manner Tho. Hil Read the litle treatise intituled A viewe of examples if thou haue the French tongue reade also the Booke intituled Des grands redoutables iugemens punitions de dieu aduenus au monde c. and there thou shalt see that punishments haue bine executed vpon some one or other for the violating of euerie commandement of the Lord. The which and such like examples God he sendeth daie by daie that men should know consider how that maie happen vnto euerie forsworne blasphemous wicked person which happeneth to anie Finalie God as he iudgeth particularlie some for some special sinnes so he iudgeth vniuersalie al men when he taketh them out of this worlde by death For the wages of sinne is death Of which sith euerie man is guiltie no man escapeth the punishment of sinne which is death For it is the condition of al times Thou shalt die the death And it is appointed vnto men that theie shal once die For so much as al men haue sinned But the law of the spirite of life which is in Christ Iesus hath freed vs from the lawe of sinne and of death whie therfore doe we die and are not forth-with clothed with immortalitie I aunswere with Bernard It is that the trueth of God maie be fulfilled For seeing God loueth mercie and trueth man is to die because he prophecied that he should yet shal rise-againe least God seeme to forget his mercie So therfore death although it beare not dominion alwaie yet notwithstanding it abideth for the trueth of Gods sake or for à time in vs euen as sinne although it nowe raigneth not in our mortal bodies yet are wee not without the same The thirde manner of God his iudgements is both by himself by man too As when he not onelie suffreth y e Magistrate to punish the bodies but also himselfe tormenteth y e minds of malefactors by himselfe Exāples of which his iustice I wil recite two one shalbe of à murtherer executed at Vienna named Paul the other of Muntzer the traitor put to death in Germanie For Paul hauing not onelie robbed his owne master of that monie which with great paines and toile he had gathered for the reliefe of him and his in necessitie but also murthered to make his waie sure first his felowe workman then à maide seruant then his master next his mistres and last of al à poore young infant à maiden childe and being miraculouslie by God himselfe apprehended at Ratisbone à citie distant from Vienna 50 Germane miles deliuered into the hands of the magistrate by them conueied to the place where that horrible fact was perpetrated and there according to the lawes of that countrie adiudged vnto à most bitter death amid his paines which were most greeuous to fleshe and blood he openlie confessed y t al his bodilie torments did not so much afflict his flesh as the last wordes of the poore infant and innocent whome among the rest he had murthered did torment his minde For when he came with bloodie hands to kil her y e sweet babe entreated him earnestlie to saue her promising y e best thinges which she had for a recompence of his mercie in these words O Paul good Paul do not thou kil me and thou shalt haue al my poppets whensoeuer thou wilt Those words from the time hee had murthered her were as corosies at his heart and at his death as the paines of hel to his soule so testifieth à good and à godlie wtiter Muntzer also being readie to be put vnto death for raising the poore Countrie-men in Germanie against their leige Lordes and gouernours was so vexed in minde that such as stoode by him when he was to be executed might sensiblie heare his heart to pant shake and beate-againe so did God for his part shewe his iudgement vpon him for his wickednes as witnesseth D. George Maior CHAP. 12. Whether al the wicked are punished in this worlde and whie theie are suffered in the opinion of man to florish IF God then so fauour iustice some wil saie he should iudge and punish al the wicked in this world He should in deede and he doth For there is not à wicked man vpō the earth whome God in his iustice one waie or oother either by his Magistrates or by himselfe either by his secrete or by his open iudgements either by an accusing conscience or by casting him of into à reprobate minde either by sickenes or by pouertie by aduersitie or by prosperitie doth not punish But it maie be obiected to haue à guiltie conscience is an heauie crosse and to be vtterlie forsaken of the Lorde and possessed of Satan is of al the sorest plague which can fal-vpon man in this world aduersitie also is à grieuous punishment but that prosperitie can be à crosse that is a Paradoxe in the opinion of the world I grant it is so For so theie haue alwaies thought Therefore the Romans