all these things patiently and ouercame them and continued alwaies constant vnder y crosse The cause why the Iewes were enemies to Paul to y church surely was none other then y wherwith being before mooued they persecuted Christ y apostles as we haue declared before Moreouer hystories beare recorde that the twelue Apostles in all their life time and durynge the tearme of their administration in the gospel sustayned gréeuous afflictions and were all of them for Christe and his woords sake persecuted and put to death Although all writers doo not agrée of their kinds of death yet they al coÌ„stanly affirme y thei were miserably slain Peter and his brother Andrew were both crucified Iames the elder as wée haue shewen before was béeheaded by Herod surnamed Agrippa Whose brother Iohn the Euangelist the béeloued disciple of Christ only of them al is reported to haue died a naturall death Notwithstandyng hée was apprehended and brought bounde out of Asia to Rome and conuented béefore DomitiaÌ„ th'emperour and there as Tertullian writeth plunged ouer head and eares in hot boylinge oyle But after that the lorde graciously prouiding for him this cruell déede nothing indamaged his life hée was banished into y Isle Pathmos Phillip was nayled to a crosse there hangynge was stoned to death Barthelmew thei say was by his enemies most horribly flayne and afterward béeheaded Othersome say hée was burnt The enemies of Christe thrust Thomas through with a sworde and so as it is reported they dealt with Mathew Iames the younger the pastor doctor of the church of Ierusalem was throwne downe headlonge from an high place and afterwarde slayne beinge buffeted with stones vntill hée died Likewise both Apostles Simon and Iudas Thaddaeus ended their liues beinge by the heathen slain in a certen temple of Idols Some also say that Mathias was crucified others say hée was stoned and béeheaded Al these bare witnes of Christe not with their mouth and doctrine only but with ther blood also and for the trueth of the gospell which they preached were contented to die with wel willing and moste valient courage Now for as mutch as all the Apostles were slayn by the enimies of God who obtayned the souerainitye ouer them as apperteyninge to the bodye shall wée therfore say that superstitions of Gods enemies were right and the Apostles religion and doctrine false and erroneous who shall accuse God bycause hée deliuered not his seruantes from a reprochfull death but that hée gaue to the worst men in the whole worlde sutch power agaynst his holly Apostles Who although they were ministers of the trueth and innocent men yet were they put to death for the greatest enemies of God as malifactours and wicked persons for sutche were they accused to bée and therefore at this our age in the lyke cause wee must iudge so of their beléefe doctrine who ar shamefully executed for christs sake as indéede the trueth standeth in the sight of Christe ¶ Of the. 6. Tragicall Acte or persecutioÌ„ which was vnder Nero and of the seuenth which was vnder Domitian and of the eight vnder Vlpius Traian Emperours Chapter VI. PAulus Orosius an olde historician who liued in the time of Austine and wrote vnto hym seuene bookes of Storyes beginneth the recitall of the persecutyon of the Christian Churche from the persecution whiche Nero had moued which hée accounteth the first whose order the later Historicians also insued And we lykewise in describing the Tragedies persecutions committed against the Church wyll follow the same order as consequently they follow one another But since it is manifest y the fiue aboue recited persecutioÌ„s were before these as the scriptures do shew that which Orosius maketh the firste we make the sixt although the matter be of no great importaÌ„ce in this respect Orosius writeth that Nero firste that is to say among the Roman Emperours gaue forth commaundement that at Rome and in al other prouinces belonging to the Roman Empire the Christians shoulde bee molested and slayne And y this was his determination to roote oute the Christian faith all Christians wheresoeuer they were The causes that moued Nero to persecute y Christians are not so dilygentlye set downe by christian historicians as they are by prophane writers Suetonius Tranquillus in the lyfe of Nero and Cornelius Tacitus in the. 15. booke of the lyues of the Emperours Nero y emperour was y sinke of al beastly sinfulnesse fulnesse chiefly of lechery and vnspeakable incest defilyng himselfe against al course of nature so y in all Histories of you shal not finde his match This horrible wickednesse he openly committed at Rome without al shame in sight of y Senate and people But there was no man that durste speake against hym mutch lesse to reproue him or assay to punish hym but euery man winked at hym the most filthy beast in the meane time doyng what he list Wherfore God being offended with