earthe they vvould not be deliuered of theire troble that they might inherite a better resurrection Euen so it fel to the Apostles and sainctes of the newe testamente VVhom God set forthe for the lovvest of al as men appointed to deathe as men that vvere made gasinge stockes to the vvorlde as men that vvere fooles for Christes sake men that vvere naked hungred thristed and had no certaine dvvellinge place men that vvere accounted the filthe and scouringe of the vvorlde Amonge the children of women there was not a greater then Iohn Baptiste yet was he imprisoned and done to deathe It is godes ordinarie mercie firste to amende his children by correction and after to deliuer them from damnation And in this life God spareth the wicked and not the electe in the life to come he spareth the electe and not the wicked He suffereth his seruātes to be broughte to the lowest because he seeth how to aduaunce them in the higheste He deiecteth them outewardelie euen to contempte because he bringeth thē inwardlie to thinges incomprehensible Yf God thus afflicte them whom he hath chosen and loueth what are they like to suffer whom he doth hate and reprobate The prophet toke it for Godes good blessinge that he was made humble by tribulation This he saith It is good for me that thou hast humbled me before I vvas corrected I sinned And he speaketh further in the person of thē who seke of God to be assayed in this worlde by tribulation Proue me o lorde assaye me burne my raynes and my hearte It was S. Austin that saide Hic vre hic seca vt in eternum parcas Cut me here seare me here that thou mayest spare me for euer Albeit holie mē liue perfectelie in this life yet desire they fatherlie correction that they may goo to theire countrie so muche the more perfecte by how muche God correctinge thē here purgeth their litle synnes For whē the ruste of synne is scoured out by correction when the blottes of synne be rased oute throughe the sworde of persecution they thus persecuted and purged can not but come with comforte to the iudgemēte seate of our lorde And for that the presente course of this life is but the waie wher in they rūne toward theire coūtrie that be here passengers leaste they should loue the waye or those thinges which they finde in the waye in stede of theire countrie they be knocked and whipped forwarde with trobles by the waye which yet by godes good mercies and comfortable graces they ouercome Al that is borne of God ouercometh the vvorlde And they be so borne that forsake the thinges of the worlde which be against god They ouercome that withstāde concupiscence ambition and pridie of life which the worlde loueth They ouercome that forsake libertie schisme and heresie which the worlde preferreth And they ouercome that suffer afflictions for Christes sake which the worlde shonneth You that be borne of God and nowe suffer for Godes house ▪ you suffer in the worlde that you may not be cōdemned with the worlde Contente your selues with this kind of suffering This daylye affliction is a kinde of martyrdom and a certaine effusion of bloudde which they shed in a milde but a longe martyrdome that can not once die for Christe In this prolonginge of deathe by daylie punishement the diuel sheweth his craftines for sekinge youre deathe by slowe and dul sworde he coueteth to kyl your soules and not your bodies He coueteth to take from you the glorious name of martyrdome But you may be martyrs withoute stroke of sworde yf you kepe pacience in your heartes For notwitstādinge wee deferre the honor of martyrdome properlie to them that endure in tormentes for Christe euen to deathe yet be they martyres also which beare witnes of Christe in conuersation of life and confession of faithe They be called martyres which be cōtente for Christes sake to suffer rebukes reuiles slaunders and what persecution of tonges so euer This is the secret martyrdome of the minde the other is the open martyrdome of the bodie by deathe That any be a martyr God requireth not effusion of bloud but faithe for defence wherof a man may dewtifullie shedde his bloudde And martyrdome is in worke and in wil as it was in S. Stephan or in wil onelie as it was is S. Iohn Euangeliste or in worke onelie as it was in the blessed Innocētes The merite of martyrdome in S. Iohn that suffered not and in S. Peter that suffered was not vneuen But be it that God permite the powers of the worlde to put you to open martyrdome as some good and constant catholikes amonge you haue ben put of late yeares then trulie aboue al you shal ouercome the worlde and become open martyres For this is the victorie that ouercometh the worlde fides nostra By this the Martyres conquered when they suffered Thoughe they were killed in bodie yet could they not be made to yelde in soule The tormentors were ouercomed because they coulde not doo what theire wil was to doo theire wil was to kil Christe in thē and to extincte Christes faithe which thinge