in pilgrymage to see anye Kinges Pallaces but to enioye the sight of the Martyres tombes many Kings haue become Pylgryms Prudentius also of this writeth Illitas cruore nunc arenas nicolae Cōfrequentāt obsecrātes voce votis munere Exteri nec non et orbis huc colonus aduenit Fama nā terras in ōnes praecucurrit proditrix Hic patronos esse mundi quos precātes ambiant The tounsmē flock to the imbrued sāds There makinge sute with voyce with vowe with gifte Men also come from farre and forreine landes To euerye coast fore-ranne the fame so swifte That heere the patrons of the worlde did lye By whose good prayers eche wighte might seeke supplye S. Beede also and our own Chronicles make mentiō how King Cedwall King Cenred wente to Rome in Pilgrimage to those holye reliques of the Apostles which honour to what Emperoure was it euer geuen or so longe continued Moreouer what wonderfull force the Martyrs be of the effectes that haue bene wroughte by they re verye ashes bones garmentes and other thinges of theyres doth aboundantlye testifye S. Chrisostome sayeth that S. Peters cheynes his sworde and his garmentes wrought manye myracles S. Ambrose writeth that at S. Geruasius and Protasius reliquies so diuerse diseases were cured that the people caste they re Beades and garmentes vppon they re bodyes deeminge them of force to cure maladyes by the only touch of those saintes The verye ashes of S. Cyprian dryue the diuells out of the possessed cured diseases and gaue fore-knowledge of future euentes as Cregorye Nazianzen wryteth And S. Chrisostome compareth Martyrs bodyes to the Emperoures owane armour the verye lyghte whereof maketh the theeues that is the diuels to flye though neuer so eager of praye Nō ad naturam eorum intendunt sed in arcanam dignitatem gloriam christi qui in agone certantium induta corpora martyrum suorum sicut arma portauit For they re eye aymeth not at theyr nature but at the secret dignitye and glorye of Chryste whoe puttinge on the bodyes of hys Martyrs beare them as armoure in the agony of theyr combates And in sūm what hath bene wrought by anye Martyre in his lyfe but that ordinarilye his ashes and reliques haue ben of the lyke yea and somtimes of greater force whether it were raysinge of the dead restoring of the lame geuing sighte to the blynde hearinge to the deafe or speache to the dūme or what other miracle so euer Now therfore yf Dauid demaunde his olde question Shall any vtter thy mercye in the graue or thy trueth in perdition shall thy maruayles be knowen in darkenesse or thy iustice in the lande of obliuion We maye aunswere that the Martyrs in their tombes extoll his mercye who by theire verye ashes cureth diseases and releeueth manye miseryes In perdition by the losse of theyr lyues shedding of theyr blood they confirme and geue testimonye vnto his truethe In darkensse of infidelitye and errour or of temporall disgrace and worldlye punyshmentes they make the maruayles of hys power and maiestye to be knowen and in they re graues whiche are the lande of oblyuion they renewe a continuall memory of his iustice who is so forwarde to aforde his rewarde to the deseruers and to crowne the conquerours in his quarrell that euen he maketh theyr deade bones and duste gloryous in this worlde before they be indued with they re final incorruption Where-vppon Gods Churche hauinge to her great aduancement founde the singuler power of Gods Martyrs hath alwayes made an especiall accounte of them had them euermore in chiefe reuerence This also moued the Fathers to geue them suche honourable tytles S. Basill calleth them the helpe of Christians the guardians of mankinde partners of our cares furtherours of oure prayers our embassadoures vnto God the starres of the worlde the flowers of the Church and Towers against inuasiō of heretickes S. Ambrose calleth them gouernoures and watchers of our lyues cryers of Gods kingdome inheritours with God intercessours of the worlde Patrons and fortresses of Cityes Theodoretus calleth them our Captaynes our Prynces our defenders keepers and aduocates Finallye S. Chrisostom calleth them Pillers Rockes Towers and lyghtes of the Church and Protectours of Kinges and Emperoures Cap. 12. O How vnhappye are they that for the sauing of goods credite tēporall authority or such worldly respects forsake these so glorious diuine honours purchase a most lamētable ignominious stile For what are they but cōtrary to that which S. Basill sayth of Martyrs the spoyle of Christiās