the faithfull fearing God and yet was seruant to Achab and that peruerse Iesabell Wherefore it is not like that hee can tarie in their seruice without seruing of Baal as they did at the least in outward shewe this reason is but a vaine thought and an imagination and presumption of mans vnderstanding for there is not one worde in all the historie no not one sillable by which they can prooue this Imagination but rather altogether the contrarie and woulde to GOD that those which will arme them selues with this example had as good a minde and affection to hide the poore persecuted and to succoure them in their necessitie as Abdias had and shewed in deede to the prophets and faithfull of his time and though Abdias had done that which they presume and imagine it followeth not therefore that he was allowed of God no more then other sinnes of the saints saints Sect. But beholde yet an other replie which seemeth not apparant if it be so dangerous a thing 4. Reg. 5. so contrary to the will of God to be partaker of the ceremonies sacrifices of the papists why did Elizeus answere Naaman the Assyrian go thy way in peace After that Naaman said vnto him when my Lord shall enter into the temple of Remmon to worship shall leaue vpon my hand on my shoulder pray the Lord that he wil pardō me thy seruant for this thing if I worship in the temple of Remmō when I shall worship in the same place Elizeus maketh no difficultie to suffer him so to do he condemmeth it not as a damnable thing that he should enter into the temples of idols with the Pagans that he should be present at their sacrifice so that he worship God in his heart why shal wee then be rather forbidden to cōmunicate in like sort with those that are Christians as we are then Naaman with the pagās who were in deed enemies to god This exāple shall serue vs no more then that of S. Paul it might serue your turn if you were like to Naaman if to doe seruice vnto any to whom you were bound in the sight of God you should go with thē in that sort that Naaman kept company with his lord For he went not thither to cōmit idolatry as he did or to allow his idolatry but to serue him as a seruant in his necessities Wherefore we must vnderstand that to worship is often taken in scripture to bow and do reuerence by outwarde signes and gestures as wee doe to kinges and Princes the Idolaters to their Idols and the faithfull also to God when as by outwarde gestures and signes they will declare the humilitie of their heart and the reuerence they beare to God but Naaman requireth not to bee suffered to kneele and doe reuerence before the God Remmon and to worship notwithstanding the true God in his heart to declare by outwarde signes that hee beareth reuerence to the God Remmon to please the king as they do which by outward gestures do worship the host and Images and yet say their heart is not there but that by it they worshippe Iesus Christ in heauen and the father in spirite and truth Naaman speaketh not of that adoration as Sect. touching himselfe but only of the reuerence he ought to shewe in seruing the king when hee woulde kneele or bow downe before Remmon For seeing hee must bee in the seruice of his Prince and stay him when he leaned vpon him the king coulde not bowe but that Naaman also was enclined to bowe that the king might leaue vpon him But Naaman did it not for Remmon as the king did nor to make the king beleeue that he honoured Remmon as he did fearing to displease him but hee did it not only to serue his Prince according to his duetie for before hee agreed to that hee promised and witnessed openly that hee would doe no sacrifice to the strange gods but to the liuing God seeing that hee promised so wee must not doubt but that hee kept his promise and it is most certaine that in the estate dignitie wherin hee was hee coulde not tarry any long tyme without sacrificing to the Idols as others did but it would haue been perceiued but he would that euery one should know vnderstande that he had in his heart there is no doubt but that for this cause hee demanded of Elizeus two mules charged with the earth of Israel to take with him into the land of Syria to beare witnes and make publike confession that he beleeued not nor worshipped any other then God of Israel that he had his diuine seruice aparte separated from that of the other Syrians who were Idolaters And although he did all things that he had Sect. far better cause then those which woulde defend their Idolatrie by his example yet doeth he not so much iustifie his works as they doe but he requireth the Prophete to the ende hee should pray to God for him that he woulde not impute that as a sinne to him wherein he sheweth well that there was some infirmitie in him and that he feareth there should bee some faulte in that worke which the Prophet rather beareth with