not spoyled and doest wickedlye and they did not wickedly againste thee when thou shalt cease to spoyle thou shalt bee spoyled when thou shalte make an end of doing wickedly they shall do wickedly agaynste thee With these testimonyes agreeth that of Ieremy which he prophesied agaynste the Babilonians after that the People of God shoulde haue beene with them in bondage 70. yeares I beginne to plague the Cytye saythe the Lorde where my name is called vppon and shoulde you goe free You shall not goe quit And howe truelye these Prophesies agaynste the Assirians and Babylonians were accompâ—ished may appeare to all those that reade the Scriptures of the olde Testament To the same purpose mighte bee alleadged that whiche God long before colde Abraham concerning the bondage of Israel in Egypt their wonderfull deliuerance from thence and the destruction of Pharaoh and his people So it came to passe with Saule when hee had a long time afflicted Dauid with Haman when hee had obteyned that murdering decree against the Iewes and with Antiochus the tyrants when for a time they had blasphemed the God of heauen ouerthrowen his true worshippe and killed his people Saule slewe himselfe Haman his children were hanged vpoÌ„ the gallows that he had set vp for Mordecai the first Antiochus dyed in great vexatioÌ„ of his mind the later so eaten with woormes that his most familiar friends coulde not abide him for stinke Of Henrie the second the father Charles the ninth the sonne kings of Fraunce the first when he had caused much blood to bee shed and lately before had saide that himselfe would see the burning of a noble ProtestaÌ„t called Anduburgè had one of his own eyes first put out by Mountgomerie after a wonderfull manner running with him at a Iusting in sport and dyed in great wearinesse of his life by reason of his paine the tenth of August 1559. The other the son when hee had brought to passe that most strange massachre immediatly after the mariage of his Sister with the king of Nauarre and had sucked much blood of Gods seruants afterwardes dyed himselfe most miserably y e 30. of Maie 1574. it is writteÌ„ of him in y e french histories that he was sick of a bloody flixe and reported for a trueth that blood yssued from diuers partes of his body wher there were other natural yssues so as tossing and tumbling himselfe in his bed most fearefully horribly curssing and blaspheming the name of God euen vntill his last gaspe which also he had vsed to doe from his childehood he so ended his wretched life being at length filled with blood which he had before insaciably thirsted after Of the Cardinall of Loreine a chiefe practiser of mischiefe against Gods church who as the stories witnesse of him dyed in a frensie and when the prieste broughte oyle to annoynt him after their popishe order he thrust his hand into the dishe and all to be smeared the face of the priest with it So he dyed at Auineon 1574. The like might be said of Herode Stephen Gardiner in EnglaÌ„d others Such ferful ends câ—me to diuers bloody persecuters as our owne countriman M. Fox reporteth And assure your selues O al you wicked of y e earth y â— same portioÌ„ abideth for you if you turn not to the Lord. Go to therfore mock on at the saints of God set your selues against his trueth persecute his seruants and proceed in all mischiefe and flatter your selues because God stayeth to punish the worlde smileth vpon you doubt you not but the day will come when you shall pay full dearely for it And we that suffer or shall suffer any thing at the handes of the vngodly let vs not be offended at our sufferings and their prosperity For it shal be a righteous thing with God to recompence trouble to those that trouble vs and to our selues rest if not in this world yet at the least when y e Lord Iesus shall again shew him selfe from heauen with his mighty Angelles And seeing the apostle sayth here that it must needes goe hard with them that obey not the gospell let vs not content our selues with a bare and naked profession of the trueth but whatsoeuer is taught and we know let vs take heede that we be obedient thereunto It followeth And if the righteous be scarcely saued where shall the vngodlye and sinner appeare By the righteous hee vnderstandeth suche as bee studious of righteousnesse and bee carefull to please God althoughe they bee not free from all sinne And by sinners hee meaneth not all manner of offendoures but suche as yeelde them selues to corruption and delight in wickednesse according as this woorde is vsed in other places of the Scripture Nowe the purpose of the Apostle in this sentence is the same with that in the ende of the laste Verse Hee confidentlye affirmeth that the wicked muste needes bee iudged with extreame seueritye sithe the hande of God is often times heauye vppon them that feare him This hardnes for y e righteous must not be vnderstood of the last iudgement as some would haue it as though they should not there acquite themsâ—lues without great difficulty and be saued without much ado Noe we see what saint Paul writeth touching this matter Who sayth he shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods chosen it is God that iustifieth who shall condemue it is Christe which is deade