Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	word_n	world_n	writing_n	222	4	8.7026	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A08964	The tranquillitie of the minde A verye excellent and most comfortable oration, plainely directing euerye man, & woman, to the true tranquillitie and quyetnesse of their minde. Compyled in Latine by Iohn Barnarde, student in the Vniuersity of Cambridge, now lately translated into Englishe by Anthony Marten.; Oratio pia, religiosa, et solatii plena, de vera animi tranquillitate. English	Bernard, John, d. 1567?; Marten, Anthony, d. 1597.	1570 (1570)	STC 1925; ESTC S101618	90,089	234

wyth suche as sporte dallye and tryfell in waightye matters and for boast of their learning wit and eloquence make disputation hereof amidst their vaine pleasures The boundes also how farre we must intreate of ought to be considered so farre must we determine to go as the capacitie of our witte will serue and no farther than the hearers shall be able to beare away For as a boystous noyse or hedious sounde greeueth the héering ouer aboundaunce of meate noyeth the stomack gréeuous burthens the bearer continuall rayne the earth and ouermuch of anye thing is noysome and hurtfull so doe difficult questions quickly ouercharge weake and meane wittes I doe not discourage any from reading of Scriptures which thing I thinke as necessarie for the safetie of the soule as breath for the lyfe of the bodie but I reuoke them from disputation not from that which is godly but from the immoderate and intempestine maner thereof We may not sing the Lords song in a straunge lande that is to say not euerie where and where it is not lawfull to be done To much Hony cloyeth the stomake The winter flower commeth out of season It besemeth not a woman to weare the garment of a man nor yet a man a womans garment .. Mourning cannot beséeme the place of mariage nor mirth the time of funerall If in euerye thing that which chieflye pertaineth vnto it best becommeth the same how much more then doth it so in the vse of the Scriptures We must not runne a heade as if we were wild Coltes which can neyther suffer the bridle nor away with their Rider We must not declyne on this side least we returne to Egipt nor on the other side least we be caryed into Babilon but euer loue to be reading and alwayes exercising the lawe of God both night and day at morning euening and noonetide from bedde to rysing againe while we be in the way and in all our businesse Oftentimes among godly men after the example of the two disciples going to Emaus continually must we be talking with Iesus both by the way and in euerie place euermore glorifying God. Furthermore the euiles which by reason of sinne are brought into the worlde ought neyther to quaile our minde nor yet fray vs from constantnesse that thereby we shoulde the lesse firmelye repose our selues in the knowne truth And let vs resolue within our selues that the same is the heauenly doctrine which the sonne of God taught the Apostles Euangelistes and Prophetes by inspiration of the holy ghost comprehended in writing and which the church of Christ hath faithfully kept Who after she had so gréeuously bidden that hir Pastors were sléepers and that preaching was intermitted and so long lay hid at the last when the same reuiued againe she acknowlegde it and receiude it with longing and as it were with imbrasing armes It is no new and strange thing that the word of God and true religion shoulde be counted the cause of miseries misfortunes calamities tumultes commotions and of priuate and publike distructions The people which were in Egipt being giuen to Idolatrie in their aunswere which they made to Ieremie alleaged that the misery and scarcenesse which they were in was bycause they had seased to burne incense to the Quéene of heauen and to offer Sacrifice vnto hir for that they had turned to the true God euen their owne God. Achab complayned that the kingdome of Israell was troubled about Helias The lande coulde not abide the wordes nor beare the sayings of Amos. The preaching of Amos was cause of all their disquietnesse Paule with the Authors of his turmoyle disturbe the whole worlde It comes to passe also oftentimes that the true preacher of the Gospell togither with the truth it selfe of the Gospell is made the very outcast and cursse of the worlde In the olde tyme when Christes religion first grue vp all euilles were so whole imputed therevnto that it became a common prouerbe among the Romaines Doth there lack raine the Christians are cause thereof Verily the Ethnickes in times past transferred the common misfortunes which chaunce in mans lyfe to the enuie of Christians and iudged them to be cause of all publike distruction and discommodities of the people Which most fonde opinion both Cyprian in a fewe wordes to Demetrian doth reprehende and Tertulian in these few lines insuing discribeth If Tiber saith hée runne ouer the