affection and yet do they not bow their neckes backward So So is it necessary that these do proceed which hauing vndertaken the yoake of the sacred law doe now by inward knowledge carry Gods arke that pittying theire kinnes necessity they decline not from their former vertuous iorney For Bethsames is the house of the sonne than to go vnder the arke of our Lord to Bethsames is with heauenlye science to drawe neare vnto the habitation of eternall lightsomnes But than do we truely go vnto Bethsames whan going straight forward we decline not no not for the affection of our children vnto bywaies of errour The loue of whom must truely possesse but not bow our mind least the very same mind either be to hard if affectioÌ„ do not moue it or be to softe if such mouing do bow it We will consider a little blessed Iob Iobs affection to his childern in whom the yoake of Gods feare had mortified the necke of his harte with what great wisdome of discretion he carrieth the arke of diuine knowledge hauing lost his calues he belloweth for hauing heard the death of his sonnes he shaued his head fell to the ground but yet he goeth bellowing on the right way because his mouth in lamenting is opened vnto Gods praise he presently saying Our Lord hath geuen our Lord hath taken away euen as it pleased our Lord so is it come to passe blessed be the name of our Lord. S. Hierom. ep ad Furiam §. 4 You desire in your letter He coÌ„mendeth vnto her the crowne of widowhead against the assaults of Parents and frends and humbly intreate me that I will answere you or rather write vnto you in what maner you may liue and conserue the crowne of widowhead without any blemish of the honour of your good name my mind reioiceth my bowells do daunce my assection doth leape because you desire to be such after your husbands death as your mother Titiana of holy memory was long time her husband liuing Her praiers and deuotions are heard she hath obtained in her onely daughter that which she possessed whilest she liued You haue moreouer a very greate Priuiledge of your auncestours that euen from Camillus either none at all or very few women of your stocke was maried the second time so that you are not so much to be praised if you remaine a widow as to be detested if being a Christian you perfourme not that which heathen women for so many ages haue obserued I say nothing of Paula and Eustochium flowers of your family least I may seeme to take occasion by the exhorting of you to praise them I lett passe Blesilla which following her husband your brother She died halfea yeere after her husband in a short space of life fulfilled many yeeres of vertue And I wold to God that men would imitate the praises of women and wrinckled ould age would perfourme that w e voluntary youth doth offer Wittingly willingly I thrust my hand into the fire many couÌ„tenances will frowne many armes will be throweÌ„ angry Chremes wil rage with his foaming mouth So do now adaies worldly Politicks against Preists and others many great personages will be incensed against my epistles the wholle company of nobles will thunder that I am a witch that I am a seducer worthy to be banished from all ciuill coÌ„mon wealthes Lett them adde if they will a Samaritane also that I may acknowledge my Lords title Surely I doe not deuide the daughter from her father neither doe I say that of the gospell suffer the dead to bury the dead For whosoeuer beleeueth in Christ liueth and whosoeuer beleueth in him ought surely for to walke euen as he walked Honour your father but so if he seuere you not from your true father So long acknowledge the lincke of your blood how long he acknowledgeth his creatour Psal 44. For otherwise Dauid will presently sing vnto you Heare o daughter and see and incline thine eare and forgett thy people and the house of thy father and the King will desire thy bewty because he is thy Lord. Forgetting of Parents O great reward of forgetting ones father the King will desire thy bewty because thou hast heard because thou hast seene because thou hast inclined thy eare and forgotte thy people and the house of thy father therfore will the King desire thy bewty and will say vnto thee Thou aâ—te all faire o my frend and there is no spotte in thee What thing more faire than the soule which is called the daughter of God and seeketh no forraine ornaments she beleeueth in Christ and with this ambition she goeth to her spouse hauing the same to her Lord and her spouse What miseries mariage haue you haue learned in mariage it selfe and you haue bene filled with * He all udeth to the quavles which the Isralites first desired and after Ioathed Num. 11. quailes euen vnto lothsomenes your iawes haue tried most bitter choler you haue cast on t those sower and vnholesome meates you haue eased your boiling stomacke Why will you yet throwe in againe that which once was hurtfull vnto you 2. Pet. 2. The dogge returned to his vomett and the sow washed into her wallowing in the mire The very brute beastes and restles birdes Hope of posterity of conseruing the family do not fall the second time into the same shares and nettes Do you feare least the family of the Furij be extinguished least your father haue not a babe by you which may creepe in his bosome and beslauer his necke What I pray you haue all which are maried children and those children which they haue do they alwaies answere to their kinred Yea surely Câ—ceroes sonne did resemble his fathers eloquence and Cornelia your auncestresse an example of honesty and secundity had much ioy of the Gracchi her sonnes it is ridiculous to hope of a certainty for that which both many haue not had haue lost whan once they had it To whom will you leaue so great riches to Christ who cannot dye Who shall be your heire he which is also my Lord. your father will mourne but Christ will reioise your family will be sorowfull but the Angells will be ioifull ChildreÌ„ are not their Parents Let your father do what he will with his substance you are not his by whom you were borne but his by whoÌ„ you were borne againe and who redeemed you with an exceeding great price eueÌ„ with his blood Out of the epistle of the same Sainte vnto Marcella of the sicknes of Blesilla §. 5 Abraham is tempted in his sonne found more faithfull Ioseph is sould into Aegipt He defendeth Blesillâ— embracinge an estate of perfectioÌ„ against her frends desire whom he calleth Antichrists that so he may feed his father and brethren Ezechias is terrified with his death at hand and resolued into teares hath his life prolonged for fifteene yeares Peter the Apostle
