of the world and yet suffer themselues still to be led with traditions as these for an example touch not tast not handle not c. Which all perish through the verye abuse after the commaundements and doctrins of men which thinges outwardly haue the similytude of wisdome by superstition and humblenes of minde c. Thapostles of Christ would not burden the christen congregations with new and superfluous tradicions but only charged them with such thinges as were necessary Sainct Paule in his Epistle vnto the Galathians inueieth against them which after they haue known god turne agayn vnto nedie and beggerlye ceremonyes traditions or ordinaunces obseruing dais monethes times and yeares Against the folowing of vngodly forefathers If thou through temptation of the Deuil or the â—…alse perswasions of Antichrists Prophets be mâ—… â—…ed at any time to doubt of the truth of gods word which the papistes at this daye cal seditious doctrine new learning and heresy because thy forefathers haue both beloued and done the contrary â–ª call these scriptures to thy remembraunce Sentences out of the olde Testament Folow not the multitude to do euill Doo not you these thinges that they haue done which were before you neither be ye defiled in them I am the Lord your God kepe my commaundements The Lord sent his prophets to his people saying returne from your vnrighteous wayes and keepe my preceptes and ceremonies according to all the lawe that I commaunded your fathers But they would not heare but became stifnecked euen as their forefathers were stifnecked whiche would not obey the Lord God Let them put their hope in God not forget the works of the Lord but seke after his commaundementes Let them not be like their forefathers whiche were a frowarde and a spitefull nation a nation that would neuer be true harted nor bear an vpright mind toward God Be not hard harted as your forefathers were saith the Lord whiche chyde and rebelled against me We haue sinned with oure forefathers we haue done vniustly and commited iniquitie Trust not in rulers nor in the sonnes of men in whome is no health For wheÌ„ theyr breath goeth away they return vn to their earth In y â— day shall al their thou â—…hts counsels deuises and imaginations come to naught I haue alway sayd vnto your forefathers synce I brought them out of the land of Egipt euen vnto thys daye heare my voice but they would not hear nor once bow their eare vnto it But euery one of them is gone astray in the frâ—… wardnes of his wicked harte ye the people of Iuda and the men of Ierusalem are also falleÌ„ vnto the wickednes of their fore fathers which would not hear my words Insomuch that thei ar alredy gone away after straunge Gods and serue them The house of Israel the house of Iuda haue brokeÌ„ y e couenaunt which I made w t their fathers Therfore thus saith the lord Beholde I wil bring in extreme punishments vpon theÌ„ so y â— they shal not escap froÌ„ theÌ„ They shall crye vâ—…to me but I will not heare them The cityes of Iuda and thâ—… inhabiters of Hierusalem shall goe crye vnto them to whom they offered sacrifice and yet shall they not saue theÌ„ in the time of their trouble According to the number of thy cities were thy Gods O Iuda and after the number of thy waies O Hierusalem haste thou set vp altars of abhomination to do sacrifice vnto Baalim Your forefathers haue forsaken me sayth the Lorde and they are gone awaye after straunge Gods and haue serued theÌ„ and worshipped them yea they haue vtterlye geuen me ouer and haue not kept my lawe But you haue wrought more abhomination than all your forefathers haue done For behold euery one of you walke after the leudnesse of his own wicked harte and will not heare me Their forefathers haue broken my couenaunt euen vnto thys day and they to whom I send thee are children without all shame and of such an harte as can not be reclaimed Walke not in the commaundementes of your fathers nor keepe not their ordinaunces neither pollute your selues with their idoles For I am the lord your God Therefore walke in my preceptes and kepe my iudgementes and do them Confusion of face and vtter shame be vnto vs vnto our kings vnto our rulers to our forefathers which haue sinned Be not like your forefathers vnto whoÌ„ the Prophets in tymes past cryed saying thus sayth the Lorde of hostes turne from your euill waies and from your abhominable thoughtes but they would not harken nor geue any attendaunce vnto me sayth the Lord. Our forefathers haue sinned and haue done euill in the sight of the Lord our god For they haue forsaken him and turned awaye their faces from the tabernacles