A CONSOLATORY LETTER TO ALL THE AFFLICTED CATHOLIKES in England Philip. 4. Sic state in domino Charissimi So stand in our Lorde my Dearest Imprinted at Roan in Normandy TO HIS MOST DEARE COVNTREYMEN ALL THE AFFLICTED CAtholickes in England H.B. wisheth all comfort and strength and ê‘seueraunce in Christ Iesus RIght Noble Lordes and worshippfull GentlemeÌ„ with other worthy Confessors of Christ his Church and religion generally all ye that vnder the name of wilfull and obstinate Recusants but in verye deed because you be true and constant Catholickes eyther alredy haue ben or by likelihood may be herafter endomaged in your worldly goods and possessions empeached of liberty or other wyse persecuted and afflicted If the light of fayth did as clearely shine the fire of godly zeale and charity were now as feruent in mens harts as it was in the golden dayes of those first Christians among whome the precious blood of our Sauior was yet warme the memory of the blessed Apostles most fresh the example of invincible Martirs in euery sex age and condition so frequent as that nothing could be more coÌ„mon then dayly to see men and women olde and young rich poore Priestes and secular for Christs sake to offer them selues with willing and glad mindes to all kinde of exquisite and greuous torments If it might please God I say but in some parte to renue kindle againe the deuotion of those times in this our dull age dead season neyther should this present persecutioÌ„ seeme so terrible as now I feare it seemeth to many neyther should it be needfull at all to vse so much comfort encouragement and exhortation as now perhapps to a great number shal be very necessary to be applyed For so farr were the most Christians in that flourishing prime tyde and cleare Noone dayes of the Church from being afrayde of any kind of death although most cruell and painfull that euery one deemed him selfe the more happy by how much more he might endure for the loue of our Sauiour and as for temporall goods they were then so litle esteemed as that many preuented the persecutors hands by selling all that they had and distributing their money for the reliefe of their poore Christian brethren But now alas that saying of the Prophet Ieremie is to playnly verified of this our miserable time Vae nobis quia declinauirdies quia longiores factae sunt vmbrae vesperi woe to vs because the day is farr spent because the shadowes are growen longer in the eauening The light of true knowledge being diminished charity waxing colde iniquity encreasing the shadowes of transitory things ar become so greate that now a mole hill appeareth more then a mountayne did in times past the losse of a litle money is now accompted greater theÌ„ here-tofore of a whole world of wealth yea more at this day perhapps ar dismayed at the pinching of their purse then would in former age haue ben appalled at the tearing of their fleshe breaking in sunder of all their bones I meane not in this speach to include many of you most constant and approued Confessors of whom I confidently trust better things and nearer to saluation who haue well dâ—seruâ—d that honorable testimony which Saint Paule giueth to the Hebrues hâ—uing susteyned already a great fight of passions on the one part by reproches and tribulations made a spectacle and on thother part made companions of them that coÌ„uersed in such sort You haue taken compassion on them that were in bondes the spoyl of your owne goods you haue taken with ioy knowing that you haue a better and a more permanent substance Ther remayneth for you no more but that you doe not lose your coÌ„fideÌ„ce which hath a great renumeratioÌ„ How long this persecutioÌ„ shall continue to what extremitie it may grow hereafter God knoweth And although we may hope the best yet in respect of our sinns we haue cause also to feare the worst Therfore patience is necesarie for you that doing the will of god you may receiue the promise for yet a litle a verie litle while he that is to come will come will not slacke Liue you in the meane while by the assured fayth hope of Christ his coÌ„ming and withdraw not your selues from the Catholike Church being redy to resist vsque ad saguinem Even to the patient shedding of your blood if the glory of Christ his name shall so require But I speake of the base minded multitude who hardlye be perswaded in hope of felicitie in the life to come to liue here with patience in penury or willingly to endure a paynfull death who ar ether with holdeÌ„ by feare of penall lawes agaynst their coÌ„scieÌ„ces froÌ„ the harbour of saluation or if they be yet in the Church they stagger and ar ready to fall at the terror blast of euery new statute that commeth forth behauing them selues in the meane time so coldly in their profession that scarcely shall you perceiue them by any outward acte to be Catholickes For these espeacially I haue taken in hand this labour of exhortation although I trust it shal-be acceptable to you also who by