walles if Nylus doth not ouerflowe the féeldes if the heauens stande still if the earth mooue if pestilence and famine come vpon men they crye out by and by away with the Christians to the Lions with them Yea those also which were learned and brought vp in liberal sciences to the intent they might make the ignorant more cruel towards the Christians dissembled their knowledge affirmed to the people that the distructions miseries whereby it was expedient that by spaces appointed both of times places mankind shoulde be tormented happened by meanes of the christian name and bycause the same was sprede abrode with so wonderful fame and renowme to the defaceing of their Gods. Wherevpon that wicked Porphirius coniectured that the worshipping of Christ was cause of the plague that so long reigned in his time and for that Aesculapius and the rest of their Goddes which should haue succoured them were neglected Wherefore it is no maruell if the very same thing happen to the heauenlye doctrine in these dayes since now it reuiueth againe which chaunced in the olde time euen when the same first sprong and increaste Besides this also the multitude of heresies that by cruell spirites are raysed vp here and there ought nothing at all to seduce vs from the right fayth nor so much preuaile as they should make vs refuse to heare the voyce of Christ spred abroade in euery place by the true preachers of the Gospell and to suffer our selues willingly to be blinded with errors For it is no maruell as after the appearing of the Sunne so many stinging flies and venimed wormes ensue the same if at the preaching of the Gospell a number of monstruous follyes and damnable errors accompanie the same When as among the good séede that the sonne of man shall sowe the enuious man which is the Deuill will mingle cockle And euen in the Apostles tyme these errors appeared no lesse hurtfull than now in our age Iohn the Euangelist by Saint Ieromes opinion at the request of the Bishoppes of Asia last of all wrote his Gospell agaynst Cerinthus of whom came the Cerinthians which sayd that the world was made by Aungels and agaynst other heretykes but especially agaynst the sect of the Hebionites who affirmed that christ was not before Mary Wherevpon he was compelled to set forth his diuine natiuitie He testifieth also of the Nicholaitans who allowed the copulation of women What a traueyle susteyned Saint Paule agaynst those of Corinthe which denyed the resurrection of the

He confessed oftentimes that hée was persecuted by his mothers Image and with the cruell scourgis firie whips of the furies in Hell. And moreouer by a detestable deede of the Magis attempted to call vp hir spirite againe to pacifie hir It is sayde that Appollidor thought wyth himselfe in a dreame howe he sawe his owne skinne pulde from him and his members by little and little cut awaye and also that his daughters were all their bodies ouer on a light fire turning and daunsing about a circle Hipparcus also the sonne of Phylastratus a little before his death dreamed that he sawe bloud sprincle vpon his face out of a certaine péece of plate If I should call to remembraunce the reast of the examples which be of lyke sorte Paper woulde not suffice to continue the same Truely an euill conscience in the mynde is lyke a sore in the body It is contriued thorow default not conuayde in by casualtie It mightily dismayeth the minde and continually tormenteth the same with deadly griefes of pensiue remembraunce After that Alexander that noble king and fortunate spoyler of the world had cruelly slaine Calistenes and caused Clytus his familier to be killed the one bycause he refused after the Persian maner to worship him as God and the other bicause he preferred the Actes of king Philip his father before his there entered into him afterward such a sore repentaunce through remorse of his sinnes as hardly it scaped him that he had not killed himselfe What should I speake of Sylla that oppressed the Romaynes of Antiochus that with warres ouercame the Indes eyther of which for the vnhonestie of life which through shedding of bloud and beastly crueltie they stayned and polluted did perishe with the ougly disease of Lice and pined awaye with the grieuous and defestable torment of conscience To this number I maye referre Herod that put Iames to the sworde thrust Peter in prison and to please the Iewes stirred vp persecution against the Christians But at last being striken by the Aungell was eaten of wormes and after grieuous affliction by the wounde of his conscience miserablye gaue vp the ghost I cannot here altogither passe ouer with silence those which dally with God in most graue and weightie matters which wilfully for gaine and honors sake eyther resist or forsake the truth which repeale any thing manifestly agaynst the worde of God and binde their consciences either to the wicked betraying refusing or vtter denying of Christ by othe For euen