yea or rather whiche is risen agayne who is also at the right hand of God and maketh requestes also for vs. The summe of his speech is that there shall be none to accuse or to pronounce sentence against any of the elect of God and therefore their passage into glory at that time shall be moste easie Whereupon our sauiour Christe willeth vs that we looke vp and lift vp our heads for ioy whensoeuer there appeare any tokens of the approching of that day Which there were no great cause that we shoulde doe if such hardnesse were then to be endured as some haue imagined And howe should the saying of the sonne of God bee true blessed bee the deade that dye in the Lorde and they rest from their labours if newe labours were to be taken in hand at the last iudgement This difficulty therefore is to be vnderstoode of this life according also as the verb be saued in the present tense doth euidently shewe So as the Apostle his meaning is that the estate of the godly is so troublesome vpon the earth that they enter not into the kingdome of rest glory except first in the worlde they haue gone thorough infinite daungers and escaped as it were a thousand deathes Euen as the Apostles preached wheresoeuer they came exhorting the disciples to continue in the fayth affirming that they must thorough many afflictions enter into the kingdome of God and as Dauid saythe Greate are the troubles of the righteous and as
S. Paul setteth it downe for a principle vnto Timothie that all suche as will liue godly in Christ Iesus must suffer persecution The trueth of this we haue heard before and each man which knoweth any thing of himselfe and the Church of God as hee ought to knowe doeth vnderstande and beleeue it Nowe this beeing proued true by continual experience can the Lord be iust thus to chastise and keepe in heauinesse his faythful seruants except in time most fearefull vengeance light vppon the sinners shal not the iudge of all the world doe right Yes verily For this doth certeinely preach vnto vs and cryeth as lowd in our ears as al the teachers in the world that there shall bee a iudgement when all things shal be brought in good order when the godly shal cease from all their sorrowe and the wicked shall drinke the full cup of Gods wrath Therefore as Iesus Christe saide of himselfe so may it be spoken of all the children of God for euer if they do these things to a green tree that is fruitful what shalbe done to the drie and barren And if the righteous be not saued but through so many afflictions howe miserable muste the condition of the sinner be If Abraham rested not in peace til he had a great while wandred as a stranger from place to place was pinched with famine driuen to denie his wife to striue for water and commaunded to be a butcher of that sonne in whome the hope of his saluation rested If Iacob ended not his pilgrimage to passe into glory till first hee was constrained to flee for feare of his owne brother to lye all night in the broade fielde with a stone vnder his head for a pillowe to serue seuen yeres for one wife seuen for another vnder an vnciuill and barbarous vncle to abide manifold stirres discords in his house between his wiues to bee checked by Labans children to be deceiued by their father to haue his owne daughter rauished his sonnes Simeon and Leuie to commit most horrible murther to haue one of his wiues abused by his owne sonne his dearling Ioseph torne in pieces of wilde beastes as he was brought to beleeue and in his olde age to be vexed with hungre O Lord what shal be the ende of the vngodly If the Prophets in their time If Iesus Christ himself the Lord of glory his holy Apostles indured the displeasure of princes imprisonments in myerie dungeons buffetings whippings scornings sawing asunder crucifying stoning and beheading before they were glorified O howe miserable shall the portion be of the sinner It the most famous witnesses of Iesus Christe Hierome of Prage Iohn Husse VVickliffe Cranmer Latimer Hooper Ridley Philpot Bradforde the Shatillion of Fraunce Bucer Paulus Fagius and the rest entered not into heauen till they were firste imprisoned mocked dragged through the streates scorched and their fleshe with fire consumed vnto asshes If the last two coulde not bee glorified in their bodies till first they were taken vp beeing dead and their bones burnt If so straunge a kinde of manacle was Cuthbearde Simpsons Ladder into heauen Is any tong able to expresse or any heart able to conceiue the height depth of the miseries prepared for the wicked and all the enemies of the Church although for a time in this worlde they prosper and haue peace If such as haue liued without all blame before men or for a time hauing gone out of the way doe afterward vnfeynedly repent and become as zealous in Gods matters as they haue bin forward in corrupt◠〈◊〉 and declare as great a detestation of 〈◊〉 â—â—ines in themselues and others as euer they shewed liking of the same yet for all that in this life indure extreeme pouertie as did Lazarus be plunged in the gulâ—e of all outward miseries as was Iob who scraped the filth from his bodie with a poâ—sherd and was euen loathed of his owne wife be pressed with such agonies of the soule as no tongue can vtter as was