people of Israel But if he thinke it better for vs to haue the number of oure brethren made vpp before he reuenge oure iniuries we will contente oure selues with his diuine apointmente It were no delight to vs to see you in the miserye that we our selues desire to be ridd of Your scorges could not auayle vs we enuye not so muche youre prosperitye as to desyre youre ouerthrow To your hatred we render goodwill for your punishments prayers we would willingly purchase your saluations with oure deerest bloode But how well so euer we be affected towardes you take heede that the earth that receyueth oure bloode crye not out againste you agreeablye to that The voyce of thy brothers bloode cryeth out of the earthe Vppon which S. Ambrose noteh that God sayde not it cryeth out of thy brothers bodye but out of the earth For though thy brother forgeue thee yet the earth forgeueth the not Though thy brother saye nothinge the earth condemneth thee That is against thee both a witnesse and a Iudge A more earnest witnesse that yet reeketh with the bloode of thy vnnaturall murder A more seuere Iudge that was defyled with so heinous a crime as to open the mouth receyue thy brothers blood at thy handes Yet for our selues we from our hartes forgeue youre iniuryes towardes vs and only pitie your abuse of Gods benefits that you sholde offende him with his owne giftes and for his fauoures towardes you persecute his flocke hinder the course of his religiō yea endeuoure to abolishe the name of his Catholike Churche Alas youre laboure is in vayne inestimable youre offence Adulterari non potest sponsa Christi incorrupta est pudica vnam domum nouit vnius cubiculi sanctitatem casto pudore custodit The Spouse of Christ cannot play the aduoutresse she is vndefyled and chaste she knoweth but one house and with vnstayned integritye keepeth the sanctitye of one onlye chamber And we doubte not but that God will geue vs grace to be loyall and true children to so pure and chaste a mother and rather to leaue if we had them manye lyues then degenerate from the profession of oure Faythe Illius faetu nascimur Illius lacte nutrimur spiritu eius animamur Haec nos deo seruat haec filios regno quos gerauit assignat We are children of her broode with her milke we are fostered with her spirite we are quickned She preserueth vs for God she assigneth to a kingdome the ofspringe that she hath brought forth She hath ben here to fore as fiercely assalted when in one Chrismasse daye she had twentye thowsand of her chrldren martyred and yet neuer ouercome And she is as S. Augustine sayeth like a dye whiche howsoeuer you lett it fall or throwe it it euer more lyeth on a flatt syde and can neuer fall a misse She is a sure shipp and wrought so conninglye by our heauenlye shipwrite that quantumlibet mare sae uiat ventus incumbat inter fluctus nauis ista turbetur tantum non mergatur curret How much soeuer the Sea rage the windes beate vppon it how muche soeuer this shipp be tossed emongst the waues onlye be it kept from drowning and it runneth on And doubtlesse drowne it can not hauinge him at the sterne of whome it is sayde mare venti obediunt ei The Sea and the windes obeye vnto him Your Idol Dagon must needes fal before Gods Arke and by the broken handes and feete bewraye the owne impotencie Your God Baal must needes be dumme and deafe though you ripp youre vaynes and sacrifyce your bloode yea your soules vnto him when he once commeth to stryue for the vpper hande with almightye God If your Scrybes and Pharisyes seeke with slaunders obloquyes to deface Christes doctrine he can make the diuels to confounde theyr owne impes And if there should wante anye to defende it the verye stones would crye your owne childrens mouthes be instrumentes to perfit the praise therof It was not with out cause that S. Iohn Baptist called your predecessours genimina Viperarum a generation of Vipers Whose nature as Eusebius Emissenus writeth is such that when the female conceyueth of the male she killeth him and when she groweth bigge with yonge she also of her owne brood is murdered For they refusinge to stay the ordinarye course of cominge forthe gnawe them selues passage through the sydes of the dame and with theyr birth worke her deathe Thus fareth it with the Persecutours of true pastours They deliuer into you the seede of Catholike doctrine and you moste vngratfullye murder