with Cicero the enimies of Iob the aduersaries of Paul in their owne eies were the Turks as theie thinke themselues are happie And why The Romans had al the world as it were in subiection Iob his enimies liued at their heartes ease Paul his aduersaries were not touched with aduersitie as theie thought y e Turks doe florish Wheras contrariwise y e Iewes with Cicero Iob euen of his friendes Paul of the barbarous people Christians of the Turkes are iudged accurssed But whie The nation of the Iewes are vanquished are carried from their natiue countrie are deteined in captiuitie said Cicero Iob was in miserie And who euer perished being an innocent or when were the godlie destroied saide the fained friends of Iob Paul had a viper vpon his hande Therefore he is à murtherer and though hee haue escaped the sea yet vengance wil not suffer him to liue saide barbarous people Christians are but fewe for number and for power nothing so mightie as they haue bene theie endure much affliction and trobles in respect of others therefore they are not the sonnes of God saith Mahomet These are the rash and sinister opinions of the world When god sendeth prosperitie hee loueth but when aduersitie doth come hee hateth But the godlie are of an other minde For albeit when such as feare God enioie prosperitie they thinke it an argument of his fauor yet when the wicked haue the same in their iudgemēt it is a token of his displeasure Therefore Augustine in à certaine place doth saie The men of this world are vnhappilie happie that is in their wealth theie are poore in their health sicke and in their felicity they are accurssed For when the Lord seemeth not to be angrie at al with the wicked he is most displeased So Bernard when God is not angrie as mē thinke he is most angrie And this may appeare to be true both in the Romans in respect of the
of the 24. and 25. of Matthewe the first and the 17. of the Actes the 17. and the 21. of Luke the 2. Thessal 1 and the Epistle of Saint Iude. In al which places mention is made of the vtter destruction of the worlde and of the seconde comming of our Sauiour vnto the general iudgement and proue as wel that the daie of iudgement is come as that text where it is said Beholde I sende mine Angel or messenger which shal prepare the waie or make plaine the path before Me set afore most of their Bookes doth proue that H. N. is the messenger of Christ. Thus much against the Familie of Loue and this one opinion of theirs as wicked as it is strange and vnheard-of vntil these late yeares CHAP. 7. Against the fauorers of Hymeneus and Philetus who saide that the resurrection is alredie past AS had S. Paul in his time Hymeneus and Philetus so haue we in our time such as fauor Hymeneus and Philetus namelie the Familie of Loue who denie the iudgement to come and saie the resurrection is past Yet so I woulde not write of them did not both Christopher Vitel and also H. N. himselfe auouch the same For saith Vitel The Lord hath accomplished according to his promises through the spirite of Christ in him namely H.N. al that he hath spoken through the mouth of his seruants the Prophets And in this daie are al Prophecies fulfilled saith H.N. himselfe In which two places although expresse mention bee not made either of the iudgement or comming of Christ yet in that they saie Al Prophecies are fulfilled and that the Lord hath accomplished al that he hath spoken through the mouth of his seruants the Prophets they do comprehend the iudgement and comming of Christ so wel as anie thing els For the Prophets haue foretolde thereof As the Prophet Isaiah the Prophet Ezekiel the Prophet Daniel and others If therefore whatsoeuer the Lorde hath spoken by his seruantes the Prophets be fulfilled and the Lord hath fore-tolde by his seruants y e Prophets of à general resurrection iudgement and seconde comming of Christ Then is the resurrection iudgement and seconde comming of Christe come and past already euen by the verie words of the arch-pillers of the Familie Yet would I not thinke that so wretchedlie theie do erre had I not read that one of the Familie gaue-out that Christe was already come For one of the Familie being asked before manie witnesses touching Christ his comming vnto iudgement did answere plainlie that he was alreadie come Neither yet should I so conceiue of thē did I not finde that not onelie H.N. himselfe was but also the Lords deade are alreadie raised-againe Which opinion theie woulde neuer stand-in or defend if theie did thinke anie other resurrection to be than onelie à rising from sinne à casting-of of the olde man and à putting-on of the newe But as Hymeneus and