that Iob Dauid and others insomuch as they refuse all comfort of meate spende many nightes without sleepe flee the companie of men feare euery thing that they see the earth lest it should take them downe quicke the heauens lest they should fall and crushe them to pieces and all creatures because they see nothing but horror in them Moreouer be troubled with straunge visions and dreames bee brought merueilous low in their bodies their bones weakened their fleshe consumed and their eyes sunke in their head that when it is euening they say would God it were morning and when it is morning they say would God it were euening And that which is the depth of all miserie haue their sinnes committed by them since they had any vnderstanding at one time brought to their remembrance all comfort concerning hope of remission so taken away because they can see nothing in God but an angrie iudge that in the end they breake out into these most lamentable speeches woe is me poore caytife that euer I was born curssed be the houre wherein I was conceiued and the day wherein I first faw the sunne O that God had made me a Serpente to licke the duste vpon the earth or a toade to creepe vpon the ground so shuld my misery haue ended at my death But now alasse I know it shal be mine entrance tnto eternall paines hell is my portion and there I must remaine for euer I am most sure of it Comfort you not me my friends the promises of God belong to you and to his elect there is no mercie for me I haue so grieuously offended I feele my selfe destitute of all markes of Gods childe and I was a reprobate from before the beginning If for a time suche bee thus cast downe peraduenture throwne into greater miseries then any of these rehersed that no comforts be able to rayse vp their tyred soules but eyther yet wrastling with sathan and dispaire or els ouercome by them bee pressed out of al measure And notwithstanding all these recouer afterwards casting away all horror doubting and slauish seaâ—e by their fayth mounte aboue the heauens where they see their Sauiour whome their soule hath longed after sitting at the right hand of God so as they bewayle their former vnbeliefe lament those speeches of dispaire be throughly perswaded of the remission of all their sinnes haue certeine hope of eternall life become so comfortable in Gods promises that by his grace they bee able to rayse vp such as doubt and feare finally leaue behinde them vndouted proofs of the elect of God that to all such as haue iudgement and vnderstanding they appear plainely to haue bin sealed vp vnto eternall life from the beginning Can it otherwise be but that there are vnspeakable torments after this life appointed to such as make a sport of sinne neuer turne to God and dye without
will iudge all the worlde He hath prepared life and blessednesse for them that feare him and vengeance for them that knoweth him not nor obey his gospell I perceiue therefore it is necessary that I care for the life to come prouide for the safety of my soul after deth If I take the course of the world I run to eternal destruction If I embrace the word the only way vnto heauen eternall life I must make my ful reckoning of that which al the faithful professors therof haue tasted before me I must prepare my backe for stripes I must looke to bee euil spoken of iested vpon scorned at to lose the fauour of those that bee mighty to be cast in prison lose my goodes yea and my life also For I see this is the estate of the true seruants of God in this worlde Hee that shall thus debate the matter with him selfe and with an heart careful of his owne saluation cal vpon God for his direction wil soone be resolued with Moses to chuse rather afflictitions with the people of God then to enioy the pleasures of siâ—ne here for a short time Moreouer when stormes arise the windes bâ—ow and the floods beare vpon his house y t is when troubles and persecutions come he shal be able to beare them more patiently and with greater comfort sith in tâ—ueth he may say I thought so Loe it is come to passe as I looked for long since It is a common saying euils that be thought vppon before doe hurt lesse when they come Then they pearce vs deeply wheÌ„ they come vpon vs at vnwares and when wee neuer before suspected any such matter Therfore to couclude this poynt sith the crosse is in seperably ioyned to the profession of the trueth let him that wil stand with comfort in the time of his trial before hand make his reckoning and looke for no better It followeth in the text Concerning the fiery triall or triall by fire the wordes do beare either Now the apostle doth on this wise terme the persecutions of Gods children According as hee doth before in the first chapter The speech is metaphoricall or borrowed signifying thus much As fire trieth the pure golde from that which is counterfait and naught fining it moreouer burneth wasteth sun dreth y t drosse rust from y t which is good so troubles and afflictions for Christes sake doe discerne the faythfull Christian from the hypocrite and time seruer and wasteth away the corruption of sinne that creepeth and stealeth in vppon the faythfull in their peace and prosperity making them more pure and fine to the Lord. For the first there