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A03260 A consolatorie epistle to the afflicted catholikes, set foorth by Thomas Hide Priest Hide, Thomas, 1524-1597. 1579 (1579) STC 13376; ESTC S118132 36,634 140

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strengtheneth you The holie Trinitie in one deitie gouerneth you and wil not leaue to giue you grace and fortitude to endure what affliction so euer for the glorie of his holie name Furthermore it should be to you no litle cōforte to recognise the manifolde benefites and blessinges of God which you enioye whiles you kepe your selues within the shippe of Christe Christe hath but one shippe that is one churche one in vnitie of faithe one in vnitie of profession one in vnitie of sacramentes one in vnitie of head They that be not of this one churche of this one faithe vnder this one head enioye not the healpe of the father enioye not the prayer of the sonne nor the assistance of the holie ghoste To be of Christes churche in Christes vnitie is of such importāce that a constant christian shoulde rather chose to die thē to aparte from it It is no lesse glorie to suffer martyrdome for the conseruation of vnitie thē it is not to offer to idolles yea rather it is a greater martyrdome for in the one eache man suffereth for him selfe in the other eache man suffereth for the whole churche Now then you that be in vnitie suffer for this vnitie and chrise happie be you whō god maketh worthie so to suffer They that forsake the general faithe of Christes churche and truste to some one article leape out of the shippe and seme to catche at a litle bourde ther of The beleuinge of any one article wil not saue vs the not beleuinge of any one wil cōdemne vs They that forsake antiquitie vniuersalitie consente and vnitie enter into the streames of schisme driue at the rocke of heresie whiuer vp and downe at euerie blaste of doctrine and populer flaterie and shal neuer finde place of reste or quiet porte to arriue Beholde in how many greate perilles they be whom this trobelous storme hath shaken out of the shippe Do they not endomage and hasarde their soules whē they enter into schisme and rōne out of schisme into heresie As by schisme they bereue them selues of charitie so by heresie they bereue thē selues of faithe How can they separat from the bodie but they aparte also from the heade They can hardelie dismember them selues frō the churche and firmelie holde the righte faithe seinge faithe is the gifte of God that floweth from Christe as from the heade into his bodie and mēbres An easie leape it is out of schisme into heresie and as easie to procede frō heresie to Apostasie for in heresie there is no stoppe nor staye Scantlie shal you finde an opinatiue heade that falleth into one heresie but slideth frō poynte to poynte into a multitude vntil he dislike euerie poynte of the catholike faithe which poynte perdie is plaine Apostasie And thē from Apostasie into Atheisme and Epicurisme the waye is made plaine As then it cā not but comforte you to conceaue that you kepe with in the shippe out of schisme in vnitie so it cānot but recomforte you that you be vnder vnitie of heade in vnitie of faithe that faithe which Christe preached that faithe which his Apostles receaued that faithe which the christiā worlde beleueth that faithe which our forefathers liued in euen that Catholike Romaine faithe which now you liue in and for which you suffer Of this faithe you haue the righte sense and felinge when you holde Christe in the foundation when you confesse the substance of Christes doctrine vnderstanded by that holie spirite which firste penned it Greate is the obediēce of your faithe in al doctrines in al sacramentes in al articles and in al Apostolike and churchelie traditions In obedience of this faithe you beleue that Christes worde is Christes worke and that by the mightie power of his word he is made presente with you and geueth remission and grace In obedience of this faithe you praye vnto Christes sainctes in heauen you praye for Christian soules in purgatorie that they may praye for you in heauen In obedience of this faithe you grounde your hope that God wyl not leaue vnrewarded your prayers your penance your fastinges your almes nor any good worke els what soeuer When you suffer nowe for the general faithe of Christe you suffer for euerie poynte that christian iustice bindeth you to confesse And this is a ful confession of the faithe catholike wherin you haue to acknowledge the blessinges of God that maketh you worthie to suffer for faithe in obedience of faithe for vnitie in vnitie for charitie in veritie And here vpon haue