as peace by the promise of God doth attende vpon the true Israelites who are the constant professours and mainteyners of christian pietie euen so the beguylers false working Epicures enimies to Christes Crosse whose bellie is their God and earthly things their studie bewitching men from beleuing the truth which they resist as Iannes and Iambres did Moyses declining also from the way of glorie and led to the desire of ryches Such doth God with the workers of iniquitie turne into their owne reprobate imagination with a rewarde worthie of such a fault will the iust Iudge once make recompence vnlesse they repent earnestly from the bottome of theyr heart For what for Cannonships Prebendes Deanryes Benifices Bishoprikes or some other temporall commoditie they eyther resist or forsake Christ or else they deale with the preaching of the Gospell which tendeth to the saluation of our soules as with a prophane thing and in a mattter so weighty behaue themselues vnfaythfullye and muche lyke to disloyall fugitiues Or else they will ambiciouslye séeke in the holye scripture which waye to please the vaine appetites of the people vaunting of the pregnancie of their owne wit and learning and boasting of their eloquence and yet in time of persecution will be the first that shall start aside from the knowne truth and so to the great fall of the weaker sort fowly and shamefully betray the doctrine which before they did worthily professe But surely they shall neuer escape frée vnpunished for so great a contumely wherin they go to about beguile god and to dim his eyes as they tearme it neither yet in such sort departing and forsaking the wholsome doctrine they shall euer escape from the handes of the liuing God and his fearefull maiestie whom they haue dishonoured This was felt of Latonius this did wretched Spera both by his wordes teach vs and by his example plainly lay before our eyes if wryters in their bookes haue shewed vs the truth The Apostles in the primatiue Church committed such persons by the word to Sathan that he might haue power to persecute their bodyes who once perceyuing that neyther they should haue rest in their bodyes while they yet lyued neyther in their spirite being departed they might be reclaymed thereby and so through long repentaunce attaine to saluation no greater torment nor vexation more grieuous coulde be imagined then was bidden by them which disloyallie departed from Christ being so vexed with the bitter anguish of conscience as they had no rest neyther day nor night so much as to breath vpon the same or to be at any staye of quiet minde But I will no lenger stand vpon the impedimentes and lettes which hinder the peaceable tranquillitie that all men so busily séeke for Who is he nowe that if he had subdued all Nations vnder heauen if he had gotten all the worlde in possession woulde not lay aside all dominion and willingly surrender vp the empyre of the worlde to the intent he might quiet his afflicted conscience and washe awaye the griefes and blemishes thereof which neuer suffers the minde once to take breath Let vs therefore séeke out where and from whence that excellent quietnesse of the minde is to be looked for which doth not onely appease the carefull cogitations and thoughts of the conscience but also slakes and kéepes vnder the raging affections of the same and besides doth make easie and tollerable whatsoeuer else doth eyther hurt the bodie or any other outwarde chaunce that happeneth to arise Omitting the erronious opinions of the ignoraunt which alwayes throughout euery age as it were swallowed vp a number and led them from the right race of life let vs beginne with an other kinde of stile returning to Christ and his worde to the trade of a good life the testimonie of a good conscience to speake of eternall life and of the manifolde consolation had by the Saints Of which I promised to intreate more at large afterwarde The scriptures declare and in plaine wordes beare record that Iesus doth saue his people from their sinnes That he is the lambe of God which takes away the sinnes of the worlde That he is the blessed séede of Abraham in whom all the generations of the earth shoulde bée blessed who shoulde breake of and treade downe the heade of the Serpent throughe whose subtiltie our first parents were allured to sin That he is the saluation of God from sea to sea and