of the Lord our God Be not lyke your forefathers and brethren which rebelled against the Lorde God of their fathers and he gaue them ouer into desolation as ye see your selues Be not ye hardnecked now as were your forefathers but offer your hande vnto the Lorde and come to his sanctuarie which he hath sanctifyed for euer and serue the Lorde your God so shall the indignation of his wrath turne away from you Examples out of the olde Testament CAin â—…lewe his brother Abel and followed his forefather the deuill which was a mansleyer from the beginning Nadab king of Israell folowed his forefather Hieroboam coÌ„mitting idolatrie against the lord his God Therfore Baasa destroyed him and his kingdome all the house of Hieroboam so that one of the stocke remained not aliue Ozochias king of Israell followed hys wicked forefather Achab greuously sinned against the lord his God He therfore reigned but a litle time and also died a miserable death Amon king of Iuda followed hys Idolatrous forefather Manasses and dyd that whiche was euill in the sight of the Lord his God He reigned but two yeres and was slaine of his seruauntes in hys own house Ioakim kyng of Iuda forâ—…oke the godlye waies of his moste vertuous father king Iosias and followed the steppes of his wicked forefathers The Lorde therefore suffered him to raigne but three monethes in Ierusalem and gaue him ouer into the handes of his enemies Sedechias king of Iuda followed hys wicked forefathers and prouoked y â— lord his God vnto anger He therfore was depriued of his kingdome sawe his children slaine before his eyes and afterward he hauing his eyes plucked out of his head was bound in chaines and miserably caryed away into Babilon ¶ Sentences out of the neâ—… Testament All that come before me are theeues and robbers but my sheepe haue not heard them O ye stifnecked and vncircumcised of hartes and eares ye haue alwayes resisted the holy ghost â–ª as your forefathers did so do ye Which of the Prophets haue not your forefathers persecuted See that ye passe the
wyll caste an hunger vppon the earth not the hunger of breade nor the thirst of water but of bearing the word of the Lord. And they shal go from sea to sea and walke aboute from the South to the East sekinge the worde of the Lorde and yet shall they not finde it ☞ Examples out of the 〈◊〉 Testament GOd the Father wrote the law of the ten coÌ„maundements in tables of stone with his finger and commaunded Moyses to declare them vnto the people The people are commaunded of God not only to rede his holy law but also diligently to exercise them selues in the me ditation therof so long as they liue and to teach it their childreÌ„ yea to talk of it both in their house and when they go abroad and to write it vpon tâ—…e thresholds dores and postes of their houses that it may bee â—…er in their sight For man shall not liue with breade alone but with euery worde that procedeth from the mouth of God A kinge is commaunded to reade the boke of the law of the Lorde all the dayes of his life that he may feare the Lorde his God Iosua was commaunded that the boke of the Lordes law should not depart from his mouth but that he shoulde study in it day and night that he might kepe and do all thinges that are written in that boke King Saul was cast down from his roy all estate because he was negligente and disobedient to the law of God When Dauid lay on his deathe bed he saide to Sallomon thou shalt prosper and come to great renoume if thou kepest the commaundementes and ordinaunces which the Lord commaunded Moses Ioas when he was crowned in y â— temple had the law of the Lord deliuered vnto his handes that he shoulde keepe and maintaine the same Iosaphat that walked in the commaundementes of the Lord loued Gods word so entierly that he sent hys princes Leuites and priestes to teach in all partes of Iuda which had the booke of the Lordes law with them and went about in all the cities of Iuda and taught the people Ezechias diligently walked in the law of the Lord purged his realme of all idolatry set vp againe the true worshipping of God exhorted all his subiectes to followe the lawe of their Lord God Iossas that most godly king which walked so purely in the waies of the lord that he declined neither on the ryght hand nor on the left when the boke of the law was deliuered vnto him did not only cause the booke to be red before hym but he himself also red it before all his people both small and great and all idolatry destroyed restored the true religion to hys kingdome Esdras red the law of the Lord plainly and distinctly to the people they gaue