them for theyr paynes but for all you can doe thys seede breedethe younge in your owne bowels and your verye broode will eate themselues oute of your impious wombe and leaue in the end your aduoulterous Sinagogue deade consumed as hetherto it hath happened in all other heresies Returne you therfore to the Churche acknowledge with vs youre mother whom now you aflicte Credite viuite qui nos ad tempus persequimini in aeternum gaudete nobiscum Beleeue you and lyue you and though you now persecute vs here for a tyme yet reioyce with vs for euer But if you continewe still in this rigorous course how many thousand soules haue you to aunswere for which by youre seueritye haue no meanes neyther to heare nor embrace the trueth You haue enow in hell alreadye that curse the day that euer you were borne through whose crueltye they fynde thēselues to haue fallen into those vnspeakable torments O how heauily will our blood weye vpon you you will thinke euery droppe a load of ledd What will you answere for the spoyle of Catholikes whose damages if you repent not you shall repay in eternall tormēts Remember what the scripture sayth This sayeth our Lord. You which feede in blood and lifte vpp your eyes to your vncleanesse shedd innocēt blood thynke you to possesse the lande by inheritance Nay rather I will deliuer thee ouer vnto blood and blood shall persecute thee sith thou hast hated blood euē blood shall pursue thee And woe be vnto thē that make vniuste lawes and writing haue written vniustice That they might oppresse in iudgemente the poore and might doe violence to the cause of the humble of my people That the widdowes might be they re praye and they might spoyle the orphans Whither will you flye in the daye of visitation and of calamitye that cometh a farre of To whose ayde will you make recourse and where will you leaue your glorye that you be not bowed down vnder the chayne and fal not with those that are slayne Because you spoyled the poore and tooke awaye the choysest praye from him you shal builde houses of square stone and shal not inhabit them You shall plante moste pleasant vynyardes and shall not drinke of the wine therof For whye those sayeth God whom you haue oppressed
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
full make and free from the impotencye of other broode as Epiphanius writeth And thus martirdome doth with our soule bringing it forth with such perfection that it is strayght enhabled to haue the perfect syght and loue of God wherin consisteth our blisse and happynesse without any delaye of further grouth or sufficiency In the baptisme of water saith S. Thomas the Passion of Christe worketh by a certayne figuratiue representation in the baptisme of spirite by a desyre and affection in the baptisme of bloode by perfecte imitation Lykewyse the power of the holy ghost worketh in the first by secret vertue in the seconde by commotion of the mynde in the thirde by feruour of perfect loue So muche therefore as immitation in deede is better then representation in the figure and desyre in the thoughte So muche doth the baptisme of blood surpasse those of water and spirite Baptisme is the cloude by which Moyses guided Gods people and shrouded them in the deserte but martirdome is the ryuer Iordan thorough which Iosue leadeth them into the lande of promise Baptisme appareleth Mordocheus in Kinges attyre yet leaueth him a subiecte But martyrdome with the robes inuesteth him also with royall dignytye No Naaman is so foule a leaper that this water of Iordan cannot cure No man so blynde but that the washing in this poole of Siloe can restore to sight No disease so vncurable but this ponde vppon Probatica can perfectlye heale It accomplysheth the laboures of the vertuous godlye satisfieth for the sinnes of the sinfull and wicked is to those a rewarde and to these a remedy Vidimus sayth S. Cyprian ad hunc nominis tituluÌ„ fide nobiles venisse plerosque vt deuotio nis obsequiuÌ„ mors honestaret Sed alios frequentur aspeximus interritos stetisse vt admissa peccata redimentes cruore suo loti haberentur in sanguine reuiuiscerent interempti qui viuentes putabaÌ„tur occisi Mors quippe integriorem facit vitam mors amissam inuenit gloriam We haue seene manye of noble faythe to haue aspired to this title of Martirdome that their deathe might honoure their seruiceable deuotion We haue seene others to haue