the destroyers of mens soules the occasioners of our cares hinderers of our prayers factours of the diuell cloudes of darkenesse weedes of the Church and fortresses of heresye What are they but ruynes of relygyō dismembred offales and lymmes of Sathan Manye of them yeldinge before the battayle and foyled before they foughte haue not lefte them-selues so muche as this excuse to saye that they went to church vnwillingly They offer them selves voluntarylye they runne wittinglye to they re owne ruine and seeme rather to imbrace a thing before desired then to yeelde to an occasion that they wolde fayne haue eschewed And did not your feete stumble your eyes dasele your hart quake your body tremble whē you came into the polluted Sinagoge And could Christes seruant abyde in that place to do anye reuerence and renounce Christe or to doe anye homage to his enemy whom he had in baptisme renounced And could you come thether to offer your prayers vnto God where your verye presence offered you bodye and soule to the diuell And could catholicke eares sustayn without glowing the blasphemous reprocheful rayling speaches against your true mother the Catholicke Churche Was it no payne to heare the corrupte trāslations abuses and falsifyings of Gods owne worde Was not the lawe of goinge to churche and of beinge there present at that which they call diuine seruice made and published purposelye to the abolyshinge of the Catholique Faythe to the contempte reproofe and ouerthrow of the true Churche to the establishing of they re vntrue doctrine And can any Catholicke knowing this as none can be ignorant therof imagyne but that in obeyinge this lawe he consenteth vnto it and to the accomplyshing of that which the lawe intendeth that is the impugning of the true the setting vpp of a false faythe Doe you not remēber S. Paules wordes They are worthy of death not onlye that doe suche thinges but also those that consente to such as doe them Euen as he is worthye to be punyshed who though in mynde he fauoure his Prince yet in deede he cleaueth to his enemye Moreouer was not thys lawe made to force men to shewe and professe a conformablenesse in external behauiour to this new faith Is it not required as a signe of renouncinge the true church and approuinge this newe forme of seruice sacraments and
it and with pitifull mone and lamentation lyfted vpp her voyce to heauen feedinge her pensiue and timorous thoughtes with the dolfull remembraunce and continuall feare of her childes departure We see what cold and trembling agonyes surpryse the poore wretch that pleadeth at the barr whyle the Iurye deliberateth vpon his finall sentence We see how doubtfully the sicke patient hangeth in suspence betweene hope and feare whyle the phisicians are in consultatiō whether his disease be mortall Finallye if a younge spouse tenderlye affected and deeplye enamoured vpon her new husbande see him assaulted by fierce and cruell enemyes or inforced to wage in a whote daungerous battayle what a multitude of frightfull passiōs oppresse her how variablye is she tossed vp and downe with crosse and fearfull surmises Of euery gunne that is discharged she feareth that the pellett hath hitt his bodye ere the noyse came to her eares at euerye worde that is reported of anye that are slayne feare maketh her doubt that her best-beloued is one Euerye rumour costeth her a teare euerye suspicion a pange and till she see the battayle ended and her husbande safely returned she hangeth betweene life death drawing euery thing to sorowful constructions vtterly refusing all kynde of comforte O how harde and tough harted are we towarde our owne soules that seeinge them in all the rehersed daungers feele not in our selues any motiō of the like affections The sword of gods iustice hangeth ouer our soules ready for our sins to diuyde vs from eternall blysse and vncertayne it is whether he will geue not onlye a parte but the whole to the foule fiend that hath so often through our iniquityes stolne vs from our mothers syde into his enuious handes and shall not we be moued with pitye and griefe We are from paradyse exiled with Agar into this barren deserte and can not certaynelye assure our selues that we haue so much as one dropp of grace to slake and mitigate the thirsting passions which without it vndoubtedlye worke the death of our soules and our finall damnation And can we seeinge not our childe but the chiefe portion of our selues in such a taking with drye eyes and