very earnest and diligent attendaunce to the bearing of it Susan from her infanciâ—… was so diligentlye brought vp of her parentes in the lawe of God that she did not onely feare god but also chused rather to be stoned vn to death then she would once transgresse the law of god by committing adultery Sentences out of the newe Testament Man shall not liue with breade alone but with euery worde that commeth out of the mouth of God Uerely verely I say vnto you this age shal not passe till all these things be done Heauen and earth shall passe awaye but my wordes shall not passe away Blessed are they that heare the word of god and kepe it Blessed is he that eateth bread in the kingdome of God They haue Moyses and the Prophets let them heare them If they heare not Moyses and the Prophets neither will they beleue though one shoulde rise from the dead Thys is condemnation that lyghte is come into the world and that men loued darkenes more then lyght because theyr workes were euill For euery man that doth euill hateth the lyght neyther commeth he to y â— light least his workes should be reproued but he that doth truth commeth to light that his deedes myghte bee known how they are wrought in god Search the scriptures for ye thinke to haue eternall lyfe in them and these are they which testifie of me neyther will ye come vnto me that ye may haue life The wordes that I speake to you are spirite and life Lord to whom shal we go Thou hast the wordes of euerlasting lyfe He that is of god heareth the wordes of god But ye heare not bicause ye are not of god If a man kepeth my worde he shal neuer see death My sheepe heare my voyce and I know them and thei folow me and I geue them euerlasting lyfe Walke while ye haue light least darknes ouerwhelme you He that walketh in darknes knoweth not whether he goeth While ye haue light beleue in the lyghte that ye may be the children of lyght He that hath my preceptes and keepeth them he it is that loueth me If any man loueth me he will kepe my word and my father will loue him and we shall come to him and dwell with hym This is euerlasting life euen to knowe thee the alone true God and whom thou hast sent Iesus Christ. Euery one that is of the truth heareth my voyce The gospell of Christ is the power of god vnto saluation for so many as beleue Except the Lorde of bostes had left vnto vs sede that is hys most blessed word we had bene as Sodom and might well haue bene likened to Gomorra Faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the word of God Whatsoeuer thyngs are written afore time are writteÌ„ for our learning that we thorowe pacience comfort of the Scriptures might haue hope The word of the crosse is to them that perishe folishnesse but to vs â–ª that obtaine saluation it is the power of God If the gospell of Christ be yet byd it is byd among them that are loste in whom y â— god of this world hath blinded y â— minds of them which beleue not least the light of the glorious gospel of Christ which is the image of God should not shyne vnto theÌ„ Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly with all wysedome Teach and monish one an other Quench not the spirite Despise not the studies and preachinges of the holy Scripture Proue all thinges and that is good holde faste God will all men to be saued and come vnto the knowledge of the truth Geue thy minde to reading exhortation and doctrine continue in these things Continue in reading the holy scripture which is able to make thee wyse vnto saluatioÌ„ thorow the fayth which is in Christ Iesus For all Scripture geueÌ„ by inspiration of God is profitable to teache to improue to amend and to instructe in ryghteousnes that the man of god may be perfecte and prepared to all good workes The word of God is
and made bounde vnto the lawe to redeme them which were vnder the law that we thorow election myght receiue the inheritaunce that beloÌ„geth vnto the naturall sonne Christ beyng in the shape of GOD and thynkyng it no robbery to equall with God neuerthelesse made him selfe of no reputaâ—…ion toke on hym y â— shape of a seruaunt became like vnto men was found in his apparell as a man Without doubt great is thys mystery of godlynesse God was shewed in the fleshe was iustified in the spirite was sene of aungels was preached vnto the gentils was beleued on in earth and receyued vp in glory Remember that Iesus Christ beyng of the seede of Dauid rose agayne from death accordyng to my gospell He that sanctifieth and they whiche are sanctified are all of one For whiche causes sake he is not ashamed to cal theÌ„ brethreÌ„ saying I wil declare thy name to my