Philetus were deceaued for y t theie deuided not the word of God aright so the Familie of Loue do so perilouslie erre because theie vnder stand not the worde of God aright For did theie so theie would confesse and beleeue not à single but à double not à spiritual onelie but à corporal resurrection also wherof the one which is spiritual must go before the other that is corporal Wherefore to auoide the error of the aboue mentioned we are to beare in minde y t there is à twofold resurrection of the dead one spiritual of the mind the other corporal of the bodie When I saie there is à spiritual resurrection I meane not that the Soule or Spirite can die and be raised vp-againe For the soule is immortal But the spiritual resurrection is when à man who was dead in sinne through the preaching of the Gospel is reclamed frō the death of vngodlines vnto life that is vnto faith and knowledge of Christ wherebie he is made à new creature According as Irenaeus doth saie Agnitio Dei renouat hominem that is the knowledge of God maketh à new-man For as there is à double death to wit à spiritual and à corporal so is there á double resurrection He is spiritualie dead though he seeme healthful in bodie who is à blasphemer à traitor an adulterer an vserer à murtherer c. For he is as à dead man in the sight of God Euen as we count him who either hath done some horrible fact worthie death against the lawes of man or else is condemned to die but for à dead man because he standeth at y e mercie of the magistrate either to be saued or cast-awaie as our phrase is He therefore who by the preaching of the Gospel is sorie for his sinnes and beleeueth that through the bloode of Christ al his offences are washed and wypt-awaie and through the virtue of his faith doth so fight against his wicked affections that he is become à newe man that is of à blasphemer à continual praiser of God of rebellions obedient of incontinent pure and chast of an vserer à free lender yea à liberal giuer of à murtherer à careful preseruer of mē c. this man I saie through the power of the holie Ghost is raised from the death of sinne and risen with Christ. Which spiritual resurrection as euennowe I saide must goe-before the corporal resurrection For vnlesse we arise spiritualie by Faith vnto newnes of life let vs not looke to rise-againe corporalie vnto eternal life For our Sauior doth doth saie Theie shal come-foorth that haue done good vnto the resurrection of life but theie that haue done euil vnto the resurrection of condemnation So then if anie man desire to liue eternaly in the sight of God and to be à partaker of the felicitie to come let him first arise from sinne beleeue that his offences are pardoned through the death of Christ and spende the time he hath in this worlde godlie righteouslie and soberlie and assuredlie he shalbe raised at the second resurrection vnto eternal life The corporal death is when as the soule doth forsake the bodie and the bodie returneth vnto duste where out it was taken Which bodie we Christians doe beleeue shal rise-againe at the daie of iudgement But the fauorers of Hymeneus Philetus wil not be so perswaded to thinke And therefore because theie vnderstande not the Scriptures aright theie holde that there is onelie à spiritual resurrection But the Scripture doth so wel speake of à corporal as of à spiritual For as it is written ye which were dead in sinnes and in the vncircumcision of your flesh hath he quickened-together with him which is the spiritual so is it wtitten The dead shalbe raised-vp incoruptible and we shalbe changed For this corruptible must put on incorruption this mortal must put on immortalitie which is
⧠THE GENERAL Session CONTEINING AN APOLOGIE of the most comfortable doctrine concerning the ende of this World and seconde comming of CHRIST Written by THOMAS ROGERS The first part Wherein for the comfort of the godlie is proued not onely that God wil but also that he doth iudge this world 2. Pet. 3. verses 3 4. This first vnderstande that there shal come in the last daies mockers vvhich vvil vvalke after their lustes and saie vvhere in the promise of his comming Allowed by auctoritie AT LONDON Printed by HENRIE MIDDLETON for Andrew Maunsell ANNO. 1581. To the right Honorable Sir THOMAS BROMLEIE Knight Lord high Chancelor of England c. his most gratious Patron Glorie eternal and happines by the comming of our Sauiour CHRIST RIght Honorable experience doth prooue that miserable is the state of mankinde in this life For we doe both come into the world in paine and liue in cares and die with griefe Our bodies are subiect to manifolde infirmities and perils our minds