the citie of Rome punished it with fire as he did Sodome Gomorrha euen by Nero himself when as for his Sodomitical beastlinesse hée deserued to be burned himself And séeing Rome winked at his naughtinesse and did not y which it ought to haue done the horryble Sodomite Nero caused the citie to be set on fire For being certen places in the cittie wherewith Nero mislyked and the streates and passadges there verye narrow he caused the houses to be sette on fire that after they were brent they might be builded againe more faire and sumptious He himselfe beheld the fire out of Mecoenas tower saying that he much desired to se the burning of Troy which he beheld now som what resembled by that burning of the citie singing therwhiles the destruction of Troy and delighting himselfe with beholdyng the great fire Suetonius reporteth that from that time that Rome was firste built it neuer sustayned so much hurte by fire for it continued alwayes burnning the space of six dayes and so manye nights The same is also diligentlye described by Tacitus But when the fire through the wrath of God had brent farther then Nero had thought it shoulde and indamaged the Citie with an vnrepayrable losse and hinderaunce the citizens which had sustained so great harme were very much moued and â—ffended Wherefore the Emperour Nero to the intent that hee might put ouer from himself the 〈◊〉 of the déede raised a rumour among the commons that this whole mischeif was long of the Christians that they were aduersaries to the Gods and Religon of the Romans and wicked burners of cities and townes who also in that sort had defaced the citie And that this report might séeme to carie some trueth and auctoritie hée cast manie Christians into prison and examined them by tortures and tormentes that they should confesse how the citie was set on fire by them And in dede there were some fownd who not beinge able to abide tormentes
Congregations vnto Christe The same is verye dillygentlye and copiously described in the Actes of the Apostles The Apostles preached then openlye the Gospell of Christe in Ierusalem only in the name of our Lorde Iesus Christ which was crucified and raised from the dead in whom if they béeléeued was remission of sinnes life euerlasting that al men therfore ought to béeléeue in him bée baptized and ioyne in fellowship of the church repent and liue a godly lyfe looke for saluation in none other thinge for that there is none other name vnder heuen giuen to men wherein they may be saued but the name of Iesus Christe These Sermons the Scribes and Seniours at Ierusalem coulde not abyde wherfore thei laide hand vpon the Apostles and shut them vp in Prison and brought them before the counsel where quarreyling and chidinge with them they forbid them to preach this Gospell of Iesus christ But the Apostles frankly professing that in this behalfe by no meanes they might obey them but that God must rather be obeyed then men were neuertheles much and gréeuously thretned by the Magistrats elders Vpon occasion hereof the Church being strock with great heauines prayed hartely vnto God for coÌ„tinuance in the Gospell And when as the Apostles went forward constantly in teachyng and Christe effectually woorkinge in them confirmed the trueth of their doctrine with great miracles that a great numbre of men followed them so that the Churche was daily increased by thousandes then the magistrates officers setting vppon them a freshe cast the Apostles againe into prison intending to put them to death But by the intercession and meanes of Gamaliel the lawyer that was Pauls master they were delyuered but notwithstanding whipped and sharply forbidden that they should not preach the Gospel of Iesus Christ Who departing out of the counsell and Court praysed God that they were founde worthy to suffer reproch for his name Shortly after blessed Steeuen burning in the spirite of Christe and with great zeale disputing in the synagogs against the skilfull in the lawe and stoutly defendyng the doctrine of Christe was cast into prison and brought to arainement and falsly accused Who although he clered hymselfe with sufficient wise and graue reply yet it nothyng avayled him for hee was condemned to die and stoned to death There followed not long after a very vehement and sharp persecution of the christian Church described by Luke in the Acts of y Apostles by these words There â—rose about that time a greate persecution against the Church which was at Ierusalem and they were al dispearsed through the Regions of Iudeae and Samaria sauinge the Apostles For Saul wasted the Churche entring into euery mans house haling forth Men and women deliuered them to prison Yea Paul himselfe concerning this his persecution against the church spake thus in presence of King Agrippa truli I was determined with my self to do many things against the name of Iesus of Nazareth VVherof