brethreÌ„ and in the myddes of the congregation wil I prayse thee And againe I will put my trust in hym And againe behold here am I the children which god hath geueÌ„ me For as much then as the children were partakers of flesh bloud he also hym selfe likewise tooke part with them for to put downe thorowe death hym that had Lorshyp ouer death that is to say the deuill and that he myght deliuer them which thorowe feare of death were all their lyfe time in dauÌ„ger of boÌ„dage For he in no condicion taketh on him the auÌ„gels but the sede of Abraham taketh he on hym Wherfore in all thinges it became him to be made like vnto his brethreÌ„ that he myght be mercifull and a faithfull hys priest in thinges concerning god for to purge y â— peoples sinnes For that it fortuned him selfe to be teÌ„pted he is hable to succour them also that are tempted Dearely beloued beleue not euery spi rit but proue the spirites whether they are of God or not For many false Pro phetes are gone out into the worlde Hereby shall ye know the spirit of god Euery spirit that confesseth that Iesus Christ is come in y â— flesh is of god And euery spirit which coÌ„fesseth not y â— Iesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of god And this is the spirite of Antichrist of whoÌ„ ye haue hard how y â— â—…e shuld come euen now already is he in the world Many deceyuers are entred into the world whiche confesse not that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh This is a deceiuer and an Antichrist ☞ Examples out of the new Testament WHen the tyme was come y â— the blessed promised sede should be borne God sent his messenger Gabriell vntâ—… that holy Uirgine Marye whiche was of the house of Dauid which among ma ny other thinges sayd vnto her feare not mary For thou hast founde grace with God Behold thou shalt conceyue in thy wombe and beare a Sonne c. ☞ Note that the aungell sayth thou shalt conceyue He sayth not heauen shall conceyue And the aungell like as the Prophet vsed this word conceiue to declare that the flesh whiche Christ had was truly and naturally taken of the substaunce of his mother Mary the virgine For to conceiue is none other thyng than a woman to be a very true naturall mother by ministryng parte of her corporall substaunce to her childe wherof also the child is formed and made Now on this maner by the workyng of the holy ghost without the sede of man did this blessed virgine conceyue Christ it therfore truly foloweth that Christe brought not hys body with hym from heauen but receyued it of the naturall substaunce of his mother Mary And because we should not doubt of this thyng the aungell calleth Iesus Maries sonne If Christ had not ta ken his humanitie of the blessed Uirgine of her nature and substaunce and so be made very true and perfect man the aungell had not sayd truth when he called Christ her sonne For neyther should Mary haue bene Christes mother nor Christ Maries sonne And so should the aungell haue brought a false and a lying message from God whiche is the selfe truth But let God be true and all heretikes lyers ☞ The godly and vertuous womaÌ„ Elizabeth wife to â—…acharie the priest said to Mary her Co sen beyng newly conceiued with childe thorow the operacion of the holy ghost blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruite of thy wombe And whence happeneth thys vnto me y â— the mother of my lord shoulde come vnto me what soeuer thys holy woman sayth here it muste nedes bee beleued as an infallible truth For she speaketh not of her owne head but as she was filled w t the holy ghost In this her salutacion she calleth Christe the fruite of Maries wombe If Christe bee the fruite of Maryes wombe as vndobutedlye hee is then is Christ made of the substaunce of Mary and is her true and naturall sonne or els were it a manifest lye to call Christ the fruite of her wombe Who is so madde to call a thyng the fruite of a tree that neuer had the nature of a tree Were it not double madnes to call a peare the fruite of a chery tree so greate a fondnes and a greater lye had it bene to call Christ the fruite of Maries wombe if he had brought his body with hym from heauen or from any other place But as it is truly sayd thys peare is the fruite of a peare tree because it had hys beyng and naturall substaunce of the nature and substaunce of a peare tree so likewise is it truly said Christ is the fruite of Maries wombe because he had hys beyng and naturall substaunce as concernyng hys humanitie of the nature and substaÌ„ce of Mary Let God therefore be true and all heretikes lyers IEsus sayth Luke grew in wisedome and age