to innumerable vngodlie perturbations Our whole life is verie trouble som how or where or when we shal depart out of this worlde it is vncertaine And although this condition be alike to the iust and to the wicked to the good and to the pure and to the polluted yet none do feele the smart hereof so extremelie as the vpright dealers in the world and such as vnfeinedlie be religious For theie are for the most part oppressed when the wicked haue fauour there impouerished when the wicked encrease in wealth theie imprisoned when the wicked are at libertie and theie grieuouslie afflicted when the vngodlie do triumph This good men obserue manie-times and it dismaieth them not a litle As it did both King Dauid also the Prophet Ieremiah when the one said My feet were almost gone my steps had welnere slipt For I fretted at the foolish when I saw the prosperitie of the wicked For there are no bands in their death but theie are lustie strong Theie are not in trouble as other mē neither be theie plagued with other men Therefore pride is as a chaine vnto them and crueltie couereth them as a garment Their eies stand-out for fatnes theie haue more than their heart can wish Theie are licentious speake wickedlie of their oppression theie talke presumptuouslie Theie set their mouth against heauen and their tongue walked through the earth c. Loe these are the wicked yet prosper theie alwaie and encrease in riches Certainlie I haue cleansed mine heart in vane and washed mine handes in innocencie For dailie haue I bine punished and chastened euerie morning c. And the other exclamed wherefore doth the waie of the wicked prosper Whie are al theie in wealth that rebelliouslie transgresse The reprobate also do marke this and therbie with corrupt iudgements theie falselie imagine first that either there is no God at al or that he hath forgotten his seruantes which put their trust in him or that he doth neither gouerne the world nor see their waies secondlie that there is no life after this life nor iudgement to be feared Therfore saie theie Come and let vs enioie the pleasures that are present let vs cherefullie vse the creatures as in youth Let vs fil our selues with costlie wine ointments let the floure of life passe by vs. Let vs croune our selues with rose buds afore theie be withered Let vs al be partakers of our wantonnesse let vs leaue some token of pleasure in euerie place for that is our portion and this is our lot Let vs oppresse the poore that is righteous let vs not spare the widowe nor reuerence the white haires of the aged that haue liued manie yeares Let our strength be the lawe of vnrighteousnes for the thing that is feeble is reproued as vnprofitable Therfore let vs defraud the righteous for he is not for our profite and he is contrarie to our doings he checketh vs for offending against the lawe of God and blameth vs as transgressors of discipline He maketh his brag to haue the knowledge of God and he calleth himselfe the sonne of the Lorde He is made to reproue our thoughtes It greeueth vs to looke vpon him for his life is not like other mens his waies are of an other facion He counteth vs as bastardes c. Let vs examine him with rebukes and tormentes that wee maie know his meekenes and proue his patience Let vs condemne him vnto a shameful death for he shalbe preserued as he him self saith c. Thus speak the reprobat Epicures of this world And so of eroneous suppositions namelie that there is not neither shal be a iudgemēt theie do greedilie giue-ouer themselues vnto sinne and are wholie resolued neuer to repent Which Atheistes if euer theie did I am perswaded theie swarme in our age as the present state of this worlde can witnesse Not withstanding neither are the godlie for al this to be out of hart nor the wicked ouer-vanelie to insult For both the righteous shal florish like a palme tree abide vnmoueable like the mountanes about Ierusalem the wicked shal soone be cut-downe like the grasse and wither as the greene herbe Because God wil arise and his enimies shalbe scattered theie also which hate him shal flie before him As the smoke vanisheth so wil he driue them awaie and as the waxe melteth before the fire so shal the wicked perish at the presence of the Lord. For manie sorowes shal come to the wicked He wil breake their armes crush their bones with a scepter of iron and breake them into peeces like a potters vessel He wil raine vpon them snares fire and brimstone and bring them at length into hel into euerlasting tormentes where shal be weeping and gnashing of teeth Euen this shalbe their portion The righteous shal see it reioice when he seeth the vengeance he shal