partly I dyd somwhat at Ierusalem and many of the Saints I committed too Prison hauing receaued auctoritie of the cheef prists on whom also I gaue iudgment when they were executed I punished theÌ„ also in the Sinagogs compelling them to blasphem that is to denye the Christian faith whiche is a great blasphemie and raging against them aboue al measure I persecuted them vnto strange Cities Now as touching the cause that mooued Paule the Preistes and people of the Iewes to persecute the Church was almost none other but a sinister vnseasonable zeale affection which they bare for the lawe of Moyses and the ceremonies which being lead with errour they ment to retaine and preserue and could not therfore beléeue in christ nor his Gospel For thei supposed that thei should be iustified saued by righteousnes of the law Contrariwise the gospel teacheth vs y wee shal not be saued by works of y law but by faith in Christ At this stone y Iewes haue stumbled fallen perished as S. Paul witnesseth in these words I protest for them that they haue the zeale of god but not according to knowledge For beyng ignorant of the righteousnes before god and studeinge to establish their owne righteousnes they were not subiect vnto the righteousnes which is allowed of god For Christe is th' end of the law vnto the iustification of al that beleue Likewise in another place Israell whiche ensued the Lawe of righteousnesse attayned not to the lawe of righteousnes that is to say was not iustified because they sought it noâ— by faith but by workes of the lawe For they haue stumbled at the stumbling stone as it is written Beholde I lay a stumblyngstone and a rock to hurt and make men fall and who so beleueth in him shal not be ashamed In this our age likewise and for the same very cause they aboue all other haue most vehemeÌ„tly and sharply persecuted the christian church y haue bin better men then the residew and lesse giuen to carnal affection Thei hate the Gospell and persecute the professours therof bicause they confesse ernestly defende that wée be iustified and saued by faith only in Christ and not by any woorkes Supposing y by this doctrine good woorkes are taken away and nothing regarded y men are made carelesse and stirred vp vnto wickednesse which is not to bée suffred in y churche But there is a far other vnderstanding in y question of good woorkes then thei either thinke or vtter nether are they coÌ„temned and naught set by although the glory of Iustification which apperteyneth vnto Christe only bée not ascribed vnto theÌ„ For vnto faith is iustification ascribed bicause the same dependeth on Christ only y Christe only may haue al y glory he alonly be our saluation and righteousnes as wée haue in another place declared more at large But beefore wee proceede anie farther let euerie man I béeseche yée weigh with himself how great and gréeuous this persecution was against the firste Church of Christe and how that they which were not slayn notwithstandinge receaued great sorowe through the death punishment and torments of their brethren that which Luke also hath not passed ouer with silence wrytinge after this maner The holly men caried foorth Steuen and made great sorrowe ouer him What and how great sorowe greife and miserie did they féele who although they were not slayne yet were they spoyled of all their gooddes driuen into banishment and brought to extreame pouertie and beggerie Heerewithall also let euerie man consider what Church it was that suffred so gréeuous persecution forsooth euen the most holly and moste perfecte Church of al. For of this Church Luke witnesseth writinge They were all filled with the holly ghoste And of al the multitude y beleued ther was one hart and one soule and no man called anie thinge that hee had his owne but all thinges were common amonge them nether was
was possessed with a diuell railinge and reprochinge his doctrine which they could in no wise abide béecause it was quighte contrarie vnto theirs For they spake litle or nothinge of faith but of woorkes only how wée were iustified by the lawe or obseruing the law but specially by sacrifice likewise they taught litle of Charitie but applied all to their auarice makinge of the lordes house a verie shoppe of Merchandize For in the temple were shéep and Dxen and doues to bée sold for sutch as offred sacrifice and for their farther gaine they had set vp tables for vserie and exchange But Christe making a scourge of small cordes draue them all out of the temple as well the shéepe oxen and doues as those that sold them as also the bankers and exchangers and all that sold religion for monie Wherfore for this cause only they dayly persecuted Christe goinge about to stone him or kill him and hée oftentimes conuaid himself away flying out of Iudea in to Galile and sustained paciently sundrie afflictions reproches and traueyles And last of all hée was béetraid