but the same which I commaund you to doe that onely doe vnto the Lorde neyther adding nor diminishing anye thing Let vs heare the voyce of our sauiour Search the Scriptures sayth he c. they are the same that testifie of me Let vs follow the example of those which were conuerted vnto Christ in the beginning when the church first sprong vp who examined the doctrine of the Apostles by the Scriptures and out of them searched forth throughly the preaching of the Apostles whether it were true or no. The same way whereof I haue now giuen aduertisement I iudge méete among other things that the louers of the truth shoulds chiefly doe Thus did Chrysostome aduise vs And faint Ierome also by the wordes of the Prophete gathers and foreshewes that the people in the ende of the worlde should no lesse doe of their owne accorde whose wordes although they be somewhat long yet bicause they haue very great relation to the matter I will recite them in thys place When ye shall sée sayth he the abhomination of desolation standing in the holye place as much to saye as wicked herifie which is the hoste of Antichrist standing in holy places of the Church at those dayes let them which be in Iewrie flie vnto the Mountaynes that is let them which be of Christianitie repayre to the scriptures For euen as a true Iewe as saint Paule sayth is a Christian not he which is a Iewe outwardly but he which is a Iewe inwardly in the heart so true Iurie is christianitie vnder which name is to be vnderstand confessing And by the Mountaynes are signified the scripture of the Apostles and Prophetes Of which it is sayde wonderfully doest thou giue light from thy holy hill And agayne speaking of the Church Hir foundation sayth he is layde vpon the holy hils And why doth he will all Christians at this time to repayre to the scriptures Bicause neuer to this verie day since heresies haue entered into those Churches there could be any prouse of true Christianitie nor any other refuge can there be for the Christians which woulde know the truth of the fayth but to the scriptures of god Wherefore bicause verie herisies themselues in shew of wordes haue all those things which are peculiar to Christ in the truth aswell churches as the godly scriptures themselues Bishops and other orders of Church men Baptisme the Eucharist and all the rest and finally euē Christ himselfe Whosoeuer therefore is willing to know which is the true Church of Christ how shall he knowe the same in such a confusion of likenesses but all onely by the scriptures euen as in tymes past they were knowne by signes and tokens who were the true Christians and who were the false But nowe the working by myracles is all taken awaye and it is spide rather to be a trade among those which be false Christians He therefore that will learne whiche is the true Church of Christ howe shall he know but all onely by the scriptures The Lord therfore knowing what a great confusion of things woulde happen in the latter dayes willeth the Christians which be in Christianitie and would vnderstande a sertentie of the true fayth that they should flie to no other thing than to the Scriptures For else if they haue respect to other matters they shall fall and perishe not vnderstanding which is the true Church For the Deuill which could not with diuers afflictions ouercome the saintes being ouercome in his owne crueltie armed himselfe with deceyt and vnder the name of Christ and the Prophetes attempted to seduce them saying by his Ministers Behold here is Christ which is the Church Beholde there is Christ which is the Church For the false Preachers of the truth doe the verie same things in dissimulation which the faythfull doe in the truth For they studie chastitie they celebrate fasting they doe almes déedes and fulfill all ecclesiasticall rules And do they not séeme to be great matters to seduce and lead men from the right way when thou séest the Deuill worke the workes of God Thus farre Saint Chrysostome in his Cōmentaries vpon Mathew which if they be not Chrysostomes yet are they the doings of some other learned and cloquent man one so exercised in the Scriptures as in Erasmus opinion his iudgement in this poynt néede not giue place to Chrysostome And Saint Hierome wryting vpon the thirde Chapter of the Prophet Nahum foresheweth most truely that it woulde come to passe in the ende of the worlde when as the Pastors being sléepie and secure in ydlenesse the people shoulde séeke after the scriptures of their owne accorde For woe be to them saith he which bée schoolemaisters of peruerse doctrine in Niniue And aptly is it sayde to them Thy Pastors haue slumbred for to sléepe haue they betaken their eyes and their eye lids to slumber And therefore being brought a sléepe by the King of Assyrians they haue not founde a place for the Lorde nor a tabernacle for the God of Iacob They haue not hearde of Ephraim the fruitful church nor haue founde out the thicke woodes For the King of Assyrians knoweth that hée cannot beguile the shéepe vnlesse he first rocke the pastors a sléepe It is alwayes the Deuills practise to bring a sléepe vigilant mindes And moreouer in the passion of our Lord he filled the Apostles eyes wyth deadly sléepe Whome our Sauiour waking sayde vnto them watch and praye that you enter not into temptation And agayne that I say vnto you I say vnto al watch And bycause he seaseth not at any time to bring a sléepe those which be watchfull howe many soeuer they can beguile and intise to sloth with the faire