likelihod haue lesse need to be comforted for even those that fight or runne best are encouraged not onlye by their maisters and gouernours but also by the vulgar multitude that standeth a farr of that which to others is a necessary perswasion to you is a great and excellent commendation for so much as you do that of your selues with out externall admonition wher vnto others haue neede to be often and vehementlye exhorted And if I profite not otherwise by this endevour yet I hope I shall reape profite by calling to remembraunce that which maye bring comfort to my selfe wherof I confesse I stand in neede in respect of the sorowe which I suffer for your affliction my deare beloued contrymen and for the lameÌ„table state of our natiue Land being absent in body yet alwayes present with you in minde and spirit likewise doe I need the prayers of good folke which I besech all Catholikes that shall read this simple treatise of their charitable goodnes to bestow vpon me ANd now to come to my intended matter The weyght of this preseÌ„t persecution seemeth chiefly to consist in two penall statutes thone enforcing you to make shew by outward signes of yelding to a contrary religioÌ„ the other debarring you from practise of your owne the one proposing vnto you detriment of temporall goods the other thretning bodily deth I meaÌ„e thone in flicting penalty of .xx. pownd by the month to be exacted of all those that refuse to be present at the schismaticall prayers now called in England by the name of diuine seruice the other forbidding you to receyue catholicke Priests and consequently excluding you from the benefite of god his seruice SacrameÌ„ts vnder no lesse payne theÌ„ for the same to suffer death as in case
of felony Agaynst the terror of both these lawes I intend to geue such comfort as it shall please god by my poore pen to aforde And first I will assay to geue a cordiall agaynst the thirten monthes mulct as that which may extend it selfe more generally and is more like to be put in execution then that other lawe which draweth blood at the first encoūter the world being more earnestly set in these dayes to thirst after money thē to desire the shedding of mens blood And like as pesecution beginneth commonlye with lesser penalties before it proceed to greater so shall it not be a misse to keepe the same order in applying remedye to these afflictions The loue of worldly goods being not so naturall as the care of keeping of a mans life therfore ordinarily the lose more easlly digested Although many will say that they would rather dye speedely then liue a long time in miserie The reson of this their iudgement may be geuen for that they haue already some feeling of want in this life but of deathe they haue not yet tasted neyther doe they feele it so much being in their opinion farther from them but if death were iminēt I thinke ther are very few that would not saue their liues if they could although with very hard conditions for their maner of liuing so that comonly that is found true although it were vttered by the Father Author of lyes pellem pro pelle et cuncta que habet homo dabit pro anima sua Skyne for skyne and all that a man hath he will geue for his soule that is to say for the redemption of his naturall lyfe Yet neuerthelesse ther is good hope that if we maye perswade men to endure patiently the with-drawing of goods liuings they will more boldly aduenture if it shal-be needfull the losse of liues the departing from these temporall possessions being one especiall payne that mē hauing substance doe find at the time of their death being also a greate cause why they feare to dye and therfore many times a great impedimēt to the happy atchiuing of glorious martirdom ACording to this order therfore let vs first consider this penalty of twēty pownd by the month for what cause it is layde vpon you what incōueniences it bringeth and what recompence you maye expect in time to come for this vrgent detriment So that waying the goodnes of your cause and ioyning therto hope of future reward you may rather reioyce in the gayne that is to come then sorow for the present losse or feare the distresse or incommoditye that may ensue And first touching the cause wherfore your purses be thus punished You suffer because you ar Catholickes or as the world termeth you recusants Let vs see therfore what you refuse to doe and vpon what ground although you haue the same declared more at large in sundry learned treatyses it shall not be amisse perhaps to call some few poynts amongst the rest to remembraunce YOu refuse to doe directly agaynst your conscience to descend quick vnto hell and to be swallowed vp a liue by your enemies for Saint Augustine sayeth when thou knowest it to be euill which thou doest and yet doest the same thou doest downe quicke vnto hell And in a nother place those are they sayeth he that are swallowed vp alyue who know a thing to be euill and doe geue consent with their tongues And great reason