stoode without feare that redeeminge their offences with their bloode they might be knowen to haue bene washed in the same and might be reuiued by killing that alyue were accouÌ„ted dead For this deathe maketh lyfe more perfect and recouereth the grace that was loste And if S. Chrisostome extollinge baptisme sayeth that it not onlye maketh vs free but also holye not onlye holye but iuste not onlye iuste but children nor only children but heyres not onlye heyres but heyres of the same inherytaunce with Christe Not onlye heyres with Christe but members of Christe Not only members but temples not onlye temples but also instrumentes of the holye Ghost Then may I farther enlarge my selfe in the prayse of Martirdome and saye that martirdome geueth a freedome voyde of all seruitude a holines and iustice without any faulte or feare of losse It so maketh vs children that we cannot become enemyes It makeâ—h vs heyres not only in right but in full possession It maketh vs heyres with Christ not onlye of hys grace but also of his glorye It maketh vs meÌ„bers that can not be cut of temples that cannot be defyled suche instrumentes of the holy Ghost as cannot be abused Finally it geueth vs the crowne wherof baptisme is the pledge In all which poyntes it is superior vnto it To praye for the baptised is a benefitt Quia nescit homo finem suum no man knoweth what his ende shall be but to praye for a martyr S. Augustine termeth it an iniurye seeing we ought rather to commende vs to his prayers Iniuria est orare pro martyre cuius debemus orationibus commendari It is an iniurye to praye for a martyr to whose prayers we must be commended For these causes dothe the Churche call the dyinge dayes of martyrs their byrth dayes For though we be borne agayne by baptisme yet are we not come to a ful birth and perfecte healing For as S. Augustine sayeth Filij dei quamdin mortaliter viuunt cum morte confligunt quamuis veraciter de illis dictum sit quotquot spiritu dei aguntur hi sunt filij dei The children of God so longe as they lyue a mortall lyfe they struggle with death and though of theÌ„ it be truelye sayde that so manye as are ledd by the spiryte of God they are Gods children Yet so longe as the bodye opresseth the soule Often times tan quam filij hominuÌ„ quibusdam motibus humanis deficiunt ad se ipsos et ideo pereunt Lyke children of men with carnall motions they fall into their oune fraylty so perishe Likewyse vpon these wordes of S. Ihon in iudiciuÌ„ non venit sed transit a morte ad vitaÌ„ Ecce inquit in hac vita non duÌ„ est vita transitur a morte ad vitam vt in indiciuÌ„ non veniatur He came not into iudgmeÌ„t but passed from death to lyfe Lo sayth he in this lyfe there is yet no lyfe we passe from death to lyfe to auoyde the coÌ„minge vnto iudgment We therfore sayth Origen Doe not celebrate the day of the Sayntes natiuitye which is an entrance of all griefes and molestations but the day of their death which is a rid daÌ„ce of their sorowes a farwell to the deuiles assaltes We celebrate the daye of theire death because thoughe they seeme to dye yet in deed they dye not When you here therefore named sayth an other Father the birth daye of the Sainctes vnderstand not that which breedeth them of fleshe into the earth but which bringeth theÌ„ from the earth into heauen from laboure to reste froÌ„ teÌ„tations to quiet from tormentes to delightes from worldlye laughters to a crowne of glorye For as S. Ciprian noteh scimus eos non amitti sed praemitti recedentes praecedere We know they are not loste but sente to leade vs the way and gone from vs to make way before vs. Natales vocamus dies sayeth Eusebius Emissenus quando cos martyrij vita gloriae fides dum ingerit morti genuit eternitati perpetua gaudia breui dolore parturiit We call their natall dayes wheÌ„ the life of martyrdome and the glorye of their Fayth while it putteth theÌ„ to a temporall death begetteth them to eternall lyfe and with a shorte payne bringeth them forth to perpetuall pleasure Worthely are they called birth dayes by the whiche they that were borne into this myserye of mans frayltye sodaynly are borne agayne to glory taking of theire end death a beginning of an endles lyfe For if we call those birth dayes in which in sinn sorow we are borne to sorowe in this worlde more iustly may these be called birth dayes wherin froÌ„ corruptible lyght they come into