and sold by one of his owne disciples apprehended and brought into the ecclesiasticall iudgment of the priestes and by Pontius Pilate the Romane Lieutenant condemned to the death of the crosse for no other cause but for that as indéede he was hée affirmed himselfe to bée the verie sunne of the liuinge God the trew Messias or Christe the only and eternall sauiour of al the world But before that he was brought vnto the Lieutenant the seruāts and ministers of the priests shamefully mocked misused him in the high bishops hal they blindfolded him spet in his face buffeted him reprochfully and disdainfully intreating his diuine wisdom and maiestie In the morning when they brought him before the lieutenant they falsly accused him to bee a seductor of the people a seditious fellow well worthye to be hanged on the Crosse But Pilate when he had diligently examined all the matter vnderstanding the cause sundrye times pronounced that hee was not guiltie and that hee could not condemne him by lawe and notwithstanding that hee was innocent yet was he handled dispightfullye For he was led vnto Herod by him contemptuously abused flouted of his courtiars and galantes with all scornfull demeanure He was compared vnto Barrabas the most notorious théefe and murtherer of that age whom the Jewes preferred before Christ supposinge that hée was woorse then that wicked villayn whome all the worlde hated Hée was scurged also and crowned with a crowne of wreathed thorns and being in this sorte miserably handled and tormented was brought foorth into the sight of the vnthankfull people But for al this there was no grace nor pardon to bée found specially amonge the preistes egginge the Lieutenant to cōdemne the innocent and the hée shoulde permit them to leade him to execution to crucifie him béetwen two théeues And when hée was in moste gréeuous paines and the very panges of death he was moste outragiously intreated with blasphemous frumps scornes and reprocheful vsages For the préestes with many other mo walking before the crosse vttred foorth sundrie horrible and gréeuous woords against him which are by S. Mathe diligently set downe in writinge Amongst which most gréeuous temptations and iniuries in the midst of these sorowes Christe yéelded vp the ghost vpon the crosse Whilst Christe suffred these thinges his disciples were miserably dispersed and all the faythfull conceaued wounderfull and incredible sorowe for the passion and death of Christe Manie fearfully doubted least at that time the doctrine of the Gospell were wholy extinguished So that this persecution which was against christe both touched and troubled the whole Church and all the faithfull And although the enemies of Christ hoped that they had gotten the conquest and destroyd the doctrine of the Gospell notwithstandynge their victorie made not the pharisaicall doctrine one iote the better nor the doctrine of the Gospell the woorser For it is no good consequent the Pharises put Christe to death wherefore their doctrine is true and Christes false The cause which moued the Pharises and al other enemies of Christ to persecute him surely was none other then the they were desierous to retaine their owne erronious doctrine oppresse the gospell w the followers therof wherby they might with securitie enioye their raigne lustes and pleasures And likewise in our age many of the Papists do persecute the faithful for none other cause This is a comfort vnto vs that in so great afliction when the disciples were scattered Christ of all men forsaken yet only Iohn amōgst al the other discipls durst boldlye approche to the crosse of Christe and ioyne himself vnto Mary the vndefiled and perpetuall virgin the mother of our Lord and Mary Magdelen Cleophas with other moe Heere by their infirmitie the power of God is declared Likewise Ioseph and Nicodemus valiently béehaued themselues Like as at this day also it falleth out for wher as the trueth is taught to bée so greuously pressed with persecution that there séemeth to be no man that taketh regard or care therof then most times by the meanest sort and not seldome by noble and great personages there bée newe and fortunate fowndations laid wherby the trueth is wonderfully increased Wherfore wée must not in the greatest persecutions cast of our hope and comfort Here béefore althinges this is to bée obserued that wée iudge far otherwise of Christes death and passion then of the death and affliction of Iohn and other sainctes who haue suffred persecution for God and the truethes sake and with their bloude borne recorde to the heauenly trueth but wée ought far more excellently to accompt of the blood and death of Christe For as hée is the euerlastinge sunne of God and life vnto all those that béeleue in him so his blood death and passion are a clensinge sacrifice and a propitiation for the sinnes of the whole worlde For by his death wée