haue you to shun this manifest and wilfull perdition of your owne soules knowinge that as Saint Paule sayeth he that discerneth that is to saye he that iudgeth a thing to be euill although it were otherwise indifferent if he doe it is damned because not of fayth but because he doeth not according to his conscience and knowledg for all that is not of fayth all that is done agynst a man his conscience is sinne albeit the thinge were of it selfe lawfull much rather if it be vtterly vnlawfull as the going to church with heretikes is holdē in euery discreete mans conscience and iudgement And Saint Iames sayeth to one knowinge to doe good not doing it to him it is sinne much rather if a man know a thinge to be euill do it his offence must needs be great Blessed ar you therfore in refusing to condemne your selues by doing contrary to that which you best alow ALso you refuse to dishonor god by fleeing from his banner and furnishing his enimies campe with your visible presence Where as it is written in the Prouerbs That in the multitude of his people is the kings dignity in the smale nūber of his folke the ignominy of a Prince And ther-fore of such as shrinke awaye in time of aduersity our Sauiour complayneth in one of the psalmes in behalfe of him selfe and of his spouse the Catholike Church in lamentable manner sayinge Aboue all myne enimies I haue byn made a reproch to my neighbours and a feare to mine acquaintance excedingly they that did see me haue fled forth from me vpon which place Saint Augustine sayth that the departure of those that had seene known the Church is more greeuous altogether intollerable thē the obstinate resistinge of those that haue byn nouseled brought vp in error from their infancy And therfore it followeth after a few words in the aforesayde psalme I haue heard the disprayse of manye dwelling round about me As vndoubtedly yf you should forsake god for feare of tēporall losse you should geue occasion to many to blasphem god as if he were not able to deliuer you or as if you had no trust in his power and goodnes saying Non est salus ipsis in deo eorum They haue no saluatiō in their god they haue no hope or assurance in their religion which they haue hyther to professed You shall also geue them occasion to thinke very euill of the Catholike religion by seeming to make lesse accompt of the defence professiō of the same then of a litle money yea then of all your worldlye goods and possessions They that trouble you shall reioyse yf you be moued but doe you hope still in our Lord his mercy YOu refuse likewise not only to geue this cause of reioysing to your aduersaries but also to make a shew of euill that by doing that which is euill of it selfe to induce many weakelings depending on your example as your children your seruaunts friends neyghbours others partly hauing iudgement and knowledge to follow you to church agaynst their consciences and partly being ignorāt to allow the schismaticall seruice now vsed and finally to like of heresy wherby so much as lieth in you you should be homicides and destroyers of their soules for as Saint Paule sayeth If a man se him that hath knowledge sitt at a table in the Idols temple shall not his conscience being weake be edified to eate things sacrificed to Idols vpon which place
his hands besides the expectation of heauen in time to come to sett naught by his grace to neglect his fauour to commit hye treason against him for the sauing of a litle worldlye trashe whiche he alone hath geuen and when it pleaseth hym can take it a way againe This point I besech you to waye aduisedlye and with-al to consider the second parte of S. Paules sentence that most certaynlye you shal carye nothyng wyth you out of thys world Thinke what vnspeakable grefe it shal-be for one that hath displeased God for the sauyng of hys worldlye goodes when at the time of his death he must depart and leaue his fayre houses his goodlye mānors and lordships and al that he helde most deere in this lyfe neyther that nor al the substance of the worlde if he had it to geue can procure him one houres respite for penance and much lesse can obtayne his saluation He shall not geue the price of redemption of his owne soule Saith Dauid of the rich man trusting in his riches whē he dyeth he shall not take with him all that he hath neyther shall his glorye goe downe with him But perhapps he trusteth to leaue hys possessyons to his chyldren the Psalme seemeth to affirme the cōtrary They shall leaue their ryches to straungers which is to be vnderstood as S. Augustine saith vpō that place that although their children succeed them in the possession of their patrymonyes yet can they nothing relieue the miseryes of their friends being damned to hel fire and what profit then doe they reape to them-selues Their sepulchers are their houses for euer they haue prepared to them-selues costlye monumentes as if they should dwell in thē perpetually not prouiding for the mansions wherin they should