wash his feetee in the blood of the wicked The righteous I saie shal see it feare and shal laugh at the destruction of the vngodlie man saieng Behold the man which tooke not God for his strength but trusted vnto the multitude of his riches and put his strength in his malice The wicked theie also in themselues shal freate for griefe of minde and saie This is he whom we had sometime in derision and in a parable of reproch We fooles thought his life madnes and his end without honour How is he counted among the children of God his portion is among the Saints c. What hath pride profited vs or what profit hath the pomp of riches broght vs Al those things are passed-awaie like a shadowe and as a post that passeth by c. And so
Now seeing the Prophets Christ himselfe his Angels Apostles who haue not lied nor deluded men at any time before with vane prophecies haue foretold of à iudge ment to come the godlie doubtlesse wil build their faith vpon their wordes especialie because theie al haue spoken therof moued thereunto by the spirite of God who cannot lie Which testimonies maie bring much good vnto al mankinde For first the godlie herebie in al their troubles maie receaue great and vnspeakeable comfort considering that their afflictions shal not alwaie endure but that one daie when the Lord thinketh good theie shal be adorned with euerlasting glorie and life according to his promises This made S. Paul to breake into these words I account that the afflictions of this present time are not worthie the glorie which shalbe shewed vnto vs. Secondlie the wicked hearing these prophecies of the Lorde touching the last iudgement maie be terrified frō displeasing so gratious à God who of his mercie hath reuealed what shal betide the wicked and vngonlie that theie maie with heartie sobs and sorowe repent Last of al both good and bad maie herebie as in à glasse beholde howe the world neither is gouerned by chance nor shal endure euerlastinglie but that as the old world the sinnes of men being come vnto ripenes was drowned with water so the whole world when iniquitie hath gotten the vpper hand shal perish and be cōsumed with fire Theie also both good and bad I meane ought herebie to learne so to set thēselues in order by repentance that when theie shalbe summoned to appeare at that general Assise theie maie boldlie stand in the presence of his glorious Maiestie But beside these testimonies which I haue aleaged there be sundrie other great arguments of the worlds consummation For the present condition of men in this life is a manifest proofe that this worlde cannot alwaie endure For who are in more prosperitie then the wicked and who more afflicted thē the godlie in this life Therefore of necessitie there must be a iudgement where at both the vngodlie are to be condemned for their wickednes and the virtuous to receaue rewardes for their wel-doing For euerie good master to his power wil prefer his good seruants and euerie vpright iudge wil quite the innocent and punish malefactors Is this vprightnesse among mortal men saith Cyril and shal not God the immortal king reward euerie man according to his workes Hee which otherwise thinketh is in a wrong opinion For as it is in à certaine Psalme God is not a God that loueth wickednesse neither shal euil dwel with him The foolish shal not stande in his sight for hee hateth al them that worke iniquitie He shal destroie them that speake lies The Lorde wil abhorre the bloudie man and deceitful Wherfore seing though now then some yet al the wicked are not destroied there must be à iudgement at which al the vngodlie shal perish from the face of the earth and be damned For the Lord neither can because he is iust neither wil for that he is holie suffer his seruants and holie ones alwaie to be afflicted alwaie to be oppressed to be kept in thraldome and bondage of the reprobate alwaie Let the wicked then consider that à daie wil come when tribulation and anguish shalbe vpon the soule of euerie man that doth euil And though either through policie or friendship theie escape the displeasure of man yet that they cannot auoide the wrath of God For idolaters blasphemers and al wicked persons God wil iudge though man do not because he is righteous Further let them note that though they suffer and that deseruedlie in this worlde yet if theie die impenitent the ende of their life is but the beginning of an euerlasting death For God is righteous and wil punish most seuerely vnles his wrath be turned-awaie by the teares of Christian repentance Moreouer man punisheth outwarde offences but god outward and inward too Man executeth correction for one or à few but