is afflicted with our Lords PassioÌ„ and weeping bitterly he â—eareth Feed my sheepe Paule a rauening woolfe and another young Beniamin is strooken blind in a traunce that he may receiue his sight and being compassed with a soudaine horrour of darknes calleth him Lord whom before he persecuted as man Euen so now o Marcella we haue seene our louing Blesilla thirty daies coÌ„tinually to haue bene tormented with the burning of an ague that she might learne to reiect the delightes of that body which shortly after is to be coÌ„sumed with wormes To her also came our Lord Iesus and touched her hand and behould she arising now serueth him she sauoured somewhat of negligence and being tied with the bandes of riches she lay in the sepulcher of the world But Iesus groned and being troubled in spirit cried out Blesilla come forth Who arose whan she was called and being come forth now sitteth at the table with our Lord. Lett the Iewes threaten swell These men are like to Iewes spiritually seeking to murder Lazarus lett them seeke to murder her which hath bene raised vp againe and lett the onely apostles reioise she knoweth that she oweth her life vnto him who did restore it she knoweth that she embraceth his fecte whose iudgement lately she feared her body lay almost dead and death approching did shake her gasping members Where were than the helpes of her kinred where were than the wordes full of vanity she oweth nothing vnto thee o vngratefull kinred which dying to the world is reuiued vnto Christ Who is a Christian lett him reioise he that is angry sheweth that he is no Christian A widow loased from the bond of mariage needeth nothing but perseuerance The discription of an holy widow But doth the browne garment offend any person lett Iohn offend him than whom amongst the sonnes of women there was none greater who being called an Angell baptized our Lord him selfe for he also was cladd with a camells Skinne and girded with a girdle of heare do grosse meates displease theÌ„ nothing is more grosse than locusts Let those women rather offend Christian eies who with vernish and colourings paint their cies and cheekes whose plaistered countenances deformed with ouermuch shining do resemble idolls who if they happen for want of heed to let fall a teare it trickleth down in a furrow whom not so much as the very number of their yeares can perswade that they are olde who with other folkes haire sett forth their head and paint out in aged wrinckles their youth fore spent who finally in presence of many nephewes are trimmed like trembling girles Let the Christian woman blush if shee force the comelinesse of nature if she make prouision for the flesh vnto concupiscence in which according to the Apostle whosoeuer are delighted cannot please Christ Our widow before was very carefully dressed and all the day at the glasse she studied what might be amisse now she confideÌ„tly saith But we behoulding the glory of our Lord with face reuealed 2 Cor. 3. are transformed into the same image from glory vnto glory as of our Lords spirite Than the maides did platte her heare and the harmeles head was wringed with friseled toppes but now the vntrimmed head knoweth this to suffise it that it is couered Than did the very softnes of feathers seeme hard and she could scarce lye in the raised beddes now she riseth betime for to pray with her shrill voice preuenting the others in singing Alleluia she is the first which beginneth to praise her Lord. shee kneeleth vpon the â—are ground and with often teares that face is purged which before was defiled with painting after praier there are soung psalmes and the feeble necke and wearied knees and sleepy eyes for the earnest feruour of the mind can scant obtaine any rest the mourning gowne is leaste fouled whan she lieth on the ground The course pantoffle affordeth the price of gilte shoes vnto the poore the girdle is not besette with golde pretiouse stones but wollen and most pure because of the simplicity and such as may rather straiten the vestiments than adorne theÌ„ If the scorpion enuieth fo good a purpose and with flattering speach perswade againe to eate of the forbiddeu tree in steed of a shoe lett him be crusshed with ANATHEMA A deseription of Antichrist and whilest he dieth in his poison lett him haue this answereâ— Go after me Satan which is as much to say as aduersary for he is the aduersary of Christ and an Antichrist whosoeuer is displeased with the precepts of Christ I pray you what haue we donne like vnto the Apostles that they are so offended The Apostles forsooke their Parents They forsake their aged father with their shippe and nettes the publicane riseth from the custome house and followeth our Sauiour The Disciple which desired to returne home and bidd his frendes farewell is forbidden by our masters voice The buriall of a father is not allowed and it is a kind of piety for our Lord to be voide of piety We because we go not in silkes are esteemed Monkes because we are not droncke neither open our mouthes vnto dissolute laughter we are called graue and melancholy if our coate be not gorgeouse we straite heare that coÌ„mon prouerbe he is an hypocrite deceiuing GreciaÌ„ See how Let theÌ„ vse euen yet more rude scoffes and carry about with theÌ„ men stuffed with fatte paunches earnest Gods Saints haue bene against the Persecutors of vertue our Blesilla will laugh and not disdaine to heare the reproches of croking frogges wheras her Lord and master was called Beelzebub A notable epistle of Saint Bernard in the person of one Helias a monke vnto his parents ep 111. §. 