obtayne life and by his bloodshed wée get remission of sinnes And vnto this opinion all the doctrine of the Prophetes and Apostles bear witnes specially the epistle of Saint Paule to the Hebrues Wherfore our life and forgiuenes of sinns is reposed in the deth and passion of Christe only and not in the martyrdom or passion of any sainct Since therfore Christe is the head of his Church and hée suffred so manye thinges by his example the church also learneth that it must suffer many things as it is abundantlye shewen in the writings of the Euangelists and Apostles Of the thirde Tragical Acte or persecutiō wherin the Apostles were taken and scurged Steeuen was stoned the Church and congregation of Ierusalem banished dispersed Chapter iii. THe third persecution of the church began alitle after the Ascencion of christ into heauen which is the feast of Pentecost or Witsontyde when the Apostles earnestly preached the Gospel and had gathered together great and worthye
studied not onely to defile the innocencie of the christians through dread practice of such punishmeÌ„ts and torturs as y lyke had not bin heard before but also by prouocation of lust and plesure For when they could not ouerthrow them with torments they tempted them with pleasures to cause them to fall offring vnto them bewtifull wemen y should allure them to lechery In which place he sheweth of a certen martir that bit of his toung betwene his teth spet it in his fine miks face y he might be so deliuered from her At the same time Paule the Eremit fled into the wildernesse and liued a solitary life in a certen den vnto whom beefore hée died came Saynct Antonie And these twayne were the first beeginners of Eremites life that is to say of those that lead ther liues in wilde and desert places as though it were out of the worlde a life full of hardnes and shapnes laboringe with their handes and vsinge great abstinencie Saint Ierome writeth that Antony died the yéere of Christe 661. and in the .xv. yeere of his owne age And out of this fountaine in processe of time sprange Monkerie which the holy Church of Christe knew not at all when it was most excellent and pure Béesides that this life hath no warrant nor commaundement from the woorde of God and is nothinge else but an inuention and deuise of men that were a fraide And like as in those former persecutioÌ„s they indeuored to pluck the christians from the trueth through alurementes of pleasure so likewise in our age many are carried awaye from the true faith and confession thereof and after knowledge of the trueth they are wrapped in errours through pleasures honours glory ritches prefermentes gret offices fat benefices as they terme them or great reuenewes of y church The yeare of our Lorde Christ 273. Valerius Aurelianus obtayned the Empire whom Historicians make the Aucthour of y ix persecution which according vnto our accoumpt is the. 14. This Aurelianus at first beginnyng of his raigne was gentle and friendly towards ChristiaÌ„s but towards th' ende he changed his conditions and through perswasion of naughty persons suffred himself to be abused fully determinyng with him selfe to persecute the Church of Christ Eusebius testifieth in the 7. boke and. 26. Chapter of his ecclesiasticall history vnto whom also Orosius agréeeth that he rather intended to execute this persecution then fully accomplished the same Howbeit the Church at that time was in great peril heauenesse but when contrary vnto expectation the Emperour was taken away the persecution ceased and became nothinge Of the greeuous woful and long tragicall Acte or persecution being in number the. 15. vnder the Emperours Dioclecian and Maximian wherein innumerable Christians were martired and slayne Chapter ix NOne hath written more dillygentlye of the persecution of the Emperours Iouius Dioclecian and Herculius Maximian then Eusebius in the laste booke of his ecclesiasticall historye For he lyued at that time behelde the doyng of many things whereof he writeth Wherefore the full and true discourse of these matters muste be borrowed of him which although it be terrible yet is it there withall pleasant profitable to be read As for me I mean but breifly to touch y chiefest poyntes The Christian Churche enioyed peace and tranquillitye a fewe yéeres from the raigne of Aurelian vnto the xix yéere of the raigne of Dioclecian and Maximian about the space of 28. yéeres For the Christians had commonly their Churches and godly congregations and méetinges together professing and exercising their relygion openly without any feare wherein also they had the assistance of lieutenants of prouinces euery where vnto whom the Christian Relygion was knowne â—nd many of great power in the Emperours Court as namely Dortheus and Gorgonius who being Christians aided and defended them of their owne religion The Christians also in the begining of this peace and quietnes