God for al sinnes which either the heart mouth or any member of the bodie hath committed and that because he is righteous Againe the ende whie this worlde was created is an vndoubted argument that à iudgement one daie must come For it was created onlie to serue for y e vse of the saints sonnes of God not of Atheists Epicures A iudgemēt therfore is to come whereby the wicked must be cast-into euerlasting torments that the godlie and none beside maie enioie the creatures of almightie God Hitherto maketh that of the Apostle For the feruent desire of the creature waiteth when the sonnes of God shalbe reueiled because the creature is subiect to vanitie not of it owne wil but by reason of him which hath subdued it vnder Hope Because the creature also shalbe deliuered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious libertie of the sonnes of God For we knowe that euerie creature groaneth with vs also and traueleth in paine together vnto this present This Peter meaneth when he saith by the comming of the day of God the heauēs being on fire shalbe dissolued the elements shal melt with heate But we looke for newe heauens a new earth according to his promise wherein dwelleth righteousnes Againe the base estate of the saints in this world doth proue the same For they are now humbled therefore they shalbe exalted for before glory goeth humility So then We are with Christ to suffer that with Christ we maie be glorified And the life of the saints is hid with Christ in god There remaineth then à manifestation and à glorification of the godlie When Christ which is our life shal appeare then shal yee also appeare with him in glorie Nowe saith Iohn are we the sonnes of God but yet it doth not appeare what wee shalbe and wee knowe that when hee which is Christ shal appeare we shalbe like him For we shal se him as he is In this worlde wee are saued by Hope Therefore the time must come when our Hope shal cesse and we shalbe saued in deede and by the sentence of à righteous iudge be pronounced the verie sonnes of God and heires with Christ of that kingdome which hath bene prepared for the elect euen from y e foundation of the world where we shal see god face to face and know not in part but as we are knowen Moreouer the verie conscience of men is an euident argument of à iudgement to come By this murtherers whoremongers wicked liuers be pricked tormented This made Cicero to saie There can no euils bee imagined but I am troubled therewith notwithstanding in respect of the griefe of sinne which is greatest and eternal theie are al easie to brone Therefore vndoubtedly those torments of mind are tokens that God is the auenger of wickednes and that a seuere
Iewes in Iob his friends as they were called in respect of Iob in the barbarous people in respect of Paul and in the Turkes at this day in respect of Christians For who were out of God his fauour more than the Romans than Iobs friends than Paul his aduersaries and who more miserable in deede than the Turkes notwithstanding their prosperitie And such is the state of the wicked at al times Then whie doth the Lorde suffer the wicked in the sight of men to florish and whie doth hee not in iustice confounde them speedilie and vtterlie Sundrie reasons may be giuen hereof For either of his wisedome he thinketh it no due time as yet to punish them or of his mercie he spareth them because they shoulde repent or in his iustice hee hath quite forsaken them In his wisedome he spared Sodome vntil the sinnes therof were exceeding ripe and cried-up to heauē for vengeance in his mercie he spared y e old world an hundred twenty yeeres that theie might amende g in his iustice oftentimes he spareth the wicked in this present world because he hath giuen them ouer into reprobate minds and reserued thē for euer-during torments in the life to come So doe good Physicions suffer such to haue their wils with-out gaine-saying them who are past recouerie But as they who are so desperatelie sicke in bodie are nigh vnto death so they whom God for saketh and leaueth to their owne hists are nigh vnto damnation And as calues the fatter they be the nigher they are to be killed and as trees the bigger there are the more vnfruitful the nighter to bee hewen-downe so the prosperitie of the vngodlie is an vndoubted argument of their destruction at hande Which punishment of their shal thē by so much be the more grieuous intolerable by howe much the time was great before the Lord executed his iudgment Phatao is a notable example hereof For hee was long spared but at the length ouerwhelmed in the red sea So is Balthasar who in the middes of his iolitie came to destruction