6 THe onely cause for which it is not lawfull to obey our parents He defendeth his entry into religiâ—n against them Mat. 10 True loue of parents toward the is children Mat. 10. Mich. 7 is God For he saieth Who loueth his father and mother more than me is not worthy of me If you loue me in deed as good godly parents if you carry a true and faithfull piety towardes your sonne why do you disquiet me being about to serue God the father of all and endeuour to drawe me backe from the feruice of him to whom for to serue is to raigne Verely I now perceiue that a mans enemies are those of his owne houshould In this I must not obey you in this thing I taâ—e you not for my parents but for my foes If you loued me you would certainely reioise because I go to my father yours yea and the father of all otherwise what haue I to do with you What haue I of you but sinne and misery onely this corruptible carcase which I carry I confesse and acknowledge that I haue of yours is it not sufficient for you that wretches that you are you haue brought me a wretch into the wretchednes of this world and
wash thee from all maner of filth Lett him be thy brother who is thy fellow labourer souldier in thy heauenly race Gett thee a wife and companion which neuer may be separated from thee the memory of death Lett thy most deare children be the sighings of thy harte Possesse thy body as thy slaue make thy frends the Angelicall vertues which in the houre of death may helpe thee if thou make them now familiar vnto thee This is surely the generation of those which seeke our Lord. The assection of God excludeth the affection of parents and who faieth he hath them both deceiueth him selfe wheras our Lord saieth You cannot serue God and Mammon And I came not to send peace into the earth Mat. 6. Mat. 10. and loue of parents to children and to brethren which haue chosen to serue me but the sword the battaile For I came to separate the louers of God from the louers of the world the earthly and caruall from those which haue ouercome all earthly and materiall things the desirous of glory from the humble Our Lord reioiseth at this debate and separation whan it is made for his charity Beware I pray thee least thou find all ouerflowen with water if thou be entangled with the affection and loue of thy kinred and so thou perish with them in the deluge of the loue of the world Take no compassion of the teares of Parents and frends least thy selfe do weepe for euer So often as thy kinsfolkes shall compasse thee like bees yea rather as waspes and shall beginne to bewaâ—â—e thee constantly and speedely getâ— thy seâ—e to the consideration of death and of thy owne workes that by sorow thou maiest exclude sorrow Our frendes and not our frendes do crastily promise vs that they will prouide vs all thinges to our pleasure and contentment but with that intention that they may hinder our notable good course and that being obteined may drawe vs to their owne will It is more prâ—sitable to contristate our parents than God for he hath both made vs redeemed vs. they haue oftentimes made to perishe those whom they haue loued He is a true Pilgrime in this world who like vnto one of a straunge language amongst men of an vnknowen tounge onely dwelleth at home in the knowlege of himself We do not therfore departe from our Parents and kinâ—efolkes because we hate them God forbid but that we may auoide that hinderance which they are woâ—t to procure vs. THE SECOND CHAPTER That a man is bound vnder paine of eternall damnation vnto a perfect renunciation of all frendes kinsefolkes Parents Superiours their intreaties examples coÌ„mandments yea him selfe also all that he hath whan otherwise he should be hindered from the dewty of a Christian S. Augustine epist 89. quest 4 Disputing against the Pelagian Heretickes who taught amongst other heresies that euery one was bound to sell all and geue to the poore which S. Augustine denieth although euery one is bound to leaue all whan necessity is offered §. 1. DOth that perhaps moue them that our Lord saieth He sheweth the necessity of renunciation Mat. 19. whosoeuer shall forsake all his goods for me shall receiue in this world a hundred fould and in the world to come he shall possesse euerlasting life It is one thing to forsake and another to sell for euen in those thinges which he commanded to be forsaken is the wife also numbred whom by no humane lawes it is lawfull to sell and by the lawes of Christ it is not lawfull not so much as to forsake except in the case of fornication What is the meaning than of these precepts For they cannot be contrary one to another but that there may happen a case of necessity whan either the wife must be forsaken or Christ The wife and husbaÌ„d in this matter of forsaking one another are in the same case as that I may omitte other examples if the wife cannot abide her Christian husband propound vnto him either diuorce from her or from Christ Here what should be choose but Christ and laudably forsake his wife for Christ For whan both are Christians our Lord hath commanded that none forsake his wife but for sornicatioÌ„ But whaÌ„ either party is an infidell lett the counsell of the Apostle be obserued that if the infidell consenteth to dwell with the faithfull husband the husband