all then alloweth yea although that before hee had done other thinges enough to confesse his faith before men And if wee consider well the wordes of Naaman hee confesseth very manifestly that he thinketh there is sinne in that he saith he must doe seeing he willeth the Prophet to pray for him that it may not be imputed to him for if there be no fault there is no neede of prayer nor pardon and Elizeus saieth not the contrarie to him that it is not sinne at all but he wil not presse him ouermuch in the confession he made of the name of God therfore he letteth him go giueth him to vnderstand he will do that which Naaman requireth of him that is that he will pray for him biddeth him fare well wherefore although it were so that Elizeus had borne with some great faulte in Naaman who was yet a nouice and newely come to the religion was come from amōgst the Pagans it followeth not therefore that wee which are Christians and haue receiued a greater knowledge of truth confirmed by the death of Iesus Christ and so many martyrs ought to draw this particular example to a general consequent to set it against so many places of holy scripture which forbid all Idolatrie and all shew of denying Iesus Christe If wee testifie publikelie our faith and if we confesse we attribute nothing to the Idols but Sect. that we goe to the assemblies of Idolaters to serue our father or some other to whom we are bounde not in Idolatrie but in that which may concerne our office the example of Naaman might giue vs some further colour for our former confession and the publike witnessing of our faith woulde glorifie God and condemne
by Paule to the Corinthians Our bodies sayth 1. Cor. 6. he are the temples of the holy Ghost and wee are not our owne for wee are dearelye bought therefore wee must glorifie God in our bodies in our spirits for they are gods Wherby it appeareth that the Lorde hath such and interest right in vs ouer vs that no half seruice cā plese him but he must haue vs whole and he will be wholy serued by vs. Therefore they that in any respect refuse to confesse Christ before men do bewray them selues to be eyther faithlesse or very fainte in faith and let them vrge neuer so much that with their inward mā they serue god cary a loue to Christ his truth they shal finde it is no good plea in diuinitie neither will it prooue good before God at the generall day of account when all fleshe must appeare before the iust iudge to giue a reckoning of their stewardeship As for those to whom the name of God seemeth strange and are loth to heare of any religion they are not vnlike to Epicures of whom it is written that when he saw great contentions amongest the philosophers touching God he did take as hee thought a shorter way flatly denied God Of which kind of men I wishe withall my heart there were not ouer many amōgest vs. It is a dangerous thing when men become deriders and mockers of the worde and wil scoffe and taunt at such as in reuerent regard therof seeke to walke according to the prescript rule set downe by the same for frō them by little and little all sence and tast of truth is taken and they goe on in degrees of vngodlines so farre vntill they shewe themselues to be such as doe hate the truth and then are they giuen ouer to fulfyll their lusts making their bellye their GOD bestowing their whole life in their owne fylthie fleshly pleasure for they liue to serue no other God indeede and so at length there is with thē no truth no religion no God but they make a mocke of all religion truth and are giuen vp to belieue lyes and to folowe vanities and nothing else And thus in fine they becōe so bold that they deny God yea they be so cūning in the diuels crafe that they do reason against God and openly professe that Christ his truth is but a fable as this day giueth feareful examples of too many The Lord our God refourm thē and shew them the light of hys countenance and bee mercifull vnto them And so with griefe to thinke that there should be any such I leaue them As for you whō the Lord hath so seasoned by his spirit that you haue learned to bee a law to your selues do endeuourithat one and the selfe same woorde might both teach and rule you although they giue you bynames for so doing be not difmayed but hold on your course be it so farre frō you to thinke your selues pure learne to haue such a liuely sense and feeling of this festering fore of sinne eating vs to eternal destruction if our Phisition Christ put not to his helpe to heale the same by the blood of his passion as that you acknowledge with the Prophet all your righteousnes to be like a stayned cloth and to this end labour in your selues perswade it in others to go on still and to be climing vp from step to step towards the mark of perfectiō set before vs not thinking it sufficient to begin well and there to stay