they coulde not doo And therfore wee singe and reioyse of the martyres glorious triūphes We kepe their deathe dayes which he called theire birthe dayes because in theire deathe and martyrdome they ouercome the worlde they be borne againe newlie baptised and beginne to liue with God in eternitie of glorie Blessed and thrise blessed be then to whom God geueth his gratious gifte to ouercome the worlde by deathe It is the requital that wee can make to Christe whē bloud is recompensed with bloudde and when we that were redemed by the pretious bloud of Christe doo willinglie shed our bloud for him Marye this is not in your power but in your worthines which is not of you but of god But yf God make you worthie to goo that waye the waye is made easie and plaine before you Christe your heade is gon that waye Manye thousande Martyres are gon that waye Olde mē yonge men children and maydes are gon that waye Popes Bishopes priestes kinges Senators coūselors noblemen noble women holie widowes deuoute virginnes babes and infantes are gon that waye Into that waye you haue him to leade you by him selfe to him selfe that was made the waye for you Iesus Christ that saide I am the vvaye And when you goo that waye your eyes be closed in the persecution of the earthe the heauēs be opened to you that be persecuted Antechriste threateneth Christe defendeth deathe goeth before life foloweth temporal life is loste eternal life is founde And what comforte what ioye what securitie wil it be to passe gloriouselie in pressure and sodēlie to shutte the eyes of your bodie with which you
to you that suffer for religion such cōfortes as I labored to gaine to my selfe in the greate trobles of thes countries wherin were vsed manye mischeuous meanes to deface religion Firste thē recognise you with me why and for what cause you suffer Yf you suffer for any horrible facte or enormious synne the name of God is blasphemed emong you Yf you suffer for murther thefte or sacrilege you suffer with dishonor shame and synne Yf you be felons there is an haulter yf you be traitors there is an axe yf you be heretikes there is a stake fagot and fire But the cause of your sufferinge is knowen and by your knowē actes testified to the maiestie of the christian worlde It is knowen that you suffer as christiās for Christes sake that you suffer as catholikes for the catholike faithe and that you suffer as open christians and cōfessant catholikes You stode in the firste fronte against the violent innouation of religion You were depriued of honors of lordeshippes of landes and liuelehood You haue sustained great and longe affliction you sustaine yet disgrace imprisonmet and banyshemēt And why is it a faute to be a christian Is it sinne to confesse the faithe of Christe or is it blame worthy to be a member of Christes catholike churche If you be christians yf you be catholikes yf you be afflicted christian catholikes for the catholike religion If I saye when you stande in thes termes there be no other cause why you suffer then surelie you suffer directlie for the catholike cause In the house of God there is no cause more honorable no cause more glorious thē the catholike cause This cause almightie God commended when he commaūded the worlde to heare his sonne Christe For this cause Christe came into the worlde and he suffered more tribulation then any creature is able to suffer Had there ben any cause more noble then this Christe wolde haue chosen it and suffered for it But there was no worne that made a more manifeste shewe of true vertue there was no trial so farre from al suspition as to suffer for religiō As Christe hath his sainctes in heauen that honour hym in quiet loue so hath he his sainctes in earthe that honour hym with troubled loue As there is in heauen nothinge more precious thē the glorious loue of his sainctes so is there in earthe no thing more acceptable then the afflicted loue of the iuste who for his loue suffer for his religion Yf there be no creature that serueth God in rule of religion but man onelie yf religion be a seruice propre to God and be so called because the soule of man fallinge frō God throughe synne rebindeth hir selfe againe to him by that seruice and man cā shewe to God no other supreme seruice nor soueraigne honor but religion then surelie it is religion that man hath bounde him selfe vnto and then is it religious that is to saye a matter of conscience to kepe that dōde and rather to suffer for it then to incurre Godes displeasure Nor shoulde any wel informed christiā doubte whether he might suffer for this cause iustice taketh awaye doubte and to doubte is lacke of faithe for faithe doubteth not but that we should suffer and Christiā fortitude chooseth rather to suffer thē to lese pietie Yf good mē haue suffered tormētes for concealinge the secrettes of their freindes should not wee suffer for cōseruinge the sacramentes of our faithe Yf euil mē suffer for wrōges don to the