forsake not his wife in like maner neither the faithfull wife forsake her husband if he consent to dwell with her But if the infidel departe lett him departe for the brother or sister is not subiect to seruitude in these things that is if the infidell will not be with the faithfull lett the faithfull a knowledge this liberty that he yeeld him selfe not so subiect vnto slauery that he forsake his faith Sonnnes Parents brethren and sisters least he lose his vnfaithfull sp use This is vnderstood also of sonnes and parents of brethren and sisters that they are all to be forsaken whan this condition is propounded that he must forsake Christ if he desire to retaine them This therfore is to be vnderstood euen of the house and lande and of all those things which are possessed as money worth House land possessions Of the necessity of this band For in like maner doth he not say of these whosoeuer shall fell for my sake whatsoeuer is lawfull to be sould but whosoeuer shall forsake them For it may come to passe that it may be saide to a Christian by some Magistrate either thou shalt not be a Christian or if so thou wilt remaine thou shalt lose thy house possessions Than truely let euen those riche meÌ„ who had determined so to remaine riche that by their good deedes they might winne Gods fauour lett them rather forsake these things for Christ than Christ for these things that they may receiue euen in this world Centuplum a hundreth fould by the perfection of which number are signified all things For vnto a faithfull man all the world is riches and they become in this maner as hauing nothing and possessing all thinges that they may in the world to come haue life euerlasting least forsaking Christ for these temporalities they may be cast headlong into death euerlasting It is an act of perfectioÌ„ to fell all giue to the poore According to this law and condition not they onely which with an excellency of mind haue imbraced the counsell of perfection for to sell all and to geue vnto the poore and with lightened shoulders from the burden of this world to carry the light burden of Christ but also euery weake person and not so fitte for that most glorious perfection yet such as remembreth him selfe sincerely to be a Christian whan he shall vnderstand that occasion is geuen that vnlesse he forsake all these thinges he must forsake Christ he will take hould rather of the tower of fortitude against the force of the enemy
〈◊〉 n. 22. or sought the others death or were daungerously furiouse or finally if the one party should drawe the other in whatsoeuer maner vnto deadly sinne and could not be reformed And in these cases whan necessity vrgeth the wife may forsake her husband without iudgement of the Church for it standing her vpon to auoide so imminent daunger of body or soule she may whan she is in safety more conueniently procure the diuorce But of the last case it doth especially behoue vs to speake a little For of that it is which our Sauiour saieth If any one come vnto me and hateth not his father and mother and wife c. Luc. 14. he cannot be my Disciple also in another place Mat. 18. if thy eye scandilize thee plucke it out and cast it from thee Saint Paule also in the case of heresy commaundeth to auoide all persons without exception Tit. 3. S. Hierom. and S. Hierome vpon the place alleaged of S. Mathew thus notably discourseth Therfore saieth he all affection is cut of and all kinred is dispatched least through occasion of piety any faithfull person may be laied open vnto scandall if any man saieth he be so lincked vnto thee as thy hand thy foote thy eye and be profitable and carefull and prouident in foreseeing of things yet cause thee a scandall through disagreing of behauiour do draw thee to hell it is better for thee to want both his kinred and helpes least whilest thou wilt gaine thy kinsemen and frendes thou haue causes of ruine therfore do thou not preferre neither wife nor childreÌ„ nor frendes nor any affection which may exclude vs from the Kingdome of heauen before the loue of our Lord. Euery faithfull knoweth what hurteth him or wherin his mind is troubled often tempted it is better to leade a solitary life than for the necessities of this life to loose the euerlasting Thus S. Hierome Wherfore I do conclude that in case a woman by her husband bevrged to go to the Church or to do any vnlawfull acte of religion much more than in other carnall sinnes she may yea and is bound to forsake him least louing danger she perish therin Eccle. 3. yet if she perceiue her selfe by Gods grace to be so strong and constant that she feareth no peruersion at all she is bound for to remaine with him and so to seeke to gaine him But if there be notorious adultery ioined withall and iniurious want of all necessary spirituall helpes of Catholicke religion I would not doubte but in our countrey where there is no lawfull Ecclesiasticall Courte euen without any danger of peruersion she may forsake him Thus much haue I thought good to say of this matter now let vs returne to the Fathers againe THE FOVRTH CHAPTER Of renunciation of a mans Patrimony and care of prouision for children more particulerly than was saied before Cyprianus libro de lapsis §. 