thys also declareth Christ to to be true man seyng he grew in age and strength of bodye yea and also in wisedome after the maner of other children all though in the gyftes of the mynde he farre excelled all other men as the Scriptures testifie God sayth Dauid euen thy God hath annoynted thee with the oyle of gladnesse aboue thy fellowes S. Ihon Baptist also spea keth of Christ on this manner God geueth not the spirit by me sure vnto him ☞ If Christ had brought hys body with hym â—…oÌ„ heauen so could not Christes body haue ben a naturall body nor haue growen after the man ner of other chyldren but should haue bene as bygge when it came from heauen into the Uirgines wombe as it was on the same day that it was put to death But the holy Scriptures teache vs that Christ is the fruite of Maryes wombe that he is her sonne that he was borne a litle childe and grewe in age after the manner of other children vntill he became a perfect man It therefore truly followeth that he brought not his body with him
deuise thinges which be to harde to be kept through which the poore are oppressed on euerye side and the innocentes of my people are therewith robbed of iudgement Wo be to those shriÌ„kiÌ„g childreÌ„ saith y â— lord which seke counsel but not at me whiche take a web in haÌ„d but not after my will y â— they may heap one sinne vpon an other Thus saith the Lorde my thoughtes are not your thoughtes and your wayes are not my wayes but as farre as the heaueÌ„s are higher then the earth so far do my wayes exceade youres and my thoughtes your thoughtes Your lippes speake leasinges and your tong setteth out wickednes No man regardeth righteousnesse and no man iudgeth truly Euery man hopeth in vaine things and imagineth disceite conceiueth wickednes and bringeth forth euil They breede Cockatrices egs weaue the spiders web Whosoeuer eâ—…eth of their egs dieth but if one tread vpon them their commeth vp a serpent Their webbe maketh no cloth and they maye not couer them with their laboures Their deedes are the deedes of wickednesse and the worke of robbery is in their handes their feete runne to euill and they make haste to shed innocent bloude Theyr councels are wicked councels hate and destruction is in their wayes but y â— way of peace they know not In their goings is no equitie their waies are so crooked y â— who so goeth therin knoweth nothing of peace My people haue committed two greate euils They haue forsaken me the fountaine of liuing waters and digged them pits pits I say that are broken and can hold no water Take bâ—…de saithe the Lord ye truste in coâ—…sels that begile you do you no good Heare not the wordes of the Prophets that preach their owne dreames Heare O ye house of Israel saith the lord Is not my way right or ar not your waies rather wicked The children of thy people saye tushe the way of the Lord is not right where as their way is rather vnright Examples out of the olde Testament Ieroboam kynge of Israel contrary to gods word made two calues of gold and set them vp to be worshipped of people as their goddes but both he and his posteritie were greuously punished for it How greuously god punished al such as brought in strauÌ„ge worshippings of god or any matters concerning Idolatrye or ought els contrary to y â— word of God although y â— authors of theÌ„ made the simple people to beleeue y â— they were verities although vnwritteÌ„ as the Papistes do now adaies y â— holy scriptures in diuers places do euideÌ„tly shew namely in the bokes of the kinges and of the chronicles ☞ Sentences out of the new Testament Except your righteousnesse dooth excede the righteousnes of the Scribes and Phariseis ye can not enter into the kingdome of heauen Beware of false Prophets which câ—…me vnto you in sheepes clothing and inward ly are rauening wolues Why do ye transgresse the commaundenâ—…ent of God for your tradicions Euery plant y â— my heaueÌ„ly father hath not planted shal be plucked vp by y e rotes This is my welbeloued Sonne in whom I am wel pleased heare ye him Teache them to kepe all thinges that I haue commaunded you Ye leaue the commaundemeÌ„t of god and maintaine your owne constitutions Well ye do caste aside the commaundemeÌ„t of god to kepe your own tradicions If ye abide in my worde ye are my disciples in deede and ye shall knowe the truthe and the truthe shall make you fre He that is of god heareth the wordes of God My sheepe heare my voice I knowe them and they followe mee neither shall they at any time pearishe nor yet shall any man pluck them out of my hand He that hathe my commaundementes and kepeth them he it is that loueth