you to muse and meditate when greefes recurre that you suffer for the churche of Christe and for the faithe of Christe with Christe that suffered paineful deathe to make his churche glorious They that be not of this churche and of this faithe be whithoute charitie nor can they be pertakers of Godes charitie which be enemies of his vnitie Thoughe they receaue the sacrament of faithe thoughe theire faithe be whole and sounde it doth not auaile them so longe as soundnes of charitie is killed with the dedlie wounde of schisme by whos onelie deathe what euer thinges be sounde of them selues be drawen to deathe And schismatikes may doo good workes but good workes doo not profite them Thoughe they praye thoughe they faste thoughe they geue almes thoughe they liue continent thoughe they kepe virginitie al doth not helpe al doth not profite because they breake vnitie Put to this so longe as they be deuided from Christes churche they receaue not the life of his holie spirite for oute of his churche his holie spirite geueth not life The churche is the mystical bodye of Christe they must be of his bodie that wil liue of his spirite Heretikes liue not of his spirite schismatikes liue not of his spirite excommunicat persons liue not of his spirite and why Because they be not of his bodie What lyfe thē haue they they haue the lyfe of theire bodies but lacke the life of theire soules they liue in their fleshe and die in their spirite they die aliue they liue without faithe without charitie without churche without aulter without prieste without sacrifice without God. Consider then the lamentable losse of them that bee leapte out of the shippe now in the time of this tempeste Consider the domage and dainger of them which dismember them selues frō Christe and his churche Schisme bereueth them of vnitie and charitie schisme seperareth them from Christe and his churche schisme ioyneth thē to the synagoge of the diuel schisme spoyleth them of sanctification and grace And where there is a communiō of prayers and of al good workes common to them that be vnited in Christe schisme bereueth thē of the frute of al prayers of al good workes and of al sacrifices finallie schisme excludeth them frō heauen and leadeth thē to hel Beholde you that be of one vnitie in the house of God beholde what they lese by schisme and see what you gaine by vnitie You I saye that be in
A CONSOLATORIE EPISTLE TO THE AFFLICTED catholikes set foorth by THOMAS HIDE Priest Be strong and take a Good hart vnto you al you that put your trust in our lord Psalm 30. ECCE AGNVS DEI. Imprinted at Louaine by Iohn Maes for Iohn Lion. 1579. VVITH PRIVILEGE Subsig Strick The ouen proueth the potters vessel so doth temptation of trouble trie the righteous Eccles 27. Our lord knoweth how to deliuer the godlie out of temptation and how to reserue the vniust to be ponished at the daie of iudgmēt 2. Pet. 2. You must suffer patientlie that you maie be knowen to be his disciples for whom you suffer Zepherin epist. A CONSOLATORIE EPISTLE IT is writen that Christe and his disciples vvent into a shippe vvhē sodainelie arose a greate tempest in the sea so that the shippe vvas couered vvith vvaues Christe slept His disciples avvaked hym and saide maister saue vs vve perishe Christe saide vnto them vvhy are you feareful you of litle faithe Then he arose rebuked the vvindes and there folovved a greate calme We must so conceiue of Christes workes that we beleaue them to be don in veritie and to implie an other thinge in signification to shewe one thinge by power and to signifie an other in mysterie It lacketh not mysterie that Christe and his disciples went into a shippe and that this shippe was tēpested You haue heard de Christes facte marke the mysterie This shippe resembled the churche militant wherin al christiā passengers do saile and be tossed with tempestes whyles they driue towarde theire countrie the quiet hauen of heauen that is the churche triumphant The sea resembleth the course of the worlde which is alwayes troublous And by the tēpeste is signified al suche pressure and persecution as they must expecte that folowe Christe into this shippe It was reuealed to sainct Iohn the wel-beloued Apostle of Christe that the churche should haue greate persecution Beholde the diuel shal cast some of you into prison to be tempted and you shal haue tribulation ten dayes By the terme of ten dayes is signified eyther the ten persecutions which the churche suffered vnder the Emperours or els the whole tracte of troubles which she shal endure in hir peregrinatiō There hath ben no age of men nor course of time sithēce Christe wherin this shippe that is