common weale shal not good mē suffer for suche rightes as belōge to the churche of Christe Manye haue died in cōbattes whiles they aduētured to helpe their freindes maye we die for mennes sake and refuse to die for God what should I speake of the Gentiles who sustained greuous paines in doubtful affaires onelie for vaine glorie Should we christians refuse to suffer for veritie what they sought to suffer for vanitie I neede saye no more Christ the teacher of sufferaunce and humilitie suffered al that he suffered to make his churche glorious and he suffered firste to shewe example to vs to suffer after And after him so manye glorious Martyrs and membres of his churche suffered for the commō cause of the churche that now to suffer for the same it should not seeme impertinēt to the dutie of a christian Yf now then you afflicted catholikes you suffer for this cause as in dede you suffer doubteles in this name you glorifie god in this name you honor god And what thākes deserue you now whē you feare god liue in his lawes obey his churche and choose rather to endure greefes to beare wrōges for cōscience sake to God thē to folowe the gospel of the worlde It were no praise for you yf you suffered for your sinnes but when you suffer for that cause wich is iustifiable to al the christian worlde which is commended of al good men and approued of God him selfe as Godes owne proper and personal cause when now I saye you suffer for that cause doubtles this is thāke worthie of god This cause is so importante that none can suffer for it but by the gratious gifte of God and God geaueth this gifte to none but to his special freindes This ioyneth you neare vnto God causeth you to set lesse by the worlde diminisheth your paines in purgatorie and encreaseth your final rewarde in heauen This is such a cause as for the which who so hath not the gifte to suffer ought to seeke it by praier and penance So longe as you suffer for this cause you haue litle cause to feare the power of your mightie aduersaries VVhat is to them cause of perditiō God vvil turne to your saluation for vnto you it is geuen not onelie to beleue in Christe but to suffer also for his sake Marke the gifte and consider the grace God that is the geauer of giftes and graces God that hath called you to his eternal glorie by Christe Iesu wil make you perfecte wil strēgthen you and establishe you after you haue suffered a litle affliction In dede it is but litle Yet doth it prepare vnto you an excedinge and eternal vveight of glorie For what seke you in this sufferinge Not to folowe the lawes of men which be corrupte and crooked but to do the wil of God that is iust and righte And for what suffer you not for felonie or thefte not for murther or treason not for heresie or sacrilege but for truthe and iustice for vnitie and veritie for faithe and religion You suffer not for vice but for vertue you suffer not for the thinges that be temporal but for the thinges which be eternal Reioyse you constant christians reioyse you afflicted catholikes You that be novve pertakers of Christes passion shal reioyse muche more at the reuelation of his glorie What Christe suffered in the bitter passage of his deathe he suffered as head it remained that he was to suffer in his
sawe men and by and by to open the eyes of your soule to see your sauiour Christe Howsoeuer it pleaseth Godes holie wil to deale with you endure you vnder correction ▪ for God offereth him selfe therin vnto your as to his children There is not a childe of his vvhom he correcteth not vvhom he loueth he proueth In this endured correction you haue this comforte that God geueth you grace to confesse him and fortitude to suffer for him You haue this comforte that there cōmeth nothinge to you but what you may make your profite of Amonge manye profites this is not the leaste that it bringeth you to ioyne your selues near vnto God it moueth you to do more penance to make more prayer to receaue more often the holie sacramentes by meanes and vertue of whiche God assisteth you God strengtheneth you and wil make that perfecte in you which he hath begonne Aboue the reste of comfortes which you haue in this endured affliction the moste soueraigne comforte is to remember that what euer the iniquitie of time or malice of men shal worke againste you for your religion you can suffer no more then Christe him selfe suffered to make his churche glorious no more then Christes sainctes suffered when they cōfessed Christe and his religion euen to deathe Nor can you suffer for a better cause then for which Christe and his sainctes suffered And how muche better is it for you so to suffer then to liue in a false felicitie of the worlde and to die from God in schisme and heresie How lamētable should your losse be yf nowe you shoulde folowe the newe no faithe of the worlde and lacke God in the worlde to come because you lacked iustice of faithe You se how the storme endureth the sea is trobeled