flattering and deadlye tune of the Marmaide The worde of God rayseth them vp saying rise thou that sléepest and lift vp thy sefe and Christ will lighten thée In the comming therefore of Christ and his worde and ecclesiasticall doctrine and at the consumation of Niniue sometime the beautifull harlot the people which before were brought a sléepe vnder their teachers shall be wakened and shall make hast to go to the mountaines of the scripture and there they shall finde the hilles Moyses and Iesus the sonne of Naue and the hilles of the Prophetes and Apostles togither with the Euangelicall doctrine and hill of the newe testament And when they haue fled for succor to these mountaines and haue béene occupied in the reading of these hilles If they shall finde none to instruct them bycause the haruest is great and the laborers but few yet shall both their studie be well allowed bycause they fledde to the mountaynes and the maisters for their partes blamed by reason of their sluggishnesse For he brought them in but there was none to receyue them Wherefore they that be studious and desirous of the truth first of all must here the worde of God euen the verye same worde which Adam Abraham the fathers

became weake and sicke and sléepe till the iudgement of the Lord which thing Paule testifieth in the .xj. to the Corinthians to haue hapned most iustly in his time what haue we wicked generation a people loden with iniquitie a deceytfull séede the lost children deserued who haue forsaken the Lorde our God and prouoked the holye one of Israell trayterously reuolting from him The Nobles haue béene vnfaythfull and companions with théeues they gaue no iudgement with the orphane the widowes and poores cause hath had no place before them Euery one from the least to the greatest hath loued taking of giftes They haue gaped after filthie gaine and couetousnesse Ambicion and robbing of the poore haue had their swinge Charitie and liberalitie towardes the destitute haue waxen colde Euerye one hath néede to beware of his next neighbour No man can safely giue credite to his owne brother for fayth honestie and conscience haue béene banished Among the whole multitude of the flocke there hath scarcely béene found one plaine friend of the truth But euen as before the destruction of Ierusalem for that he desired to spare his people and the place of his habitation he sent his Messengers betymes in the morning which seased not to cal them backe saying Returne ye wandring children confesse your iniquitie and your starting a side will I heale againe Euen so did the Preachers of Gods worde before this sodaine chaunge of state neuer more often more earnestly more boldely and vehementlye crye out and preache repentaunce fearing the people from theyr sinnes But neuerthelesse wyth theyr threatning they haue not made our hearts to yéelde We haue not thought vpon turning to the Lord in all our heart with wéeping fasting and lamenting We haue not repented earnestly and in good fayth In acknowledging our faultes we haue not giuen the glorie to God but being past shame with a stiffe necke with vncircumcised hartes and eares haue abidden still in our smnes We haue not submitted our selues vnder the mightie hande of God nor disposing our mindes to vnderstande what his life is haue bewayled our owne miserable condition saying from the bottome of our heartes we haue sinned Lord we haue wickedly departed from thée we haue done vniustlye we haue committed iniquitie In thy wrath O Lorde remember thy mercie space vs Lorde spare thy thy people and let not thine inheritance be a reproch to the worlde c. Nay rather we haue followed the example of the Iewes which scorned the messengers of God mocked his Prophetes and derided their Sermons vntill such time as the wrath of God was kindled against his people and no remedie could be founde Likewise we haue most shamefully derided the worde of God haue dispised the Ministers of Christ and haue counted them as madde men their prophecies being the true Oracles of God as the successe and ende of them haue verified we haue wickedlye esteemed to be but vaine fables and lyes Iustly therfore are we scourged For the Lorde hath taken away his kingdome from vs and gyuen it to a people working their owne workes He hath taken from vs the cléere light and sent darkenesse among vs Hée hath taken the candlesticke from vs and appoynted a hunger of his worde But not pacified onely with this punishment he hath also threatned desolation of Cities distructions ouerthrowes wastings and ruynes vpon which ensue losse of goods committing of adultry defloration of daughters besides the miserable leadinges into captiuitie by barberous nations Ye and more gréeuous than al these he assigneth vnto such as be obstinate and vngodly contemners of his worde and doe omit charitie and other good workes aboue mentioned And if for all this they will not repent he pronownceth that it shal be worse to