vnnaturall hartes beholde it without sorowe Are not we to stande at the barre in the daye of Iudgment where the deuils our consciences and all creatures shall giue most strayte information agaynst vs The twelue Apostles as our quest Christ as our Iudge whome we haue daylye offended shall passe their verdicte in moste rigorous sorte vppon vs and that about our eternall death and saluation And can we vntil we here what wil become of vs doe otherwyse but lyue in continuall feare and perplexitye Is not our soule in this bodye as a Lazar in death-bed vncertayne of life so long as it couched therin yea in apparent daunger of an endlesse death and shall not we till we heare the iudgment of our heauenlye phisician who can quicklye search and onlye can enter into our diseases trēble quake feare a hard resolutiō Finallye is not our most beutiful noble portiō of which the body hath al the seemlinesse without which it strayte becommeth vglye and monstrous Is it not I saye in the thronge and presse of most powrable subtile and barbarous enemyes hauing continuall warre not onlye agaynst fleshe bloode but also agaynst the princes and powers agaynst the rulers of the worlde of this darcknesse Is it not also set the in reach of many occasiōs allurementes and prouocations vnto sinne And can we seeinge this doe any thing but morne and liue in continuall anguish and pensiuenesse vntill we see the battayle ended and our soule safely deliuered out of daunger O senselesse and benummed hartes of ours that at the consideration of so heauye and lamentable poyntes can not fynde scope and fielde of sorowe Lett vs at the lest be sorye for our want of sorowe and bewayle our scarcitye of teares lest we fall into a carelesse securitye and by not sorowing as we should leaue considering for how great causes we ought For as S. Gregorye noteth Saepe quod torpentes latuit fletibus innotescit afflicta mens certius inuenit malum quod fecerat et reatum suum cuius secura non meminit hunc in se cōmota depraehendit Oftentimes that which we knowe not through our sloth we learne by teares and an afflicted mind more certainly findeth a cōmitted fault the guilt which in securitie it remēbred not being troubled it espyeth And seeing that on euerye syde we haue such vrgent occasiōs to morne and passe the dayes of this our paynfull pilgrimage in griefe and heauinesse we must rather content our selues in tribulation then in repose seeinge by the first we are but inuited to weeping and sorowe which is the thinge that we should professe and by the last to comfort and solace which with reason the eminent daungers and straytes that we stand in will not comporte Which both of Christ and his saintes hath ben so well vnderstood that Christ though it had bene as easye for him to haue bene borne an Emperour haue had all the pleasures that heauen and earth could yelde yet would he not in the vale of teares geue so preposterous an example of myrth But as one that knew whether he came he entered into the worlde weepinge and in tyme of his aboade with vs lyued lyke an outwayle and morner in his death tooke his leaue with teares tormēts What his Saintes haue done lett all antiquitye testifie how like men that had no feelinge of worldlye comfort they roued in deserts lodged in desolate holtes and caues were cloathed with heare and sackcloth fedd very litle and groslye chastised their bodyes often and seuerelye endeuouringe to keepe them selues alwayes in remembraunce that they were mourners And therfore choosinge place habyte dyet exercyse fittest for that dolfull professiō The Sayntes knew that heauen onlye was Terra viuentium a lande of the liuinge and that in this worlde we sitt In tenebris et in vmbra mortis in darkenesse and the shadowe of death and therfore they wyselye iudged that musica in luctu importuna vnfittinge it is to haue myrthe and musicke in tyme of sorowe They sawe no doubt the tree of this lyfe loaden with some alluringe and delicious fruites but consideringe that it grew in such a place as the clyminge vnto it implyed manifest daunger of falling into the bottomlesse pitt of hell they lefte it as a praye for the raueninge foule of this world contenting them selues with the bitter frutes of aduersitye They knew that only in the arriuall to heauen In exultatione metent portantes manipulos suos They shall reape in ioye bearing their handfuls and therfore here all the waye Euntes ibant etflebant mittentes semina sua they went weepinge sowinge their seedes in sorowe They knew that who will keepe the feast in heauen must first keepe the