nor to goe and grow forward for a time and thē to stand still but we must know that perseuerāce hath the promise for he that perseuereth to the end he shal be saued This then being the setled perswasion of all that truely feare the Lord let not their course be hindered neyther in their course let them be discouraged but carrying in thēselues the testimony of a good conscience that they haue in thē selues a desire to encrease daily from fayth to faith from knowledge to knowledge from godlinesse to godlinesse vntill they become perfect men in Christ Iesus let them knowe it is their glory to beare reproch for good dealing See that none of you saith the Apostle suffer as a murtherer as a theefe as an euill doer or as a busie bodie in other mens matters but if anye man suffer as a Christian c. 1. Pet. 4. This is the portion of Gods people to suffer for wel doing and of this we ought not to be ashamed but for this we must glorifie God neither is this the vttermost of our triall to be euil spoken of but we are like to taste the smart of a more sharpe schoole Our sinnes prouoke it Gods iustice doth threaten it and I see not how we should auoyd it Let vs learn therefore to be wel prouided against the day of tryal And surely if we professe as we seem or carry that sincere zeale as we ought wee haue cast our reckoning we know the pryce and therefore will endeuour to prouide for paiment Crux comes Euangely is an old rule and he is a very delicate or rather faintehearted souldiour that loketh to ouer come with out fighting or to winne victory without contending and how can he fight that is vnprepared to the battell or contend for victory that is vnprouided And to be armed at all poyntes This lesson well learned wyll teach vs that Tota vita Christiani hominss si secundum Euangelium uiuat est crux atque martyrium Let not your heartes be troubled therefore neither feare and let your patient mynds be knowen vnto all men for the Lord is at hand It is notably said of a learned Father that tribulation and trouble is to a iust man as the file to the yrō the fornace to the gold the bridle to the horse and the whippe to the Asse The fyle as it is commonly seene maketh yron the brighter the fyery fornace maketh gold the more glorious the bridle withholdeth the headdy horse that hee goe not whither him listeth the whippe keepeth the dul Asse in such awe that he dare not but goe on And this doth affliction to euery true Christian Let vs not be dismayed therefore though our peace be taken from vs and persecution come in place For to vs that haue a sure testimonie sealed vp in our consciences that we are Gods children it shall turne to great good beyng sure that our heauenly father wil lay no more vpon vs thē he wil make vs well able to beare We see by experience that where the Prince or chiefe Magistrate fauoureth the profession of the Gospel the most part wil be Gospellers But like experience hath taught vs when times of tryall haue come vpon them what time seruers some haue shewed themselues But to suche our god cōmeth not as a correcting father but as a destroying iudge For obedience to the Lorde God and the profession of his truth is not tyed to the
pleasure of Princes He that confesseth me before men I will confesse him before my father in heauen But he that denyeth me c. And we must learne to say with the Apostle Paule If I seeke to please men I am not the seruant of Christ It is an olde saying and a true All is not Gold that glistereth but the fiery fornace wil soon try it Euery piece of yron that wee see is not perfect and sound yron for sometimes it is eaten through with the canker and this when the file commeth vpon it is easily knowne Wheate and chaffe lye mingled together in one barne til a gale of wind come and blowe them in sunder and then they appeare both plainely what they are let vs acquaint our selues with our good GOD by continuall and heartie prayer that by his goodnes wee may bee prepared against the day of his visitation to abide what in mercy he shall think good to lay vpon vs. The fearefulnes of fleshe and blood is such and the delight therof in worldly prosperity so great that aduersitie is not easily borne Imprisonment is accounted painefull but it is more painefull to enioy libertie vpon euill conditions The prisons are thought lothsome vnsauery but yet not more lothsome then the sweetest houses where the feare of God is wanting It is grieuous to man to be solitary and alone yet better is it to be so then in companie with the wicked It toucheth vs very neare to loose liuing and goodes but it shal be found to touch nearer to loose the fauour and grace of God We vse it as a common speech that life is sweete but most sweete and pleasant is it to loose this life full of mortall miseries to finde and enioye the life full of eternall ioyes We are