mee If any man loueth me he will keepe my wordes If ye keepe my commaundementes ye shall abide in my law Ye are my frends if ye doe those things that I commaund you Euery one that is of the truthe heareth my voyce I dare not speak of any of these things that Christ hath not wrought by me I beseeche you brethern marke them that make deuision and geue occasions of euil contrarye to the doctrine y â— ye haue learned and auoid them For they that are such serue not the Lord Iesu Christe but their own bellies with swete preachiÌ„gs and flattering words deceiue the harts of the simple Though we our selues or an Angel froÌ„ Heauen preache any other Gospel to you then that whiche we haue preached vnto you holde him accursed As I saide before so say I now againe if any man preach any other thing vnto you then that ye haue receiued holde him accursed Thoughe it be but a mans testament yet no maÌ„ despiseth it or addeth any thing therto when it is once alowed How much more ought nothing to be added to the tes tament of the moste highe God nor yet be taken from it Be no more children from heÌ„ceforth wandring and caried with euerye winde of doctrine by the wilines of men crafts whereby they lay awaite for vs to deceiuâ—… vs but let vs follow the truth in loue and in all thinges growe in him whiche is thy head that is to say Christ. Caste away vngodlye olde wiues fables exercise thy self vnto godlines If any man teache otherwise is not content with the wholsome words of our Lord Iesus Christe and with the doctrine of godlines He is pufte vp knoweth no thing but wasteth his brains about questioÌ„s strife of wordes wherof spring enuye strife rayling euill surmisinges and vaine disputations of menne of corrupte mindes and destitute of the truth whiche thinke that lucre is godlynes From suche seperate thy self If any man speake let him speake as though it came of gods owne mouth Whosoeuer transgresseth and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ hath not god He that endureth in the doctrine of Christ hath bothe the Father and the Sonne If there come any vnto you and bring not this lerning him receiue not to house neither bid him god spede For he that bid deth him god spede is partaker of his euil deedes Be not caried about with diuers and straunge learninges If any man addeth to these thinges god shall adde vnto hym the plages that are written in this booke And if any maÌ„ shall minish of the wordes of this boke of this Prophecy god shal take away hys parte oute of the booke of life and out of the holye citie and from those thynges which are written in this booke Examples out of the newe Testament Christ rebuketh the pharises for bringing their traditions into the churche of God by that meanes defacyng the glory of Gods most holy worde Blessed Sainct Paule reproueth them which be dead with Christ from the commaundements
their wicked liuing and exhorted them vn to repentaunce Amos at the commaundement of kinge Amassas for his preching was cruelly beaâ—…en and greuously formented At the laste Ochozias sonne of Amasias caused him to be thurste into the temples with a great nayle and being half deade he was caryed into his own countrye where he sone after died Micheas was buffeted emprisoned and fed with bread and water Examples out of the olde Testament BLessed are they that suffer persecution for righteousnes for theirs is the kingdome of heauen Blessed are ye when men reuile you perseâ—…ute you and 〈◊〉 speak all euâ—…l sayings against you for my sake Reioyce and be mery for great is your rewarde in heauen For so persecuted they the Prophets before you The scoler is not aboue the maister nor the seruant aboue his Lorde If they haue called the Father of the housholde Belzebub how much more shall they so cal them that are of his houshold Be not afrayed of them that â—…il the body but rather feare him whiche is able to destroy both body and soule in hel fire Euery one that shall confesse me before men I shall confesse him also before my fa ther whiche is in heauen But whosoeuer shal deny me before men I shall also deny him befyre my Father that is in heauen Ye shal be hated of all men for my sake Whosoeuer wil follow me let him forsake him self and take vp hys crosse and folow me For whosoeuer wil saue hislife shall lose it But whosoeuer shall lose his life for my sake and the gospelles the same shall saue it For what shall it profite a man if he winne all the world and lose his owne soule or what shall a man geue to redeÌ„ his soul w tal agaiÌ„ whosoeuer fore shal be ashamed of me and my wordes in this whorish and sinful generation of