neere to any of these miseries and yet how often alas haue we deserued them both and a great deale more But peraduenture there is ether some pleasant sight some comfortable talke or musicke some sweet odores or delitious iuncates or other pleasurs of the body that abate the horrour of the place companye Alas and what are theire sightes but the deuills in hideous and monstrous formes theire moste fearefull and threatninge shapes their barbarous spritishe crueltye their vnmercifull rending worowing slaughtering scourging and torturing The tormentes of others and espeaciallye their fellowes in sinne aboue them an vnplacable iudge vnderneath them an vnquencheable fyer about them vnfatigable tormenters on eche syde desperate and miserable companye euerye where vneuitable endlesse tormentes Finally as Isidorus sayeth Ignis gehennae lumen habet ad damnationem vt videant Impij vndâ— doleant non habet ad consolationem ne videant vnde gaudeant The fyer of hell hath light to damnation that the wicked maye see wherof to be sorye but it hath no lyght to their consolation that they maye see wherof to besolaced There shal be confusion of moste frightfull noyses for their musicke there shal be the horrible terrour of thunder wyndes stormes and tempestes the raging of the seas the horrible roaring of the deuils the sparkling of the flames the cursinge and blasphemies of the wicked the weeping and gnashinge of teeth continuall skriching howling sighing and sobbinge continuall hissing barking gurminge and bellowinge with all other odious fearfull noyses woe vae and Alas shall euerlastingly fill their eares and this shal be their harmonye to recompeÌ„ce the disordered abuse of their hearing in this lyfe Nether shall their sent be free froÌ„ most noysome sauours For besydes the stench of the fyer and brimstone besydes all the filthe corruption of this worlde that in the later daye shall as some holde be voyded into hell as the chanell and sincke of all vncleanesse The verye bodyes of the damned shal be more vnsauery then any carryne or dead carcas and being ther so pestered crammed together that they shall lye scralling vppon one an other like heaps of froggs or toades mingled with serpents Basaliskes and other most vglye and vncleane wormes and vermyne We maye easelye ghesse what their torment shal be in that behalfe Now for their taste what comfort can it yelde when the rehearsed annoyances be yea what discomfort shall it adioyne to the former miseryes And of this is sett in Iob. His bredd in his bellye shal be turned into the gall of cocatrices he shall vomitt out the riches which he hath deuoured and God shall pull them out of his bellye he shall sucke the head of a cocatrice and the tongue of the viper shall kill him Their mouth shall continually be stuffed and farsed full of abhominable poyson and filth most bitter sower salte and lothsome Their lippes roofe tongue and gummes perpetuallye tormented with gnawinge venemous wormes whose taste shal be as paynfull as their tearing Finallye their whole bodye now free sing in snow now broyling in fyer man gled by wormes and tearinge fiendes whipped and harried by the deuill and perpetually tumbled in fyer and brimstone amiddest that masse of carcases and monsters what an vnrestye bedd and vntollerable torment shall it feele in euerye parte And loe if we remember this verye bodye of oures that we now beare about vs and whose present misery we so much lameÌ„t thinke so greuous deserued to haue ben in all these vnspeakeable paynes since the time we committed the first mortall sinne in all our lyfe vntill this instant and foreuermore Yea and in much more miserable tormentes of mynde For our imagination should haue ben in continuall frightes and feares of the present terrours and paynes The vnderstanding vexed with a desperate and obstinate conceyte of Gods vnplacable iustice of the eternitye of these paynes and of the losse of euerlasting felicitye The memorye also pestered with remeÌ„brance of the ioyes past and sorowes present comparing euerye senses pleasure with the incumbent payne and the opportunity that was once offered to avoyde those punishmeÌ„tes of whose releasing there nether now is nor euer wil be anye sparke of hope For as S. Gregorye sayeth the damned suffer an end without end a death without death a decay without decay because ther death euer liueth their end alwayes beginneth