liue in deede euerlastingly But what becommeth of the poore soules who reape no benefite of their solemne funerals stately tombes but rather haue their paynes agrauated it foloweth within a while that the wicked rich man shal enter euen into the generation of his fathers that is to say of vngodly men that here to fore hath bene lyke to him-selfe and he shal not see light for euer because when he was here he delighted in darknes and reioyced in false goodes not louing the true goodes he shal therfore goe hence to hel after the darkenes of his dreames wherin he imagined to himselfe a deceitful kinde of felicity he shalbe geuen ouer to the darkenes of eternall tormentes Looke into those houses I meane those Sepulchers and considder the lengthe breadeth and height of those mansions and compare the same with those statelye roomes wherin they dwelled here-tofore Looke vpon their decayed nature their rotten bones and consumed members See whether you can discerne the maister from the seruant the riche man frō the begger the Prince from his poorest subiect Cōsidder what is become of their gallant traynes of seruitors their gorgeous apparell their goodly plate and costly furniture See whether they haue now anye vse of these thinges All is earth all is dust all is wormes all is putrefaction And what shalbe the state of such fooles at the day of Iudgement The Prophet telleth vs in a nother psalme that the louers of thys worlde whome he calleth the men of riches Haue slepte their sleepe and waking they haue foūd nothing in their hands whiles they were here in this lyfe they thought thē selues to be happye they slept in their desires they were delighted in vayne pompes but at the daye of resurrection they haue found their handes empty for lacke of good woorkes being destitute of al that wherin they gloried before Tel me what comforte had the riche man burning in the flames of hel who before neglected to geue his crommes to poore Lazarus by remembrance of his former wealth his dainty foode sumptuous clothing Or what reaped that other curmogion of all his aboundance To whom thinking to enlarge his barnes and to make mery with his store for a long time together It was sayde Thou foole this night they shal require thy soule of thee And these thinges whiche thou hast prouided whose shal they be Note wel those wordes Whose shall they be A man heapeth vp treasures saythe the Psalme and knoweth not for whom he gathereth them Whether for an vnthankful or a prodigal childe Whether they shal be euicted by his aduersaries thorough coloure of lawe or shal to the Prince by attaynder or shall come to the marchants hands by way of vsury O deare Catholikes lifte vp your eyes and looke vpon this general day of waking from the sleepe of death see with what constancie you shal stande in that dreadful day if you be now constant against those which haue opressed you and haue taken awaye from you the fruites of your labours Behold againe how your persecutors shalbe troubled with horrible feare and shal woūder at your sodayne and vnexpected saluation how they shal saye within themselues with much anguish of spirit and groning what hath our pride profited vs or what the boasting of our riches auayled vs al those thinges haue passed awaye like a shadowe with a greate deale more whiche is expressed in the booke of wisdome And as you would not in that daye chaūge with them yf you might enioye a thousand worldes So now thinke your selues more happy what-soeuer you shal leese for Christe his sake then yf for a temporal cōmodity you should be ioyned to that cōmpany of the damned to suffer extreame cōfusion and torments that neuer shal haue end Consider besides al this the vncertayntye of riches euen in this life to what daungers and chaunces they are subiect and how they ebb flowe from one to a nother Therfore if riches flow aboūdantly sett not your harts vpon thē in suche wise that you flow with-al and rūne frō God in this time of persecution Truste not so much in the incertayntye of worldly goodes so that you lose for them the hope of your heauen lye heritage Be not deceitful in your waytes to deceyue your selues with to much accompt of vanity but esteeme al temporal thinges as they are according vnto the conditions which I haue layde downe before you NOW If riches be no more to be esteemed then as it may apeare by these reasons here recited let vs waye likewise the burden and incōuenience of pouertye whether by any meanes it may be endured with quiet and indifferent mind A light burthē vndoubtedly supposing sufficiencie as we shal proue herafter with the presēce of gods grace yea in this case when it is sustayned for Gods sake a sweete and delightful burthen And first in those riches which ar common to al men by nature As the inflūece of the heauens the commoditye of the bryght and warme sunne the goodlye moone the cleere sterres the pure and freshe ayre And many other benefits of Gods creatures there is no doubt but that pouertye enioyeth her parte more freely