agreed very well together were feruent in y worshipping of God and of holy conuersation and therefore the number of the faithful increaced very much so that it was néedefull to enlarge their Churches and places of common prayer But in processe of time that feruent loue of Relygion began to waxe colde and ther arose dissentions contentions cheifly amonge bisshops and doctours who beinge addicted to strife vnquietnesse fell sore at debate amonge themselues handlynge their controuersies whereby the people were nothing edefied wherfore the Lorde taking away his hand from his people suffred y faith lesse Gentiles to lay their handes vpon his Churche to scoure away the ruste which daily increased more and more And this is the .xv. persecution of the Church which Orosius calleth y tenth At the béeginning of this persecution the Lord dealt verie gently not giuyng the reigne and bridle immediatly to the persecution and suffringe the Churches to be destroyd but the onset of the persecution was béegun by the souldiours And doubtles vnto this purpose apperteineth that which is written by Otho Frisingensis in the. 3. book and. 45. chapter speakinge of bleassed Mauritius Who marchyng forward into Germanie vnder Maximian with his legion of men which were all Christians goinge against the Bacharides whome Eutropius termeth Bongarides a troublesome and seditious kinde of people to bring them to dutie and quietnesse when the armie had passed the Alpes and was arriued into the country of the Veragri whiche at this day they cal the lower Vallesia there Maximian commaunded his souldiours to sacrifice to the Gods that they might obtaine good fortune and victorie against their enemies Then Mauritius answered that hée would not so doe nor the residew of Christians that were vnder him franckly professinge himself his company to be Christians for whom it was not lawful to do sacrifice to y gods Wherefore they were first craftely deuided and some sent to SolodoruÌ„ Bonna Colen Santum and abroad vnto other places for defence sake dispersed Last of all the greater part of the legion whiche remayned with Mauritius neare vnto Octodorum whiche is at this day called Martenacum and Agaunum whiche is nowe called by the name of S. Maurice which was slain by y heathen souldiours S. Ierome reporteth that the expedition against the Bagaudae was in the yéere of Christe 290. I cannot nor I ought not in this place let passe to make mencion of Foelix and Regula being Germans who were also of Mauricius companie both these diuers other moe whose seruice it pleased God that he woulde vse to preache Christ to the Gentiles by flight escaped from the slaughter at Octodorum and first they came to Glarona and so along the Lake were brought vnto the most auncient citie of Zuirick in which at y time y Ethnick idolatry florished wher they preached simply the Christian relygion and as wée haue shewed in the beginning of this booke purely faithfully without any aditions of man The same they approued valientlye
hollie man and Seruant of God the Crosse affliction and persecution from god Vnto which purpose God vsed Satan as an instrument prescribing him bonds how farre he should persecute Iob. And Satan through his malice stirred vp the rauenous and gredie people of the Chaldees to breake in vpon Iobs goodes to spoile him and bringe him to pouertie Then Iob although hée vnderstood y â— â—through the instigation of Satan hée was in sutch sort endamaged by wicked and rauenous men notwithstandinge hée tooke regard vnto the principall cause of persecution and hée saide not as the maner is now a daies that hée was sore afflicted by Satan and maliciouslye spoiled by the Chaldees but said hée the Lorde hath giuen and the Lord hath taken away y name of the Lorde bée blessed for euer Likewise the scripture in the same signification calleth Nabuchodonosor the seruaunt of God which persecuted his people and lead them captiue into Babilon for so it is writeÌ„ in the second booke of Paralipomenon the last Chap. wherfore God sent his Prophetes vnto them exhorting theÌ„ to repent but they mocked at them And therfore the lorde béeinge displeased with them brought vpon them the king of Chaldees which was Nabuchodonosor and diliuered then into his hands Likewise in Daniel the. 9. y Lorde watched for a shrewd turne and hath brought it vpon vs Our Lord God is iust in all his woorkes which hée hath doone And although they were the Chaldees which lead away the people of God into hard and sharpe captiuitie notwithstandinge the Prophets of God Ieremie Ezechiel Daniel with many other hollie men which sawe and felt these thinges chose rather with Iob to ascribe their affliction persecution vnto God and his iustice then vnto the vnbéeléeuing and wicked men So likewise at this day the faithfull had rather to suppose y they abide their afflictions at the handes of God then of men