them in the day of iudgement than to Sodom and Gomorrha But the sincere louers of the truth when contrarie wise the stubberne and disobedient by Gods iust iudgement are blinded shall sée light in darckenesse and among déepe errors shall spye out the light of the worde which worde shall be their guyde and shall make the way plaine vnto them least the féete of the Sainctes stumble against the darke mountaines These men shining in good works before the blindnesse of mortall men shall by shewing the true worde of the Gospell shake off the darckenesse of errors and by warning exhorting and reproouing the workes of darkenesse shall bring backe the shéepe of Christ often straying from the right course pathway vnto that one blessed flocke of true Christians These men also that the Deuill if it be possible may suppresse he stretcheth out his threates and terrors of gréeuous persecution against them that the preaching of the Gospell eyther by ridding such out of the way or by their consent vnto an vntruth might vtterly be put to scilence But he finally preuayleth by his violent meanes Lyttle doth he aduantage by his cruell and blouddie assaults to ouerthrow Gods seruants and to vanquish the truth For the Church of God and christian religion haue euermore augmented thorowe persecution and by the verye same meanes that other things haue bene extinguished and brought to nothing they haue growne and increased Which thing Saint Augustine excellently well declareth in a certaine Epistle of his to Volusyan When tyrannous infidelitie sayth he speaking of the first famous professors and teachers of Christs religion rageth against them they wayte for things foreshewde they hope vppon promises they teach the commaundementes of a small number they are spread ouer the worlde they conuert the people with maruellous facilitie they increase amongst their enimies they waxe more and more with persecution through grieuous affliction they are caryed out to the endes of the earth By those which are most vnlearned most abiect and least of number they are brought to fame to renowme and are multiplyed The most excellent wyttes the trymmest eloquence the wonderfull cunning of wise eloquent and learned men of the worlde they doe bring vnder Christ and conuert to preache the way of godlynesse and saluation Through aduersitie and prosperitie which chaunce in the course of times they throughly exercise themselues both in pacience and temperaunce The worlde drawing nowe towardes an ende and declaring manifestly by the féeblenesse of things the last age of the same men doe wayte for eternall felicity in the heauenly habitation and with much greater confidence bycause the same is porficied of before Also amongst all other things the infidelitie of wicked nations stormes against the church of Christ but she through pacience and stedfast professing of faith amidst the crueltie of resistaunce hath the ouer hande Wherefore rightlye did one vtter that noble sentence boldelye and without feare he declared it that the bloud of Martires is the seede of Christes religion But now that wée haue largely inough set forth how and in what maner euery man ought to behaue hymselfe to finde out the truth in the troublesome time

away with preaching of the worde of God as a thing of naught and contemne and settes little by the threatning concourse of Kings and whisperings of Princes against the Lord and against his Christ and by no torments can they be drawne away and made with lesse will courage or chéere to professe the truth vnto their last ende Wherefore by the continuall remembraunce of such causes as mooue the Lorde to bring afflictions and troubles vpon his elect we shall be incouraged to beare all things that shall happen both with a pacient and quiet minde and eyther to reioyce if in defence of righteousnesse we be vnrighteously punished or else take occasion if we be iustly and of due desert chastised to correct our maners and amende our lyfe thereby Let it fall to oure remembraunce that as a woman which lyeth in labour féeleth great anguish in hir whole body with the trauell but after she is deliuered and hir childe come into the worlde is not onely eased of hir paine but also taketh singuler ioy and pleasure by forgetting hir former trouble euen so affliction which at first is woont to séeme sharpe and bitter yet at length it accustometh to worke ioyfull and merrie endes with delectable fruites of pacience Let vs neuer ymagine in our owne opinion that there is eyther chaunce or fortune and so suppose things happen by easualtie and at all aduenture although no religion as may appeare forbids those wordes by fortune or chaunce to be vsed in phrase of speach when thinges come to passe nay but let vs thinke and perswade with our selues that there is a God and iudge for a suretie that all things by his councell and prouidence are excellently well gouerned It is the Lorde that appointes vs to death and