1. BVt vnto many persons their owne destruction was not sufficient Rich men should leaue all rather than fall they quaffed as it were death one to another out of a poisoned cupp And that there might want nothing to the heape of their crime Impiety of Schismatick parents to their childre young children being brought by their fathers hands lost whilst they were little ones that which in the very entrance of life they had gotten Shall not they say whan the day of iudgement shall come we our seâ—ues did nothing neither forsaking the meate and cuppe of our Lord did we of our owne accord runne vnto profane contagion others perfidiousnes destroied vs we felte our parents our patricidial slaughterers they denied for vâ— our mother the Church and God our father The Church our mother that whilst being as yet litle ones improuident ignorant of so hainous an offence we were ioined by others to the felowship of crimes by other mens fraud we might be entrapped Voluntary Banishment and losse of patrimony neither is there ô pittifull thing any iust or waighty cause to excuse such iniquity they should haue forsaken their countrey and sustained losse of their patrimony for who is he which is borne and must dye which must one day leaue his countrey and forsake his patrimony that thou maiest not loose Christ feare the losse of thy saluation of thy eternall habitation behould the holy ghost crieth by the Prophett â—â—sa 52. Departe you departe you go forth hence and touch not that which is vncleane Go forth out of the middest of her seuer your selues you which carry the vessells of our Lord. and those which are the very vessells of our Lord and temples of God do not they go forth of the middest of her and depart least they be constraâ—ned to touch that which is vnâ—â—eane and to be polluted and defiled with deadly dishes in another place also a voice is beard from heauen Apoc. 1 forewarning the seruantes of God what they should do saying Go out of her my people least thou be partaker of her crimes and be punished with her torments who goeth forth and departeth is not made partaker of the crime but whosoeuer is found partaker of the crime is also â—ormented with the plagues And therfore our Lord did bid vs to retire our selues to flye in time of persecution and that we might do the same him selfe both did it and taught it Martyrdom is wisely to be expected for wheras the crowne of marty dome commeth from the onely liberality of God and cannot be obtained but whaÌ„ the houre is come of receiuing it whosoeuer remaining in Christ doth go for a while aside denieth not his faith but expecteth time But who by not going aside is falne remained that he might deny We must not my brethren dissemble the truth neither must we conceale the matter cause of our wound Blind loue of patrimony the blind loue of their patrimony hath deceiued many neither could they be willing and ready to departe who were fettered with their riches as with chaines These were the irons of those which remained these were the shackells wherby their force was weakned their faith oppressed their mind inchained their soule imprisoned that such as were addicted vnto earthly desires might become a pray vnto that serpent which according to Gods owne senteÌ„ce is appointed to feed vpon earth And therfore our Lord all good mens master both forewarning and counsailing for the time to come saieth in this maner Gen. 3. If thou wilte be perfect go sell all that thou hast and geue vnto the poore thou shalt haue a treasure in heauen Mat. 19. and come and followe me if rich men would do this they should not perish because of their riches if they laied vp their treasure in heaueÌ„ they should not haue an enemy persecutour at home their harte and minde and thought should be in heaueÌ„ if their treasure were in heauen neither could he be ouerthrowen
did according to S. Iohn 1. Io. 2 saying Who saieth that he remaineth in Christ must so walke as he hath walked The blessed Apostle S. Paule also exhorteth teacheth vs saying Ro. 2. we are sonnes but if we be sonnes we are heires also of God and coheires of Christ if so be that we do suffer with him that we may be glorified with him all which thinges are now to be considered by vs that no man desire any thing of the now dying world but follow Christ who both liueth for euer and quickneth his seruants which retaine the confession of his name Io. 16 For the time is come my deare brethren which long since out Lord foretould saying The houre will come that euery one which shall kill you shall thinke he doth God good seruice But these things shall they dâ— because they know not my father nor me This haue I spoken vnto you that whan the houre of these things shall come you remember that I tould you neither lett any one meruaile that we are afflicted with daily persecutions and oftentimes oppressed with greeuous tribulations wheras our Lord hath foretould that these thinges should happen in the latter times and hath furnished our warfare with his owne instruction and exhortation Peter also his Apostle hath taught vs that therfore persecutions are made that we may be proued euen we also by the example of those iust persons which are gone before vs 1. Pet. 4 be ioined through death and sufferings vnto the loue of God My dearest saieth he wonder not at the feruour which happeneth vn to you which is made for your tentation neither do you shrinke as if any new thing happened to you but so ofte as you communicate with the passions of Christ in all things reioise that in the reuelation of his glory you may reioise being gladd If you be reuiled in the name of Christ you are happy because the name of the maiesty and vertue of God resteth in you which name truely by them is blasphemed but by vs is honoured The Apostles taught vs concerning the precepts of our Lord and heauenly commaundments that which them selues therby had learned wheras our Lord him selfe doth confirme vs saying Mat. 1â— Luc. 1â— There is none which leaueth house or land or parents or brethren or sisters or wife or children for the Kingdome of God and receiueth not seauen times as much in this time in the world to come life euerlasting And againe blessed shall you be whan men shall hate you and separate you and thrust you forth Luc. â— and curse your name as euell for the sonne of man Be you gladd in that day and reioise for behould your reward is much in heauen our Lord would haue vs