lurketh so great selfe loue hipocrisie in vs and there are so many deceitfull corners in our heartes that it is a meruelious harde matter to be vndoubtedly persuaded in our consciences of our integrity and vprightnesse to the Lord and his trueth while the profession thereof is commanded by Princes and hath countenance liberty profite wayting vpon it For then how earnest soeuer wee seeme to be peraduenture wee loue our selues not the Lord it is our own estimation preferment y t we seeke not the holding forth of the trueth with a pure conscience Then in deed we know our selues when we haue bene tried And if in the middest of al temptations we continue without fainting and turning back we may be bold of our obedieÌ„ce y t it is good y t we be such as haue built our house vpoÌ„ y e rock and y t neither heighth nor depth principalities nor power life nor deth things present or things to come shal be able to seperate vs froÌ„ the loue of God While our sauiour Christe was at liberty Peter thought himself maruellous stout he affirmed very confidently y t he would not shrink froÌ„ his maister although all the rest should runne away yea when the officers came to attach him he drew out his sword smote of a seruaunt of the high priest his ear But when y e matter came to y e pinch in deede we knowe how all his courage was quailed the very speech of a damsell caused him to abiure the sauiour of y e world to whoÌ„ he had before so earnestly vowed him self By him wee may learne to suspect our selues and our owne weaknesse and not to imagine that wee bee without all feare of reuolting because in the liberty peace of the gospell wee make proâ—ession of the same The sandye grounde nourisheth his blade so long as the weather continueth seasonable and calme which neuerthelesse in hot and scorching wether withereth and is vnprofitable That onely we approue for good ground indeed which in the extremity of heat we haue seene bring forth the eares with full corne Euen so it is nothing in these daies to proâ—esse the true religion the same being commanded by the lawes and countenanced by so many good means but if for our sinnes God should take away the prince if popery shold be established again or a mingle maÌ„gle of religioÌ„ permitted as in France then y â— true faithful professors shold be easily discerned from the hypocrit and dissemvler When all the enemies of Dauid were subdued round about and the whole kingdome of Iudah approued him for their only and true souereigne ther was no great trial of the fidelitie of his subiects But when Sheba the sonne of Bichri blew the Trumpet and sayd we haue no parte in Dauid neither haue we inheritaunce in the sonne of Ishai euery man to his tents O Israel And this drew away great numbers of the people to make an insurrection Then such as in the middest of those rebels by word or practise testified their subiection to Dauid with the hazard of their estate gaue vndoubted testimonies of their fidelity We can not say for a truth that al such be faythfull to her maiestie whiche in this her great prosperity wherein no enemye dare quech seemeth so to be they which in the dayes of Westmerland and Nort humberlaud stoode vnto her in those partes of the North agaynst their Lordes to their daunger were faythfull in deede and the land might make a good reckoning of theÌ„ in any other the like occasion As therefore by suche meanes as these loyall and true hearted subiectes to their prince be tried so when troubles and persecutions arise for the word they which be sincere vpright in the feare of the Lord be discerned from the counterfeite whiche in their profession â—aue sought nothing but their aduauntage â—nd ease And then in deed we haue put the church of God and our owne consciences out of al doubt concerning our entegritye when in the middest of afflictions for the gospell sake we haue continued with boldnes to professe the same We see therefore y t it is not without good cause why persecutions be called a fiery trial Now euen this should teach vs patiently
repentantaunce although in this world they abound with all health wealth and prosperitie let vs therefore reioyce in all our afflictions wherein we take part with all the seruauntes of God and let vs not be offended at the prosperity of the vngodly the time will come when wee shall haue comforte when they shalbe tormented For so doth it stande with the trueth iustice of God according to that which Abraham sayd to the rich man in hell sonne remember that thou in thy lyfe time receyuedst thy pleasures and likewise Lazarus paines now therefore is he comforted thou art tormented If followeth Therefore let them that suffer according to the wil of God commit their soules to him in wel doing as vnto a faithful Creator This is the conclusion of the whole treatise as thoughe hee shoulde haue sayde on this wise sith the afflicting of the churche is no newe thing sith it is a meane to trye the good from the bad and to make them better in whome there is by the grace of God some goodnes sith in all sufferings it is a partaker with Iesus Christ shall reioyce with him when he appeareth againe in glory sith we be happy when we be railed vpon in the name Christe because the â—pirite of God of glory