and their decaye neuer ceaseth But they are alwayes healed to be new wounded alwayes repayred to be new deuoured They are euer dyinge and neuer dead a perpetuall praye neuer consumed eternallye broyling and neuer burnt vpp Now therfore if there be anye man so innocent that he may saye Nihil mihi conscius sum mundum est cor meum My conscience accuseth me of nothinge cleane is my harte and so assured of his integritye that he maye vaunte In tota vita mea non reprehendit me cor meum In my whole lyfe my harte hath not reprehended me Such a one mighte marueyle with some grounde why he shoulde be so afflicted though if he way how S. Paule who sayed the first Iob who vttered the last wordes were tormoyled he might thinke him selfe as well worthy of their troubles as ether of them how much more being one from his childhoode fleshed noseled in sinn as most of vs be hath he rather cause to maruaile why he is not in hel theÌ„ why he is in prison why he is not rather condeÌ„ned to the eternall losse of heauenly treasure then to the temporal losse of a few worldly goods finally why he is not adiudged to a death that is an vnhappye beginning to a more vnhappye progresse and no ending then to a death that ending all miserye beginneth an endlesse felicitye Cap. 6. But now to come to the principall drift of this my discourse for a motiue to comfort you in your tribulation what more forcible thing can I sett before your eyes theÌ„ the cause of your persecution the honour of your present estate and the future rewarde of your patiente and constant sufferance First the cause which you defend is the onlye true and Catholike religion that which impugneth you is erroneous and blasphemous heresye Our weapons in this action are prayer fasting exhortation and good example We defende that Church which is by all antiquitye auouched by the blood of infinite Martirs confirmed by the heretikes of all ages gaynsayed and by all testimonyes most vndoubtedlye approued We defende that Church of Rome to which as S. Ciprian sayeth Perfidia non potest habere accâ—ssum Misbeliefe can haue no acceâ—se Whose fayth Saint Hierome affirmeth Praestigias non recipere et etiamsi angelus aliter annuntiet quam semel praedicatum est Pauli autoritate munitam non posse mutari To receyue no forgerye and though an Angell teach any otherwyse then hath bene once preached garded with S. Paules auctoritie it can not be chaunged We
exercitus grādis a huge army With your thunderinge bothe the cloude of erroure is disolued the enclosed lyghte of trueth displayed and the earth watered with profytable showers to the rypening of Gods corne Newe slyppes are euer engrafted when the olde bow is cutt of and the vertue of the roote that the bough leaseth the slypp enioyeth You cut open our fruite and shed the cornel on the earthe where for one that you spoyle many will springe vpp of it We are the wheate of Christe as S. Ignatus sayde and are readye if you will to be ground with the teeth of wilde beasts or if you wil not offer that with the milstones of your heauye persecution that we may become pure and cleane bread in the syghte of Chryste The Crosse is our inherytance as S. Ambrose saythe and there-fore if you bringe vs to the Crosse or which is all one in effecte to the gallowes we maye saye with S. Andrew O bona crux accipe me ab hominibus et redde me magistro meo vt per te me recipiat qui per te me redemit O good Cross take me from men and restore me to my maister that by thee he may receiue me who by thee hathe redeemed me For in this quarrell non maledictus not accursed but benedictus homo qui pependit in ligno Blessed is the man that hunge vppon a tree And therfore Agite boni praesides meliores multo apud populū si Catholicos eis immolaueritis cruciate torquete damnate atterite nos probatio est fidei nostrae iniquitas vestra Goe on you good magistrates so much the better in the peoples eyes if you sacrifyce vnto them Catholikes Racke vs torture vs condemne vs yea grinde vs youre iniquitye is a proofe of our fayth You open vs the waye to oure desyred felycitye You geue vs an absolute acquittance from endlesse misery You washe a way the vncleanesse of oure iniquitye and deliuer vs from the assaultes of oure eternall enemye You will peraduenture saye why then cōplayne you of our persecution yf you rather desyre to suffer seeing you should loue those by whom your desyre is fulfilled If we pleasure you thanke vs if we be so beneficyall vnto you we cānot doe