be gladd reioise in persecutions because when persecutions are raised than are crownes of faith bestowed than the souldiers of God are proued than vnto Martyrs are the heauens opened Neither did we so ascribe our selues to this warfare that we should onely thinke of peace and shunne and refuse the battaile wheras in this very warfare our Lord hath walked before vs that master of humility and patience and suffering first doing that which he taught for to do and first suffering that which he exherteth to suffer Lay before your cies most beloued brethren that he which onely hath receiued all iudgement of his father and is for to come to iudge hath already sette downe the summe Mat. 1â— of his iudgemeÌ„t sentence to come forewarning vs proclaiming that before his father he will both confesse those which confesse him and deny those which deny him if we could escape death we might worthely feare it But wheras it is necessary that he which is mortall do dye lett vs imbrace this occasion proceeding from Gods promise and liberality and leavs so passe by death that we may receaue the reward of immortality neither lett vs seare to be killed it being certaine that whan we are killed we are crowned Catholicke Prisoners ought not to be dismaied by the want of Priestes And lett no man my brethren seeing our people for feare of persecution to be driuen away and scattered be therfore troubled in mind because he seeth not the coÌ„fraternity gathered togither neither heareth the Bishops preaching All cannot than be togither as who may not lawfully kill but must of reccessâ—ty be killed Whersoeuer at such time any brother shall be separated for a while in body but not in spiritt from the flocke because of the necessity of the time lett him not be moued with the horrour of such flight or retiring and hiding him selfe be terrified with the solitarines of a deserte place He is not alone whose companion is Christ euen in his flight he is not alone which conseruing the temple of God whersoeuer he is is not without God And if whilest he flâ—eth in the wildernesse and mountaines the murderer oppresse him a wilde beast destroy him hunger or thirst or colde confume him or if whilest he hasteth by the seas with daungerous nauigation a storme or tempest do drowne him Christ behouldeth his souldier whersoeuer he fighteth and to him which dieth by reason of persecution for the honour of his name he geueth that reward which he promised to geue in persecutioÌ„ neither is it a lesse glory of martirdome that one dieth not publickely amongst a multitude whaÌ„ the cause of dying is to dye for Christ Sufficient to the testimoy of a Martyr is that witnesse who proueth crowneth the Martyrs Lett vs follow deare brethren iust Abel Gen. â— who laied the first foundation of of martirdomes whilest be first was killed for iustice Lett vs imitate AbrahaÌ„ Gen. 2â— the frend of God which did not stay to sacrifice with his owne hands his sonne whilest with a faithfull deuotion he obeyed God Lett vs imitate the three children Ananias Azarias and Misael who neither astonished with their age Dan. 3 nor discouraged with their captiuity after the conquest of Iewry and the surprising of Hierusalem by the valour of their faith ouercame the King in his owne Kingdome who being coÌ„maunded to adore the image which Nabuchodonozor made were stronger thaÌ„ either his threates or flames by these wordes proclaiming and witnessing their faith O King Nabuchodonozor we need not answere thee concerning this matter For God whom we serue is able to take vs forth of the fornace of burning fire and to deliuer vs out of thy handes ô King And if he will not know thou that we serue not thy Gods we worship not the goulden image which thou hast erected They beleeued that according to their faith they might escape but they added if he will not that the King mighty know that they could euen dye for the God which they worshipped For this is the force of courage of faith to beleeue and know that God is able to deliuer from death eueÌ„ present and yet not to
bite or trippe vs Lett vs carry stoutely the shield of faith which garding vs whatsoeuer the enemy hurleth may be extinguished Let vs take for the couer of our head a helmett of saluation that our eares may be fensed that they heare not the bloody proclamations lett our eies be defended that they see not the detestable idolls lett our forehead be fortified that the signe of God may be kept vntouched The signe of the Crosse lett the mouth be garded that our conquering tongue may confesse our Lord Iesus Christ Let vs arme also our right hand with a spirituall sword that it may couragiously refraine the deadly sacrifices and remembring that it hath receiued our Lordes body in the Eucharist lett it embrace him being hereafter 〈◊〉 receaue of our Lord a reward of heauenly crownes O that day what a one my brethren how great shall it come whan our Lord shall beginne to reckon his people and to take account with his diuine examination of euery ones meritts to send the wicked to hell and to condemne our persecutours to the perpetuall punishment of burning flame But to yeeld vnto vs reward for our faith and deuotion O what glory and how great ioy will it be to be admitted that thou maist see God to be honoured that with Christ thy Lord God thou maist receaue the delighte of euerlasting light and saluation to salute Abraham and Isaac and Iacob and all the Patriarches and Prophets and Apostles and Martyrs with the iust and frendes of God to enioy in the kingdome of heauen the pleasure of immortality there to receaue that neither eye hath seene 1. Cor. 2. nor care hath heard nor hath ascended into the heart of man Ro. 8. For that we shall receaue farre greater things than that which here we can either worke or suffer the Apostle teacheth vs saying the