the shippe is tēpested and how Christe sleapeth in the shippe What now muste you doo but goo to Christe as his disciples did awake him as they did say vnto him as they did O lord saue vs Feare you not so to do for you haue Christe in the shippe with you he is the gouernor of the shippe he gouerneth you in the waye And your faithe I doubte not is nowe stronger then the faithe of Christes disciples was when they were in the shippe with him for they had not yet sene the crosse the deathe the resurrection and ascension of Christe They coulde not but be waueringe as men that were not yet confirmed nor comforted with the holie ghoste Your faithe is strengthened by the frutes of thes your faithe is confirmed by the doctrine of the Apostles by the preachinges of the Confessors by the deathe of the martyres by the vniforme consente of your forefathers finallie by the general practise of the whole christian worlde You that be so manye wayes cōfirmed in your faithe can not but goo vnto Christe with good currage and boldelie awake him and frelie saye vnto him Domine salua nos And to him muste you become humble suppliātes that he vouchesafe to quiet the tempestes of the sea as he did at the prayers of his disciples As Christe then in raysinge that tempeste did prepare the mindes of his disciples to beare trobles and enforme their vnderstanding to make theire refuge vnto him that he mighte shewe the mightenes of his power Euenso doth he stil dispose that greate trobles come vpon his faitheful seruantes which yet he quieteth in good time after they haue prayed vnto him And that we shoulde praye it is his holie wil. This hath he saide Thou shalt cal vpon me in the daye of tribulation and I vvil heare thee He shewed vs an example hereof when he went in to the monute Oliuet before his passion to praye And certain it is that prayer is of valour eyther to take awaye tribulation or to geue strenghte to beare it Holie writers affirme that to geue strengthe is a farre greater grace then to take it awaye and that our lorde doth more benefite vs when he geueth strengthe to sustaine persecution then when he taketh persecutiō from vs. No doubte but Christes disciples which be nowe in the shippe windeshaken and sore beaten with the cruel tempestes of the sea cal vpon him make theire contineual praier that he vouchesafe to arise to rebuke the windes and to make calme the tempeste No doubte but they saye and daylie saie Arise o lorde saue vs and helpe vs oute of tribulatiō But for that Christe heareth not theire praiers by and bie for that Christe releueth not their miseries presentlie Christe semeth to them asleepe wheras in dede it is his merciful dispensation and diuine power not to recomforte the afflicted so sone as they cal but firste to exercise and to proue theire vertues to proue theire faithe theire hope theire charitie to proue theire humilitie pacience and constancie It is written Our lorde God tempteth you to knovve vvhether you loue hym or no. that is God maketh you to knowe whether you loue him He knoweth you you knowe not your selues he maketh you to knowe your selues by iuste trialles and proufes And yet doth he not tēpte you to knowe you but permitteth you to be tempted to make you to be knowen to your selues and to othes how muche you haue profited in his loue which doubteles men can not vnderstande but when God trieth you And Christe our lorde is saide to sleape when of his mercie he prolongeth iustice when of his mercie he suffereth synners vncorrected and iuste liuers to be punished when he suffereth the euil to be exalted and the good to be deiected thē to haue prosperitie and peace of the worlde thes to finde aduersitie and trobbles in the worlde But the holie scripture muste nedes be true He that kepeth Israel doth not slumber nor vvil sleape And therfore muste not the afflicted leaue of to praye thoughe God protract his mercie for a time to trie the constancie of theire faithe and to exercise their vertues Some thinges be not denied thoughe for a time deferred And God deferreth for a time to geue them in more conuenient time God deferreth that the yl affection of our heartes might be better purged and that the thinges which wee longe for might be better welcome when they be obtained Thinges that be obtayned easelie be lesse regarded God kepeth for vs in store what he wyl not geue by and bye that we may learne to longe for greate thinges with longe and greate desire I crye saith Iob and thou hearest me not I stande and thou lokest not on mee In tyme of persecution the holie churche standeth in faithe and crieth in desire But God almightie such is his hidden iudgement and secret coūsel vseth to defer the praiers of them that be persecuted to the entente their merites might encrease and they be heard rather to their merite then to their desire And it helpeth to encrease the vnderstandinge of godlie mē whē their desires be not accōplished but after a tyme For