thinges It consisteth in Gods prouidence in his almightye power and fatherlye goodnes we haue many promises therof and manye examples bothe in the old and newe Testament as where it is sayde That the eyes of our Lorde are vpon thē that feare him and vpon those that trust in his mercy to deliuer their soules from death and to nourishe them in famyne that there is no pouerty or want to those that feare him That the rich haue lacked and haue ben hungery by reason of their couetous and insatiable mindes but they that seeke our Lord shall not fayle to haue all good That the iust shall not be confounded in the euill and hard time in the dayes of famine they shalbe satisfied Like-wise in the Prouerbs it is said that God will not afflicte with famine the soule of the iust And as for examples we might bringe greate store for proofe of this poynt wherby it may appeare that not only God doth not suffer his seruants to be destitute of things belonging to the sustentation of their tēporal life but furthermore when it pleaseth him he rewardeth them aboundantly euen in this worlde Abraham forsooke hys countrye and kinse-folke and wente at God his cōmandement into a straūge lande where he had no foote of possession and God blessed him with worldlye substance during his lyfe and three hūdred yeares more after his death he gaue that whole land to be possessed by his posteritye Iacob passed Iordein with his staffe fleeing from his brother Esau into Mesopotamia but he returned agayne with two troupes hauing wyues and children and great aboundance of cattell Ioseph was solde into Egipt as a bondslaue there for righteousnes sake was thrust downe into a dungeon but after a while it pleased God to deliuer him and to make him ruler of the whole countrye Moyses forsoke the wealth of Egipt and kepte sheepe in the desert and it pleased god ther to apeare vnto him to make him gouernour ouer his people Holy Iob was abased euen to sitt vpon the dunghil ful of sores but in the ende God bestowed vpon him double welth to that which he had before Elias was poore and fled from the persecution of Iesabel but he was sufficiently fed once by the rauens that daylye broughte him meate and a nother tyme by bread which God miraculously prouided for him Elizeus was poore but he was sued vnto by great Princes yea he was able to feede others by bread miraculouslye multiplyed Blessed Toby was spoyled of al his substance by the wicked King Senu-Acherib for his charitye towardes the dead but after fortye fyue dayes he was restored to hys house and to al his possessions agayne Daniel for his religion towards God was cast into the Lions den but he was fedd by a Prophet being wonderfullye brought out of the lande of Iurye for that purpose And so as Mathias sayde to his sonnes consider through-out euery generation and you shal see that al which trust in him are not weakned nor ouerthrowne But what doe I rehearse the example of godlye men our Sauiour sendeth vs euen vnto the foules of the ayre to see how they are fed to the lillies of the fielde to beholde how they are clothed to thende that we should not doubte of God his prouidence for meate drinke clothing other thinges necessary for the mayntenance of this lyfe And vndoubtedly this is a consideration of great importance For if God of his goodnes extēd to feed the pore wormes of the earth As it is written in the Psalme That he openeth his hand and filleth euery lining creture with blessing if he bestow foode euen vpōpon the yong Rauens being not succoured by their dames that brought them forth If neyther the feather of anye foule nor the leafe of any tree be destitute of his prouidence yf the verye Infidels be visited daylye with God hys benefyttes whiche they receyue of the Sunne the Ayre and the Earth yeelding her fruites in due time how muche rather wil he prouide for his seruantes that suffer affliction for the glorye of his name How much rather will he prouide for you O ye of verye smale faith sayth our Sauiour Is not the lyfe more then the meate and the bodye more then the rayment Therfore he that hath geuen the greater benefites wil not fayle to prouide for the lesse Your father knoweth that you neede al these thinges and who wil mistrust the prouysion of so mightye so wyse so good and so louing a father Seeke therfore first the kingdome of God and the iustice of him Take care how you maye saue your owne soules please God And all these thinges shalbe geuen you besides so that you shal not nede to feare anye incōuenience by losse of temporal goods for god his cause For declaratiō of this prouidence Our Sauiour when he sent his Apostles first to preache he forbad them to carye Purse or scrip or shoes and a litle before his Passion he asked them When I sent you Without purse and scrip and shoes did you lacke anye thing But they sayde nothing And after Christe his ascension when they went into farther countryes and therfore stode in more neede and had