resteth vpon vs sith we suffer not as euill doers but as christians so haue no cause to bee ashamed sith the time is now wherein the Lord wil scourge his owne house and hereafter will most seuerely proceede agaynst the wicked although he spare them for a time Let vs continue in well doing and committe oure selues to him that is faithfull and able to keepe that whiche wee trust him with There is yet another coÌ„fort for vs in this verse that we heard not before and that is where he telleth vs that we be not afflicted by the will and pleasure of men but onelye at the pleasure appointment of the Lord. To proue this point of doctrine I shall not need to labour much the truthe of it should soone be granted if we knew what we sayd in this confession I beleeue in God the father almighty maker of heauen and earth For what is this else but to ascribe such a souereigne power vnto God that nothing is done nor can be done in heauen earth or hell but that onely which he determineth appointeth The diuel himselfe coulde not sturre one foote forward to hurt Iob in his cattel children or himselfe till the Lorde from heauen had first sayd goe Nay the legion of Deuils coulde not touche one of the Gadarenes swine til the Lorde Iesus had first giuen them licence And shal we think that mortall men whose malice againste the hurch is not so deadly nor their power so great can so much as lift vp a finger to pul a hair froÌ„ the faces of any of Gods children till first the Lord haue taken order for the matter wee be deceiued greatly detogate from the maiesty of the almighty if we once imagine any such thing Whereupon Nabucadonizer in the middest of all his malice to the Iews the church of God is termed the Lordes seruaunt because in deede as an hangman or executioner he did nothing else but that which hee had determined Although the sinne of the king was in this behalfe great because his purpose was not to doe the will of the Lord but to satisfie his owne proude and cruell affections So is Ashur y e king of Assiria called the rod of God And to this purpose it is said in the acts that Poncius Pilate and the Iewes in condemning and crucifying the sonne of God did that which the father before had appointed Insomuch as it may be truely concluded that the deuill and all the wicked of the earth in their extreamest rage against the saints do nothing else but the will of God although they know it not neither do it to any such inteÌ„t sith they wholy oppose themselues against his maiesty And yet the Lorde must not be charged to be the author of euill for the self same fact I mean the troubling of the church in respect of God and his purpose therein is holy glorious righteous full of mercy and to the great good of his seruaunts which neuerthelesse in respect of the instruments by whome God worketh it is wicked vniust full of cruelty and intended to the hurt of his children But inough of this common place that the enemies of the faythful be nothing els but the Lords rods wherewith he exerciseth his people and that of themselues they can do no more then a rod or a whippe out of the hand of the smiter Now this teacheth vs not to fear the faces of the vngodly nor to be dismaid at their threates the Lorde appointeth them certaine bondes beyonde the which they can not passe the bredth of an haire And this offreth vnto vs great comfort For what childe that is wise and hath vnderstanding doeth not reioyse in the correction of his father sith being perswaded of his fatherly and tender affection he is out of doubt that it is well meant and shall turne to his good Seing then the Lord is our Father his compassion ouer vs passeth the kindnes of a mother toward the infant sucking vpon her brest Let vs be comfortable in all our afflictions sith they come from him and fall vpon vs according to his will And that we maye haue to cheare vs in all our distresses let vs seriosly meditate vpon this one thing the Lorde sendeth them After which consideration it by the testimonye of the spirite crying in our hearts Abba father the sanctification of our liues we can perswade our selues that we be his children y e present smart shall not quail vs because of the fruit of righteousnes following after it must needs turne to our best because it commeth from our father Thus much of these words of y e apostle Let so many as bee afflicted according to the will of God c. His conclusion is that in all well doing we commende our soules vnto God that hath made them For as wee haue before in the time of our peace declared some rare of pleasing God and doing his will so is it our dueties to continue in our afflictions and not for them to take any libertie to doe euill And therefore wee must not murmure against the Lorde as though he dealte hardly with vs wee muste not bee fainthearted to denie his trueth we muste not be bitter to our enemies in curssing of them and rewarding them as they deale with vs but with all patience weekenesse gentlenes courage forgiuing of our aduersaries and praying for them constantly to endure whatsoeuer the Lorde will trie vs with according to the precepts of the scriptures the example of Dauid Christ himselfe Stephen and the rest of the holy martyrs which blessed their persecuters and in the