passions of this time are not condigne to the glory to come that shall be reuealed in vs. what that reuealing shall come whan Gods glory shall shine vpon vs so blessed shall we be and ioifull being honoured with our Lordes liberallity as they shall remaine confounded and miserable which hauing forsakeÌ„ God or rebelling against God haue donne the will of the Deuell that now of necessity with him they must be tormented with vnquenchable fire These things my deare brethren lett cleaue to our hartes lett this be the preparation of your armour let this be your daily and nightly meditation to haue before your eies and to ponder alwaies with your thought and vnderstanding the torments of the wicked and the rewardes and merittes of the iust What punishment our Lord doth threatten to such as deny him what glory he promiseth to those which confesse him if whilest we thinke meditate of this the day of persecution come vpon vs the souldier of Christ instructed by his precepâ— and admonitions doth not quake at the battaile but is ready for the crowne I wishe my deare brethren that you alwaies farewell Ex Epistola 26. apud Cypria quae est Confessorum ê carcere ad Cyprianum §. 2. For what thing could befall more gloriouse The noblenes of marâ—irdome ot what could more happely be bestowed vpon and man froÌ„ God than amongst the very butchers being mangled to confesse our Lord God than amongst the raging diuerse and exquisite tormeÌ„ts of the seculer power the body being racked tortured quartered with a dying yet a free spirit to confesse Christ the sonne of God than hauing forsaken the world to be gonne to heauen than hauing lefte men to stand amongst Angells than all worldly impediments being cutte of to represent him selfe at liberty before the sight of God than to obtaine the heauenly kingdome without any delay Martyrs go to heauen without passing by Purgatory than in the name of Christ to haue bene made a companion in passion with Christ than by the diuine liberality of his iudge to become a iudge than by the Confession of the name of Christ to haue carried away an vnspotted conscience than not to haue obeied humaue and sacrilegious lawes against our faith Sacrilegious lawes than with publicke voice to haue professed the truth than by dâ—ing to haue subdued euen death that is so feared of all men than by death to haue gotten immortality than tortured and racked with all instruments of cruelty by torments to haue ouercome torments than to haue with the valour of the mind strouen against all the griefes of a rented body than not to haue loathed his owne gushing blood than to haue begonne next after his faith to loue his very torments than to thinke a losse of his life that he is not dead For vnto this combate doth Christ by the trompete of his gospell excite vs. saying Who lotteth his father and mother more thaÌ„ me is not worthy of me and who taketh not vp his Crosse followeth me is not worthy of me Mat. 10. And againe blessed are those which suffer persecutioÌ„ for iustice for theirs is the kingdome of heauen Blessed shall you be whan they shall persecute you and hate you be gladd and reiorse Mat. 5. for so did their fathers persecute the Prophetts also with were befor you And againe You shall stand before Kinges and Magistrates Mat. 10. and a brother shall betray his brother to death the father the sonne And who perseuereth to the end he shall be saued And to him which ouercometh I will goue to sitte vpon my throne Appoc 1. Ro. 8. euen as I haue ouercome sitte vpon the throne of my father The Apostle also Who shall seuer vs from the charity of Christ tribulation or distresse or persecution or hunger or nakednes or daunger or the sword as it is written for thee we are killed all the day we are accounted as sheepe of the sacrifice but in all these things we ouercome for him which hath loued vs. These and the like things whan we read in the gospell and feele in our selues as it were certaine firebrandes for to inflame our faith applied vnto vs by our Lords voices we presently do not onely not dread the aduersaries of the truth at all but we challenge them and euen in this onely that we haue not yeelded to the enemies of God we haue ouercome them and we haue vanquished the wicked lawes against the truth and if as yet we haue not shedd our blood yet are we ready for to shedd it Lett no man esteeme this lingering of our putting of The mercy of Prisons to be clemency which rather hurteth vs which hindereth our glory which deferreth heauen which delaieth the happy sight of God For in such a fight and in such a combatte where faith is a champion not to haue putte of the Martyrs by delay is trew clemency Pray therfore ô beloued Cyprian that God will more plentifully and readily more and more euery day arme euery one of vs and lighten vs with his
by our neighbour although I say in such actions a Protestation may serue to satisfy the well meaning or weaker sorte so all scandall ceassing the actions remaine fully lawfull as being before of thē selues lawfull and onely for such a circumstance of scandall vnlawfull yet hath not any kind of Protestation so much force as to iustifie that which is of it selfe euell as Iudas his protesting of frendshippe in kissing our Sauiour or Pilates protesting of innocency in washing his handes could not make either the one a trew frend of our Lord or the other trewly innocent nor Ioab his faire speaches and courteous demeanour towardes Amasa could excuse his trecherous murder Euen so than in this case of going to the Church for wheras such fact is of it selfe vnlawfull and schismaticall as Mr. Martin purposely doth dispute how can it be that it may be allowed by Protestation And certainely in this case aboue all other a Protestatiō is most ridiculous For in this actiō of going to hereticall Churches