him also shall the son of man be ashamed when he commeth in the glory of his Father with the holy angels The seruaunt is not greater theÌ„ his Lord. If they haue persecuted me they will also persecute you If the world hate you know ye that it hated me before you If ye were of the world the world wold loue that is his But forasmuch as ye are not of the world but I haue choseÌ„ you out of the world therfore doth the world hate you The tyme shall come that who so euer killeth you wyll thinke that he doth God seruice Ye shal lameÌ„t and wepe but the world shal reioyce In the world ye shal haue trouble but be on a good comfort I haue ouercom the world If we suffer with Christ we shall also be glorifyed together with him I suppose that the afflictions of thys life are not worthy of the glorye whiche shal be shewed vpon vs. Blessed be God the father of our Lord Iesus Christ which is the father of 〈◊〉 and the God of al comfort which comforteth vs in all our tribulations As the afflictions of Christ are plenteous in vs euen so is our consolation pleuteous by Christ. We are not weried but though our out ward man perishe yet the in ward man is renued day by day For our trouble which is shorte and lighte prepareth an exceding and an eternall waight of glorye vnto vs while we loke not on the things which are sene but on the things which are not sene For thinges whiche are seene are temporal but things which ar not sene are euerlasting We know that if our earthly mansion of this dwelling were destroyed we haue a building of God an habitatioÌ„ not made with handes but euerlasting in heauen Unto you it is geuen not only to beleeue in Christ but also to suffer for his sake Suffer affliction as a good souldiour of Christ. If we dy wyth Christ we shal liue with him If we suffer w e him we also shalreigâ—… with him if we deny him he will also dny vs. All that wil liue godly in Christe Iesu shall suffer persecutions This is thanke woorthyâ—… if a man for conscience toward god endure grefe and suffer wrong vndescrued If when ye do wel ye suffer wrong and take it patientlye then is there thankes with God For here vnto verely were ye called Blessed are ye if any trouble happen vn to you for righteousnes sake Dearly beloued maruel not that ye are proued by fire which thing is to trye you as though some straung thing hapned vnto you but reioyce in as muche as ye are partakers of Christes passion that when his glorye appereth ye may be merye and glad If ye be railed vpon for the name of Christ happy are ye For the glory and the spirite of God resteth vpon you On theyr parte he was euill spoken of but on your parte he is glorified If any man suffer as a christian man let him not be ashamed but let him glorify god in this behalfe Let them that be trooubled according to he wil of god commit their saules to him with wel doyng as vnto a faithfull creatour Iesus to saÌ„ctify the people with his own bloud suffered without the gate Let vs go forth therfore out of the tentes and suf fer rebuk wyth him For here haue we no continuyng city but we seke on to come By many trybulations must we enter into the kingdome of heauen The holy ghost witnesseth in euery city saying that bandes and trouble abide me But none of these things moue me neyther is my lyfe dear vnto my selfe that I mighte fulfill my course with ioy and the ministration of the word whith I haue receiued of the Lord Iesu to testify the Gospell of the grace of God I am ready not to be bounde only but also to dy for the name of the Lord Iesu. Blessed are the deade that dye in the Lorde euen so sayth the spirite that from henceforth they reaste from their labours But theyr worke folow them Examples out of the new Testamen IOhn Baptist for truth telling to kinge Herod was cast into prisoÌ„ beheaded Iesus Christ our Lord and sauiour after many blasphemies rebukes slaunders and bitter tormentes suffered the moste spitefull deathe of the crosse and so entred into glory The holy marter S. Stephen was stoned vnto death Iames y â— brother of Iohn was beheded What kindnes Peter and Paule wyth the apostles found at the handes of them whose saluatioÌ„ they most diligeÌ„tly sought the histories make mencion Neither I heare speak of those blessed Marters which sence their dayes haue dyed for the confession of gods truthe so that the gospell is not without a cause called of blessed Paul the word of the crosse For all that wil liue godly in Christ Ie su saith he shall suffer persecution I saw saith Sainct Iohn vnder the altar the soules of them that were killed for the woord of god and for the testimonyâ—… whiche they