to saye the militant churche of Christe hath not ben tempested The vngodlye drevve out their svvorde bente their bovve to cast dovvne the simple and to slaie such as goo the right vvaie Thes wordes of the prophet were verefied after Christes ascension when there arose greate tempestes to wit diuers persecutions against the churche open persecution and secret persecution persecution violent and persecution fraudulent persecution of tyrannie and persecution of heresie the one openlie the other secretlie the one by sworde the other by worde Of these tēpestes heresie was more contrarious to the churche then tyrannie For heresie transformethe hir selfe into the Angel of light proceadeth gilfullie deceiueth the simple striketh greuouselie with the sworde of the tonge and shedeth bloud cruellie by killinge Christe in his mēbers Tyrānie dealeth not with scripture not with drifte of learninge nor by order of iuste proufes but by crueltie and dint of sworde Yet hath the churche gayned more by tyrannie then by heresie for tyrannie maketh martyrs heresie begetteth Apostats Of them that persecuted the churche with tyrannie and heresie they were most ingrate and greatest persecutors who beinge some time christiās and fallinge from christianitie became professed enemies to the christian religion so was Valens the Emperour who of a catholike became an Arian so was Iulianus who borne of christian parentes and brought vp by learned christians became Apostata so was Licinius who of a christian became a persecutor There lacked not in this parte some nomber of the feminine tribe to put to their shrewde heades and helpes as Theodora Iustina Philomenes Prisca Maximilla and Lucilla It is not my final intention to enlarge of persecution nor of persecutors but brefelie to shewe to the persecuted catholikes of our tyme that yf now they finde al possible oppressions vnder heresie and tyrannie it may not seme strainge vnto them yf they consider how Christes shippe was couered with the waues how the churche hath ben persecuted euē from hir infancie and that she lacketh not at this time hir Valentes hir Iulians hir Liciniās hir Theodoras hir Iustinas hir Lucinas This pointe I wil touche a pointe not impertinent to note why Christe permitteth his churche to be so sore tempted and why the diuel raysed so manie blouddie battailes of cruel persecutions in the verie prime of the churche It is the corruption of our sinful nature to forget our dutiful seruice to God when we be secure and holde our desires in quiet We gase vpon the gaie glitterings of the wanton worlde wee feede our appetites with the delicate cherishinges of the fleshe so that our heartes begine to be estrainged from God and to leese the sense and feelinge of godlines vntil God sende vexation that geueth vnderstādinge When prosperitie had brought in libertie and impunitie of synne corrupted discipline when christians declined from deuoute conuersation and committed greate disorders God waxed angrie and sterred against thē against their churches against ther priestes and pastors the puissante power of persecutors to reuenge his conceiued anger When longe peace had corrupted Godes heauenlie discipline and feruour of faithe beganne to coole in the house of God God began iudgement in his owne house and by seueritie of correction erected faithe that laie a sleape and as it were in contempte Semblablie God dealeth now with his people knowinge the lewsenes of theire life and seinge the drines of their faithe he rayseth vp a greate tempeste wherin they be pitiouslie tossed with manye hurles of the vnquiet sea Certes for many hundred yeares the christian worlde the christian religion the faithe catholike was not so mightelie shaken as it hath ben in thes later tempestes of our times when bothe violent and fraudulent persecution haue assaide euen by penal lawes to rase out of christian mens heartes the general faithe of Christe and to persecute them that further not such a special faithe as the spirite of the worlde teacheth To you therfore derelie beloued countrie men to you that be afflicted catholikes for religion in what case and place soeuer you be I addresse this consolatorie epistle wherin my endeuour is to declare suche comfortes as the selfe cause of religion semeth to yelde Seinge now the violent windes blowe and bluster not onelie againste the kingedomes of the worlde but againste the churche that is the kingedome of god and knowinge that they haue shakē out of the shippe manye and to manye lost christians I offer vnto you that yet remaine and suffer in the shippe then cōfortes euen out of the bodie and bosome of religion I make common