but wel in cōtinuing our course We answere you to this with our Sauiours wordes whoe sayde desiderio desideraui hoc pascha māducare vobiscum With desyre haue I desyred to eate this pasch with you And yet it stoode well with this sayinge to saye also Vae homni illi per quē tradetur melius erat illi si natus non fuisset Wo be vnto him by whom the sonne of man shal be betrayed better it had bene for him if he had neuer bene borne Beinge soldiers by professiō we are glad that we haue so iuste occasion to fyghte in defence of the trueth and yet hartelie sorye to see you bidd vs battayle by impugninge and persecutinge the same How-soeuer it goe with vs we are sure of the victorye who if we haue the vpper hande we haue wonne Satan and chased him out of his haunt to the confusion of heresye and yf we be oppressed and murdered for oure faythe then winne we a heauenlye reward to oure selues and a confyrmation of oure relygion to oure posterytye Where-fore small is the hurte that you doe vnto vs ye vnspeakeable the benefytt But alas vnknowen the miserye that you worke vnto your selues for though you marke it not or will not see it you shall once feele that these wordes shal be verifyed in all persecutors Gladius ipsorum intret in corda eorum lett they re owne swordes enter into theyr owne hartes And the rootyng out of Catholykes frō amongest you is the onlye waye to procure your ruine For why you plucke vp the flowers and leaue the weedes you cut of the fruitfull braunches and let the withered a lone you burne the corne and spare the stubble you put Noe in to the Arke whose beinge amongest you kepte you from the deluge You thruste Loth out of Sodoma that kepte the Cytye from burning vpp you oppresse Moyses who should wrastle with Gods anger and keepe it from you And therfore puttinge Catholikes to deathe you digge your owne graues cut of the shote anckers that shoulde saue you from shipwracke It were but a follye for a Kinge that desyred peace fyrst to abuse disgrace and tormente the Embassadours and all the seruantes of a Monarch mightyer then himselfe and then to sende them home thus cruellye intreated to vtter theyr wronges receyued and to call vppon they re soueraigne for reuenge of theyr iniuryes Yet is this the extreme folly of all persecutours who thinke it necessarye for they re peace fyrste to impouerishe spoyle and tormente Gods seruantes and by barbarouslye martyring them to sende them to heauen there to be continuall soliciters with God for reuenge against they re murderers The effecte of whose prayers you partelye proue and if Gods mercye be not the greater more shall you proue hereafter The redd hott yron being put into the water maketh a greate noyse and seemeth to do the water greate harme Where-as in the ende we fynd that the fyre thereof is quenched the force of burninge loste and the water lytle the worse Lyke thys bublinge is your tryumphe ouer vs. For thoughe you embrue youre bloodye fystes in oure bledinge woundes and make to the eye a greate shewe of victorye yet when it commeth to the proofe God will shew you by a ruefull experyence that all the noyse that you made was but the sounde of your owne quenching fall and ruine and the Martyrs estate not hurte but abettered by your seueritye Doe but consider euen at this presente the wonderful straites into which your temporall state is fallen But yf this scourge seeme not enoughe consider what rewarde hath bene geuen to such as persecuted Gods flocke and howe heauye his hande hath bene in reuenge of his seruauntes quarrell For as S. Cyprian sayeth Nunquam impiorum scelere in nostrum nomen exurgitur vt non statim vindicta diuinitus comitetur Neuer dothe the impyetye of the wicked rage against vs but strayte Gods heauye reuenge doth accompanie theyr wickednesse Nero the ringeleader of youre daunce from killing Christians fell to be his owne butcher and murderinge himselfe ended his lyfe with these wordes Turpiter vixi turpius morior Filthilye haue I lyued more filthilye doe I dye Domitiā was stabbed to death of his owne seruauntes Maximinus was slayne together with his children hys murderers crying out Ex pessimo genere ne catulum quidem relinquendum Of so leude a race not so muche as a whelpe ought to be lefte alyue Decius tasted of the same cupp seeing his children slayn and himselfe with them Valerianus being taken at 70 yeares of age by Sapor Kinge of the Persians was kepte lyke a beaste in yron grates and in the ende being flean miserablye