lesse prouision for necessaries heare what S. Paule saythe of him-selfe and other his fellowes In all thinges we suffer tribulation and are not in distresse we want but are not destitute we suffer persecution but are not forsaken we are cast downe but we perishe not And within two chapters of the same epistle after a great number of thinges recyted that might seme contrary at the first apparance he maketh vpp the sentence with these wordes As needye but inriching manye as hauing nothing and possessing all thinges Meaning that they had the whole world and all God his creatures at cōmandement And least you should thinke this priuiledge proper to the Apostles and to none other beholde the poore Hebrues the very first flowers of Gods Church who sold al that they had gaue the price to be distributed in godly vses and you shal perceiue that they receiued their hundreth folde by Gods prouision when the Gentils of sunderye nations were careful to contribute to their reliefe S. Paule him-selfe was collector and bearer of the almes bestowed vpon thē And among holye Martyrs as we reade of manye that haue bene fed by the seruice of Angels so we find very few that eyther in prison or out of prison haue perished for lacke of sustenance And in the number of Hermites that willinglye became poore for Christe hys sake we reade of S. Paule fed by a Rauen and S. Gyles nourished by the milke of an Hinde And among thousands that be extremelye poore in diuers religious familes doe we not see that the most of them lyue and finde no great defect of necessaries And can anye man doubt of
sufficiencie hauing so manye examples of Gods goodnes in this behalfe Or is not this sufficiencie as muche as al the wealthe of the world can afforde and therfore an hundreth folde in cōparison of that which anye one man possesseth Especialye if a contented minde be ioyned therwith al. According to that saying of S. Paule Piety with sufficiency is a great gayne Therfore saythe he Hauing foode and where-with to be couered with these we are content THIS Quietnes contentment of mynde proceedeth especiallye of Gods grace whiche tempereth the appetite of man being before insatiable and crying stil after bring bring although he haue neuer so muche alreadye And as the desire of hauing more is a great tormente to couetous riche men enwrapping them with many cares and setting them about much vnhappye busines so this limiting of a mans desire to be contente with that which God sendeth be it more or litle is a singuler benefite more worth then anye golde yea such a one as no world lye treasure can procure For tell me I pray you is it not much better to cure a man of his feuer which causeth him stil to desire drinke and neuer to be satisfied then to geue him drinke at his desyre and not to quench but rather to kindle this thirst Here-of it commeth to be true which is sayde in one of the Psalmes A litle is better to the iuste man then the aboundante riches of sinners And that whiche S. Hierome saythe The beleeuing man hath a world of riches to the couetous mā nothing is enough And the verye heathen Philosophers acknowledged that for a man to be cōtente with his owne was the greatest the most certayne riches And it was a cōmon saying among them The mind of a man is riche and not his cofer Of this contented minde we haue an example of S. Paule who sayth speaking of himselfe I know both to be brought low I know also to abound euerye wher and in all thinges I am instructed both to be full to be hungerye both to abounde and to suffer penurye And if anye man should saye I am not S. Paule I am not an Apostle let him at leaste not be found inferiour to Socrates a heythen man who notwithstanding that he was pore passing one tyme thorough the market place and seing great store of diuers wares sayd with him-selfe How many things be here that I doe not desire And can not the grace of God worke as muche in the harte of a faythful man falling in to pouertye for his loue by meanes of persecution I thinke there is none of you that haue bene conuerted to God from the way of sinne and loue of this wretched worlde especiallye hauing lost anye thing for Gods cause that he hath not withal felt by experience the proofe of this poynte and therfore I shal not neede to-stande longer in confirming the same AND As for spiritual giftes and graces whiche God bestoweth vpon those that willinglye forgoe their temporal goods for his loue S. Peter was a poore fisher and for his boate whiche he lefte at Christs commandement he receiued the gouerment of Christe his Church in place of his nett The worde of God was committed vnto him and for his trade of taking fishes to their distruction he was made a fisher of mens soules to saluatiō He had neither gold nor siluer but with hys worde in the name of Christ he could cure the lame with his onlye shadow he could heale the sicke and by his prayers he could rayse the dead againe to life S. Paule esteemed the things that were gaynes to