restores vs againe to life He carieth vs downe to hell and bringeth vs from thence againe The Lorde maketh both the poore and riche He exalteth the humble and casteth dewne the high lookes of the prowde Through him kinges doe beare rule and by him kingdomes are transtated from one Nation to another for their wrongs and contumelies and for their riches compassed by fraude and guile Without the will of our heauenly father our sauiour affirmeth in the Gospell that so much as a sparrow doth not light vpon the house top nor that a heare falleth from the heade but by his prouidence And what carefull foresight the Lorde hath towarde his elect he himselfe doth plainely signifie vnto vs in these wordes of the Prophete Esay I haue borne you sayth he from your mothers wombe and brought you vp from your birth till you were growne and the Church will I beare vp in hir last age I haue made you I will also nourishe you beare you and saue you Wherefore the Lorde is angrie when we flie to the succor of man leauing Gods helpe Which thing we may well perceyue by the saying of the sayde Prophet An Egyptian is a man and not God their horses are flesh and not spirites and so soone as the Lord shall stretch foorth his hande then shall the helper fall and he also that looketh for helpe shal perish and both togither be consumed Let vs learne therefore with great trust and confidence to wayte for the assistance of God and onely to respect what his will and pleasure is to endure also with a quiet minde whatsoeuer his heauenly prouidence most graciously shall assigne vnto vs. Let vs follow the councell of that holye Martyr Cyprian who instructeth a godly minde howe he should turne euilles aswel those which be ingraffed in the verie nature of man as those which by other accidents happen vnto him to become an instrument of glorie For thus he wryteth Is any man ransackt of his substaunce either by warre shipwracke or by robberie Let him not deuise by and by to repayre his losses by naughtie and euill practises but thus let him say with him selfe It is the Lorde that prooueth me and shall I not loue him from the bottome of my hart It is euen he himselfe that gaue me these things and he himselfe it is that hath taken them awaye againe blessed be the name of the lord Let him giue thanks for that he receyued them of Gods bountifull liberalitie and let him also giue him thankes bicause they be taken away againe for triall of his fayth If he shall thus say with the same minde and will that holy Iob did he shall with him also reape a rewarde For the Lorde regardeth not how much a man looseth but how paciently he beareth the same Like as he hath not respect to the quantitie that a man giueth to the poore but with what will and intent the same be done Hast thou one onely sonne whome thou louest and sodayne death doth depriue thée of him or doth the plague take frō thée thy best beloued spouse thy children and thy friendes take it paciently and saye So it séemed best to the Lorde and so peraduenture it was expedient for vs and ours the Lordes name be blessed therefore There be also certaine diseases whiche are of no lesse terrible paine than the crueltie of any tormentors As the Plurisie the Sciatica the Goute the Stone the Paulsie the sorenesse of the raynes and bladder If any such griefe happen vnto vs let not our mindes be mooued to impacience least our tongue also breake out into blasphemous wordes But let him that is troubled saye with blessed Dauid and with Hely the Priest It is the Lord Let him doe whatsoeuer séemeth good in his owne sight So shall we turne those euilles which are not come vpon vs for professing of Christ not onely to be a crowne of rewarde vnto our selues but also to be extended to the glorie of Christ and peraduenture bring to passe that the Lorde through our pacience will tender vs and either take away quite or else mittigate our paine and torment But and if we be not eased thereof yet by suche meanes we shall cause the thing which before was intollerable through our impacient minde nowe by our quiet induring to become more tollerable Let wicked murmurings therefore in time of aduersitie be remooued from vs which be full of desperation and mistrust and most euident tokens of peruerse opinions according to the excellent iudgement of this graue wryter Let vniust complaynings agaynst the Lorde be reiected farre from vs Let vs subiect our selues vnder the mightie hande of god Lette vs receyue his gentle correction with a quiet minde who hath neuer suffered vnpunished such wrestling as hath béene agaynst his ordinaunce and appoyntment Let enery man that is full of paine trouble and miserie say with the Prophete Micheas I will beare the wrath and indignation of God bicause I haue sinned against him And with Daniell To thée Lord belongeth righteousnesse and to vs perteyneth shame and confusion Let vs fall to heartie and earnest prayer and to continuall exercise of the