But they which are best knowen and most of al to be noted are Sodom and the old world the one whereof was vtterlie consumed with fire the other drowned with water both special examples of the sudden and vtter damnation of the vngodlie CAP. 13. Causes whie the godlie doe endure such miserie and troubles in this worlde FVrthermore it maie bee demanded Whie such as feare God of al others most zelouslie and fauour religion best suffer such miserie and affliction in this present world as they do I answere one cause is in them-selues through their zeale of godlinesse they chuse it another in Satan their enimie through his malice against them hee seeketh it à third in God who partlie of his wisedome and of his iustice partlie doth send it For to speake seueralie of these causes somewhat doubtles the godlie endure affliction oftentimes when wold they but assēt vnto sin or consēt vnto the wicked they migh florish in al outwarde happines and worldly as they cal it felicitie But for that they haue the feare of God alway before their eies and thinke-upon the valor-both of religion virtue they chuse rather to be afflicted for righteousnes sake then either for wickednes to be aduanced or that the glorie of their profession should be blemished Herebie manie endure displeasure which might haue fauor manie suffer pouertie which might be rich manie be obscure which might be of countenance and manie are in great aduersitie that might doe wel in the worlde So Michaiah for speaking the truth faithfullie without flatterie Daniel for seruing the true God zelously with out hypocrisie olde Eleazer for obseruing the holie Lawes of his God religiouslie Ioseph for his loialtie to his master ward and such like both were punished and are daily afflicted Of which their inuincible courages manifold commodities do arise For first in so doing albeit they lacke outwarde comfort of the world yet they haue the inward ioie of a good conseience which as Salomon saith is a continual feast Secondlie they giue testimonie vnto the worlde how they fauor Christianitie religiō not of hypocrisie or in worldlie respectes but of pure zeale and that theie regarde those wordes of our Sauior Whosoeuer shal confesse me before men him wil I confesse also before my Father which is in heauen But whosoeuer shal denie me before men him wil I also denie before my father which is in heauen Againe He that loueth father and mother more than mee is not worthie of me And he that loueth sonne or daughter more than me is not worthie of me And he that taketh not his crosse and followeth mee is not worthie of me He that wil saue his life shal lose it and he that loseth it for my sake shal saue it Thirdlie manie-times therebie theie winne such as are without make them to glorifie God to forsake either their naughtie life if theie haue beene sinners or their idols and errors if theie haue beene superstitious And last of al theie both encourage the weake and confirme the strong in good motions by their examples Again considering how it is impossible to please God and in the world to florish too and that such thinges as delight the bodie are extreme enimies to the soule theie voluntarilie abandon al occasions that maie with-drawe them from God or quench the zeale of virtue within thē Whereof it is that theie doe yea it cannot be but theie must suffer manie troubles as Lactantius noteth For it is verie hard to be holie in this worlde and happie too Therefore theie doe chuse and willinglie for welth pouertie for pleasure paine for à florishing state affliction and though theie doe neither with Democritus pluck-out their eies nor with Spurina deface their faces nor with the Monches liue by them-selues nor with the superstitious Iesuites whip their owne corpses yet with Saint Paul theie beate downe their bodies that their flesh preuaile not ouer the spirite Furthermore insomuch as the diuel is for power mightie in that hee is à Prince and his hatred is deadlie because there is enimitie betweene his seede and the godlie and his crueltie vnsatiable being à dracon and his subtleties manifolde because he is a serpent maruel it is not though the saincts of God in this worlde wherein theie are but strangers enioie neither such ease nor such honor nor such prosperitie as the wicked doe Notwithstanding whatsoeuer the diuel doth against them it is because God doth either sende him or suffer him And therefore although his hatred be mortal his crueltie extreeme and his subtleties past finding-out yet can he doe nothing to hurt the godlie without God permit So that his wil is nought but his power is good For his wicked wil is of himselfe but he