him before to be detriments for the exceeding loue of Christ And he was made a vessel of election to cary Gods name before the Gentils to teache cōuert the greatest parte of the world He was rapte into the thirde heauen sawe the ioyes of Paradise His name was terrible to wicked spirites his very napkins and handkerchifs had efficacy to cure all kind of malladies The reste of Christs Apostles for that litle which they frosooke at his bidding receyued authoritye to preach the Gospel vertue to cure diseases and power to cast out deuils They were made Princes ouer the whole earth and appoynted iudges of the worlde in time to come S. Anthony S. Hilarion and others be came willinglye poore where-by they might more freelye serue God and they became as it were Angels here in earth they were made euen in this life fellowes with heauenly spirits conquerors of deuils phisitions for infirmities fathers of many spiritual children teachers of manye Relygious familyes and Lordes ouer all Gods creatures Who could liue more poorelye then S. Francis or S. Dominike chose to lyue for Christes sake and yet theyr lyues were miraculous their memory at this daye continueth honourable and the fruites of their doctrine and examples haue bene found thorough out al christendome almoste innumerable And though such excellent prerogatiues ar not bestowed vpon euery one yet there be certain giftes which God bestoweth vpon al that truly serue him and much more vpon those that suffer anye thing for the profession of his true catholike fayth I meane his grace wherby they are made in a sorte pertakers of the deuine nature wherby their soules are bewtified and made amyable in Gods sight wherby they are inabled to performe the offices of all vertues and wher-with they are armed against al assaultes and temptations The lighte of vnderstanding wherby they perceyue Gods goodnes and withal they knowe the vanitye and vncertainty of al thinges that be in this worlde The comfortes of the holye Ghost which neuer fayle to them that willingly weane thē selues from worldly solaces The quietnes of a pure conscience which as the wise-man sayth Is lyke a continuall feaste The increase of Gods loue which maketh al afflictions light and easye The hope and confidence of Gods merciful fauour and protection whiche causeth them euen to reioyce in their greatest tribulations The libertye of spyrite wherby they finde them selues free frō the base seruitude of earthlye desires The gift of patience wherby they endure quietly and gladly whatsoeuer affliction is layde vpon them for Christe his name The marueylous comforte which all good folke receyue at theyr departing out of this vale of miserye These and many other be the rewards wher-with al temporal domage is recompensed not only a hundreth but euen an hundreth thousande folde yf one might vse any comparison as suerlye there is non to be made in this case NOW If Gods payments be so plentiful in this lyfe what thinke you is contained in thes words Vita aeterna life euerlasting Among al the tēporal bene fits that god hath bestowed vpō vs ther is none more dearly estemed non more carefully defended then is our lyfe although it be short vnsure to continue subiect to many chaūges annoyed with
sundry wantes distresses in wrapped on euerye side with infinite miseryes and rather to be called a death then a lyfe If then we make such accompt of this lyfe wherin we are daylye dying the state wherof is so vncertayne so mutable so ful of necessities labours paynes woes and al kinde of wretchednes How greatly should we desyre to enioye a perpetual lyfe a lyfe voyd of al peril free from al mutation wherin is no defecte no trauayle no sorow A quiet lyfe a lyfe abounding with all kinde of good and in euerye respect a most happye and blessed lyfe There is scarslye any man that desireth not to lyue although he be sure by lyuing longer to suffer manye afflictions both of minde and bodye and for the purchasing of a litle false felicitye consisting in transitorye goods honours and soueraygntye although it shal indure but a verye smale while we see that men spare for no expence they shunn no trauayle and finallye they refuse not to doe or suffer anye thing wherby they maye attayne vnto theyr desired ende Now when true felicitye and secure eternitye shal be so happily ioyned together that neyther there shal be anye feeling of present wante nor anye doubt of defect to fall herafter is not this a lyfe to be procured and to be purchased with any bodylye payne or temporal losse whatsoeuer maye be imagined greatest Dearly beloued Catholikes it is not possible to conceyue with thought muche lesse to expresse with wordes the dignytye of thys rewarde which is reserued for you yf you perseuer faythfull to the ende Eye hath not seene nor eare hath not hearde neyther hathe it ascended into the harte of man what thinges god hath prepared for them that loue hym Therfore it maye rather be cōmended with silence then sufficientlye sett