For they know that men can do nothing vnlesse God permitt them And in that he permitteth them againe thereby they know béeléeue y all thinges are done suffred by him to bée doone by his iust iudgment and for the profit of his people Wherfore by all these thinges we mai vnderstand that the crosse afflictions persecutions ar sent froÌ„ God laid also vpon holy and Godly men And as touching Iob God himself bereth witnes that hée was a single and righteous man fearing God and eschewing euell whose like was not vpon the earthe Moreouer all men acknowledge and confesse that the Prophetes Iohn the Baptiste and the Apostles were holly men and the seruantes of God and yet notwithstanding they al suffred persecutioÌ„ Besides this S. Peter writeth that Christians should not suffer as théeues or malefactours but only for God and the truethes cause The first epistle of Peter the. 4. chapter Secondly God sendeth persecution vnto sutch as ought to bée the people of God and partly also are indéede and so are named but are not so innocent pure and holly as of duetie they should bée as wée sayd erewhile of the people of God which were lead away into Babylon And Cyprian testifieth that the cause of the persecution at his time vnder the Emperour Decius was the dissolute life of the faithfull Eusebius sheweth the like causes where hée describeth the persecution of Dioclecian And it is séene that booth giltie and vngiltie good and bad altogither are subiect to the crosse I call vngiltie those whiche béeynge vnlike to the children of this worlde are not defiled with all kynde of wickednesse neuerthelesse haue their imperfections and as it were certein moales and staynyngs Wherefore they confesse their faultes and defectes vnto God and glorie nothyng of themselues Accordyng vnto which sence and opinion Iob sayth Surely I know it is true that no man is iust if hee be compared to god If hee will striue with him hee is not able to aunswere him vnto one for a thousand And althogh I haue doone some iust deede yet will I not answere but intreate my iudge And Dauid in the. 142. Psalme saith Enter not into iudgment with thy seruant O Lorde for there shall no liuing creature bee iustified in thy sight Wherfore those which bée giltlesse although they bée subiect to persecution with the most wicked men notwithstandinge they murmur not against y Lorde but accordinge to the scriptures they confesse and say Thy iudgements are iust O Lorde and all thy waies are trueth and holinesse Thirdly persecutions are sent from god vnto the Church to declare his glorie and Maiestie For when the Disciples vpon a time had enquired of the Lorde touching the man that was borne blind whether hée or his parentes had deserued the same by their offences the lorde answered them as appéereth in Iohn the ix chapter that this was doone that the glory of God might bée declared in him The like also hée said of the sicknes of his frend Lazarus in Iohn the 12. that the infirmitie was not vnto death but sent to the glorye of God that the sun of God might bée glorified therby For in persecutions the power of God is declared wherby hée preserueth his in the midst of afflictions and when hée séeth time deliuereth them with great glory as it is euidently expressed in the stories of Daniell Hester and Esdras Wherfore it is writen by Saint Paule wée haue the treasure of the Gospell in earthen vesselles that the excellencie of the power therof may be Gods and not our owne while in althinges wée ar pressed but not wronge we are in trouble but wée do not want wée suffer persecution but wée are not therin forsaken caste downe nor perishe wée carie the mortification of our Lorde Iesus Christe about with vs in our body to the intente that the lyfe which commeth by Iesus Christe may bée made manifest in our body the .ii. to the Corinthians the. 4. Chapter For which cause the same Apostle writeth how it was said vnto him by the Lorde my grace is sufficient for thée for my strength is made perfect through weaknesse the 2. to the Corinthias the xii chapter There is also another cause of persecutions for that it pleaseth God through them to reueale the trueth vnto men namely when the faithfull béeing apprehended in persecutioÌ„s and brought into iudgment do plainly and openly professe the Gospell And our sauiour christ saith you shalbée brought béefore Lieutenantes and kinges for my sake that this may bée a testimonie to them and the Gentiles Mathew the x. Chapter Moreouer by persecutions whiche God layeth vpon the Church hée prooueth the same how strong and constant it is purgynge those that are vncleane like as Goldsmithes vse to trie clense their golde and siluer in the fier For if the fleash continue in rest and idlenesse féelyng no maner of aduersitie oftentimes it waxeth wanton and lasciuious wherfore God exerciseth his seruantes with persecutions to awake them that they should not