A Protestation is most ridiculous in this case Going to the Church is a protestation of Protestancy the principall deformity and iniquity is that it signifieth a conformity in schisme and false religion so that it is nothing else of it selfe but a Protestation in facte of false religion now by a contrary Protestation in words to seeke to disanull the Protestation of the facte what is it else but as if a man very expert in the arte of lying should in telling two contrary tales with one breath desire to be fully beleeued in both But howsoeuer these absurde Protesters perswade them selues Two lyes made by Protesters yet haue they iustly receaued the ordinary reward of liers not to be beleeued at all For wher as by the facte they shew them selues Protestants no man yet beleeueth them and wheras by their wordes they seeke to alter the nature of the facte neither yet can they obtaine creditt the facte of it selfe remaining as it was before So that they come euery day from the Church loaden with two diuerse and contrary lyes a small faulte perhaps if they were not in so weighty a matter the one that they are Protestants the other that their fact doth signifie no such thing as is the profession of Protestancy I remember that I haue heard a pretty conceite of one who seeing vpon a suddaine that by our Parliaments religion was altered The Person of Croydon and that defined and decreed superstition which all our forefathers before accounted trew worshipping of God made earnest petition to some Parliament Lord that it might be enacted by the autority afore said that it should be but fiue miles from his house to London that so he might be deliuered from a longer trauaile whan he were to go thither But whatsoeuer we may worthely attribute to Parliaments where there is higher autority more generall consent more publicke proceedings meanes to diuulge abrode the knowledge of any matter than in any other temporall thing can be possibly deuised it is surely ouermuch prerogatiue to geue vnto the speeches of euery perticuler schismaticke A Protestation cannot be publicke enough to take away scandall that he may by one Protestatiō make that another Protestation shall be no Protestation although he would Protest euery time not onely in the Pulpitt but also in Printed Papers which surely were necessary if he would make his speecehes of Protestation as well knowen as his Protestation of facte and yet it were not sufficient perhaps wheras many would heare of his fact which would not heare of his papers The Protestatiō therfore being of it selfe thus absurde for such cause as is worthely to be thoght very farre frō that learned Licentiates approbation it seemeth yet more daungerous for the wāt of any warrant of auncient practise or example For it is a very strange case that in so many ages past in so diuerse long persecutions stirred vp against Gods Church by infidells heretickes schismatickes yet no memory should be extant of any satisfying the persecutours pleasure by doing that which he commaunded with a Protestation but that this Protestation should first of all be heard of in communication with Protestants belike to shew that Protesters and Protestants are as neare in inward qualities and conditions as they are in the outward and materiall sound of their names And surely if the Pope should condemne this opinion of a Protestation as an heresy as it may be he hath in cōdemning the defender maintainer therof than could we haue no fitter name for these new heretickes than to call them Protesting Protestants Of contrary Protestations we read oftentimes and almost euery where that is that the Saintes of God haue not onely not satisfied their persecutours desires but haue bouldly protested that they would not obey their vnlawfull commaundments Be it knowen vnto thee ô King Dan. 3. that we will not worship thy Gods the idoll which thou hast erected we will not adore This was the Protestatiō of the three children Act. 4. 5. Heare also the Apostles Protestation We cannot but speake those things which we haue seene and heard And we must obey God rather than men 2. Mach. 7. And the youngest Machabee whom do you stay for I obey not the precept of the King but the precept of the law These are Protestations fitt for Christians honourable in the making famous in the remembring and most gloriouse in their euerlasting rewardes not those which do as it were call God and heauen êarth to witnesse that the obedience of man is preferred before the obedience of God Of like examples of Christian Protestations all Ecclesiasticall histories are full neither could euer the fury of persecutours or extremity of torments driue the champions of Christ to yeeld or seeme to yeeld to as indifferent thinges as going to the Church may seeme to be and to seeke to iustifie such actions by Protestation This hath alwaies made me thinke that that good vertuous learned Deuine did neuer meane to allow a Protestation as these new Protesters would haue him considering the repugnance which it hath to his wholle argument of his treatise and the absurdity of the thing it selfe which although he speake somewhat obscurely I cannot thinke but that his wisdome could very well perceaue Yet do I not doubte but that he worthely admitteth a Protestation in some cases A Protestation is some times profitable For this action of going to the Church is than vnlawfull whan it is a Protestation of conformity in religion which it is alwaies whan there is such orderly going as is vsed by the heretickes them selues now it may be that in diuerse cases this orderlines and conformity may be wanting than the going to the Church with heretickes is called but a materiall going and not a formall because the formality is by the alteration of the essentiall conditions of such going taken away in this case