forthe by anye speach Yet neuerthelesse somewhat I meane to saye touching this most happye inheritance when I shal haue passed ouer the vttermost poynte of persecution which is the sheading of blood In the meane time to comforte you against the losse of your worldly goods I maye be bolde to saye hauing almightye God for my warrant that for the losse of worldlye offices which you might beare in the common wealth and nowe doe forbeare them for conscience sake you shal be all crowned Kinges in that heauenlye blessed and euerlasting kingdome For your lands whiche maye be taken from you you shal enioye euery one of you the lande of the liuing without disturbance enuye or contradiction For supplye of the wants which yon maye fall into by the spoile of your moueable goods you shal be sure neyther to suffer hunger nor thirst nor other necessitye In lieu of your howses of timber and stone which happylye you shal forgoe and most sure you are not long to continue in them besides that they may also fall to ruine by some mischance you shal haue mansyon places in heauen not built with hand which cannot decaye and you shal dwel in them for euer For the disgrace wherin you lyue being in a manner debarred from the court from the sight of your Prince you shal see the King of Kinges in his maiesty being presēt before his throne and seruing him daye and night in his Temple You shal see God you shal loue God you shal prayse God foreuer You shal haue Pallaces for prisons you shal haue gratulations of Angels for the reproche which you suffer among men In stead of earthly honour seruice you shal haue honour from God the father yea you shal haue christ him-selfe to serue and minyster vnto you the greatest prefermente that by anye harte could be desired AND Thus seeing your refusal and abstayning from the protestantes churches to be most iust reasonable The losse which you shal sustayne for so good a cause to indifferent mindes tollerable The recompence whiche you shal receaue with-out all proportion both here and in the lyfe to come incomparable I exhorte you all deare country-men and beloued brethren in Christe to follow the example of husband men who committ their seede to the ground nothing mistrusting to receyue in time the precious fruite of the earth albeit their seede be for a tyme buried and trodden vnder foote and sowsed with showers and bittten with many a cruel winter storme It is now winter with you the seede which you must caste into the ground are these worldlye goodes which you shal either leese or geue for Gods-sake Feare not the pinching colde of this hard season nor the sharpe stormes of persecution For shortlye the spring tyme of the resurrection shal come and then your plentiful fruites shal appeare and you shal haue a glad sommer of heauenlye ioye and a perpetual haruest of perfect blessednes Immytate here-in those merchaūtes who are contente to haue their money transported by waye of exchange into suche places where they maye receyue it more commodiously Your countrye is heauen be contented that your goodes be transported thether although by the handes of suche as thinke to spoyle you God him-selfe wil be your assurance for receipt of the whole And wher-as men are glad to geue some-what for the exchaūge you shal haue manyfolde gayne both in respecte of quantitye and quallitye You shal haue muche for a little golde for siluer thinges spiritual and euerlasting for bodylye and corruptible thinges At the least-wise prouide for your safetye as passengers doe on the sea in outragious tempest they cast awaye theyr goods and ar contented so that themselues maye come safe to lande The violence of this present storme may perhaps be suche by Gods sufferance as that you shal hardly keepe your wealth and saue your soules withal be content to be depriued of the one wherby you maye preserue the other arriuing safe at the heauenlye porte where al your friendes and kinse-folke expecte you I mean the nine orders of Angels with al Apostles Martyrs Virgins Confessors other glorious Sayntes among whom you shal haue no lack and with whom you shal liue and reioyce euerlastinglye Set before your eyes the notable constancie and firme resolution of those three worthy yong Hebrues who being captiues in a strange lande destitute of frindes and depriued of al humane ayde and comforte would choose rather to be caste a lyue into a burning fornace then to worshipp the statue of Nabuchodonosor or to doe anye honour to his Gods Deare Catholikes your case is some-what like albeit the extremitye be not euery way so great they being in peril of death and you onlye at this present in danger to leese your goods liuelyhoods The fornace of pouertye is threatned to al those that shal refute to honour Caluins bread and Cranmers communion booke by the assistance of their bodylye presence But feare not the terryble flames of extreeme necessitye Geue no eare to the vayne sounde and pernicious Musike of worldly carnal mens perswasions who