loth to leaue our friendes wife and children but we must beware that in abiding with them wee stay not in the displeasure of our God These trials must needes come vpon vs and whosoeuer liueth to it is like to tast of thē But be of good cheare Whom the Lord loueth hee chastiseth euen to this ende that hee might call them to remember their sinnes and so runne by repentance to him and aske mercy and then he might pardon and forgiue them in respect wherof we are not to lamēt but to prayse the Lorde not to be dismaide but to be cōforted that our God wil vouchsafe to offer vs his crosse whereby he seeketh to traine vs vp to the place of endlesse ioye and comfort It is an assurance laide vp vnto vs that if we suffer we shall raigne If we confesse him before men in earth hee will confesse vs beefore his father in heauen If wee bee not ashamed of his Gospell heere he will not be ashamed of vs at the last daye Remember the words of our sauiour Christ in the. 5. of Mathew Blessed are they that suffer persecution for righteousnes sake for theires is the kyngdome of heauen Call to mynde that which Paule saith in the 8. to the Romaines The afflictions of this life are not to be compared to the ioyes of the lyfe prepared for you Wherefore seeing that euen in the crosse we beholde and see the mercie of our God which is more sweete and to be set by then any mucke or pelfe of this world yea much more then is life it selfe Let vs keepe on our course Let vs walke before our God in simplicitie of heart knowing this that not a heyre of heade can perish without the wil of our heauenly father neither can any man or diuel be able to attēpt any thing much lesse to do any thing to vs without the sufferance of the Almightie And when leaue is graunted they shall goe no further then he will Wherefore casting all our care vppon the Lord who careth sufficiently for vs Let vs lay aside all feare and onely studie whilest we liue heare to please him and to keepe our consciences cleane from the pollutions of this present age that both our minde and tongue our life and beliefe may be answerable to eche other and that for euer the word of truth may be a light to lighten our steps in the path of true holines The Lorde in the riches of his mercy impart vnto vs all such portion of his holy spirit that when the time of our tryall shall come and that the winde of persecution shall blow vpon vs we may be founde pure golde made clearer by the fornace perfect yron bryghtened by the fyle and good Wheate seuered from the light chaffe and so constantly continue Christ his faythfull souldiers and seruantes to our liues end And thus Madam haue I dedicated to your selfe particulerly a translated treatise as a pledge of my reuerend loue I beare you and to others generally a long and rude Epistle with it Your selfe I trust will accept my simple trauaile therin take it in good part and others I hope to whose handes this Epistle and treatise shall come will make fauourable construction thereof and will beare with all defectes therein whatsoeuer My desire was to warne encourage which how weakely soeuer it be perfourmed I trust it shall no whit hinder but rather further to so necessary a meditation that obtained I haue my desire beseeching God to open our eyes that we may see our deserts thereby know our perils and knowing the same may labour to meete the Lord by repentance before he come whether it bee for a time to scourge vs in iustice or to performe the last time of his comming in iudgement to euery one the portion allotted vnto him for his hire from the beginning which time of his comming the Lorde hasten to performe and fulfill for his electes sake Amen ¶ Grace mercie and peace from God our Father through our Lorde Iesus Christ I Was very glad deere brethren when I vnderstood how God of his goodnes mercie had visited you to the grace of the holy Gospell and to the knowledge of his truth and thereby to the cōmunion of his sonne Iesus Christ who is the treasure of all ages for this is a treasure conteyning immortall riches wherein lyeth all our blessednes and felicitie this is an inestimable benefite and the greatest wée coulde receiue of God Wherefore we haue good cause to giue him thankes for the same continually to the intent that by our ingratitude wee may not prouoke him to anger against vs nor stirre him vp or moue him to take from vs the talent which he hath giuen vs for we may well say of our selues that which Dauid said of himselfe and of all the people of God The Lorde hath not thus done to all nations neither hath hee manifested to them his iudgements When a king taketh some one into his seruice and giueth him some honorable office in his Court we thinke it a greate honour vnto him which is called to such a promotion and esteeme him greately beholding and bounde to the King Let vs then