mentioneth in the Acts of the Apostles who spent their liues in the building of Christes Church 8 After Christs death the cruell tyrant Nero the Emperor did persecute the Church most cruelly after whose time the Church was in some quiet but not long For Domitian the Emperour did persecute Christes Church to destroy his true religion most hainously Nerua his successor was friendly to the Christians Traian after him a cruell persecuter and enemie And then Hadrian after whose time the Church had rest for a while For shortly after the Christians that were in Asia and also in the West partes were cruelly disquieted Shortly after this time did England receiue the Christian Faith and was the first Countrey of all the world that receiued the Faith of Christ by publicke authoritie Lucius being the first Christian King But the puritie of Christes truth did not long here continue not much aboue one hundreth yeares 9 Seuerus the Emperour wrought all the meanes that might be to destroy Christes Church and to subuert the true Religion with most sharpe persecution after whose time there was some quiet But shortly after the cruell tyrant Maximinus did sore molest the faithfull and likewise after him Decius Gallus Hostilianus Lucius Valerianus Galienus granted the Christians peace Aurelianus did persecute them And Dioclesianus more like an infernall Serpent then an earthly man did as it were deuoure the Church most cruelly In this time was the greatest persecution that hath béen before the tormentors were much more weary in shedding the Christian blood and cruelly tormenting the faithfull thē the holy Martyrs were in suffering the paines There were in this persecution within thirty daies aboue seuentéene thousand Christians killed most spitefully Eusebius Eccle. Hist lib. 8. cap. 9. 10 But Constantine the good Emperour became a Christian set the Church in peace and was the first Emperour that did by publike authoritie put downe Gentilitie and truely maintained Christianitie But that lasted not long For within short time after Iulianus the Apostata béeing Emperour went about to vndoe all that Constantine had done vsed wonderfull pollicies to destroy the Christian Religion and did afflict the faithfull very gréeuously After this time the Church was gréeuously molested by the Arrians after with Humes Vandales Gothes and so continued many yeares till all good learning began wonderfully to bée decayed And at the length albeit the Church séemed to be at rest yet hath it béene euen vnto this day miserably afflicted and wonderfully defaced by two Vicars of the Diuell put in commission at one time about eight hundred years since The one Mahomet for the Eest the other Antichrist of Rome for the West The one forraine the other a more néere and domestical enemie to Christians For during these foure hundred yeares Rome hath béene Topheth and the valley of Hynnom and the very Altar whereon hath béen sacrificed the body of Gods children Whose tyranny and outrage is such that the Kings and Potentates of the world haue béene and are greatly damnified and iniured by her as appeareth by many notable pageantes which shée hath played afore our time among which this one shal serue for many 11 Pope Innocent being displeased with George Pogiebracius king of Bohemia for fauouring of Iohn Hus and his religion that is to say for playing the part of a godly Prince did excommunicate and depose him appointed his kingdome to Mathias But Fredericke the Emperour would not thereto consent and especially after the death of the aforesaid George when the Emperour and the Bohemians leauing out Mathias did nominate Vladislaus sonne of Casimirus King of Polonie to bée king of Boheme for the which great warre and trouble kindled betwéene him and Fredericke the Emperour wherein the Emperour had béene vtterly ouerthrown had not Albertus Duke of Saxonie rescued the Emperour and expressed the vehemencie of Mathias This fire of dissention being kindled by the terrible thunderbolt of the Popes Excommunication did yet a greater mischiefe For it hindered the sayd Mathias in his expeditiō against the Turkes wherein he should haue been set forward and aided by Christian Princes and Byshops The like curse and excommunication hath béen denounced by the Antichristian Byshop Pius Quintus for the like cause as wée all know against Q. Elizabeth but the same hath béen altogither turned to her her peoples good by him that can and will blesse where Baalam curseth What should I need to set before you the bloody broiles of France and of the Low-countries thereto adioyning wrought and brought to passe by this domestical enemy vnder the colour and name of a holy league therby to maintaine Idolatry and superstition and to roote out the religion and seruice of almighty God It is too too manifest they haue felt it all the world cannot but condemne it But what better can be expected Can any good come from Rome No verily For as Babylon is full of Ostriches as Africa yearely bréedeth some monster and as Sodome and Gomer sendeth forth yearely noysome stinches So the Church of Rome is the nource and fountaine which sendeth forth error treason rebellion and vtter desolation if it were possible of all christian kingdomes 12 Now weigh and consider with your selues this same briefe rehearsal of the seate of Gods church how the church of the Israelites was afflicted in the time of the kinges then carried into a strange country captiues after their returne and redeifiyng of the temple what great perils and troubles it sustained till after the dayes of the Machabees next consider the historie of Christ and the Acts of the Apostles After this the ten not able persecutions which the Church suffered vnder most cruell tyrants from the eight yeare of Nero by the space of thrée hundred and twenty yeers vnto the time of Constantine and from his time thrée hundred yeares after by the Arrians and barbarous Hunnes Vandals and Gothes by whose meanes good learning was decaied ignorance brought in and then marke with aduisement how that from that time hitherto Mahomet hath vsurped and afflicted the East Church and the Pope the West for he began to exercise his proud power ouer the Church about the same time that Mahomet brought in his religion Consider I say with aduisement in all these times how little while Gods Religion was maintained in the church what perillous changes were in the kingdome what excéeding cruelty was alwaies vsed against the people of God as though they had bin heretiques his word condemned as heresy and the cause of all euils and you shall easily perceiue that neither Gugall Silo nor Mispah can assure the Lords tabernacle any rest and that Religion kéepeth not her place and standing any long time 13 The vse and profite which is to bée made héereof vnto our selues is this that forsomuch as God hath giuen vnto vs his word and the ministerie thereof in such wise that we haue amongest vs blessed be his name therefore his true religion
Sonne into the world for mée and therefore hée wil not suffer mée to perish O man thou greatly deceiuest thy selfe Truth it is the promises of God are great and greater then thou canst well consider And yet they appertaine not to thee if thou canst make no better vse of them Thinke vpon that Prouerbe of Salomon Mel inuenisti Haste thou found honny eate not too much Haste thou the swéete and most comfortable promises of God in the Gospel vse them to thy comfort yet presume not therby to liue securely in sin For Iacob must change his garments before he can obtaine a blessing Gen. 27. Hester 2. And Hester must decke her selfe when she commeth into the presence of the King That is to say we must put off the garment of sinne by spéedy repentance we must be cloathed with vertue and godlines as pilgrims with Scrip and staffe for celestiall glory CHAP. VII Of the Remission of our sinnes by Christ and of our loue to our brethren AMong manifolde things which doe set foorth the wonderfull power and exceeding mercy of God there is nothing that doth so much expresse the same as doth the great mysterie of the Incarnation and Passion of Iesus Christ whereby we haue frée pardon and remission of all our sinnes and that Benediction whereof the Prophet speaketh saying Blessed are they whose sinnes are couered Psal 32. and whose iniquities are forgiuen 2 Wonderfull was the wisedome of God in the redemption of mankinde from the thraldome of sinne death and hell in that he hath made Mercy Truth Righteousnes and Peace to be conioyned in one 3 The first Adam sinned so damnation from the which neither he nor his posteritie could deliuer themselues God neuerthelesse will not haue Adam and his posteritie vtterly to perish therefore in vnspeakable mercie he deuiseth the meane that his Iustice and righteousnes might be satisfied and yet man saued No Saint nor Patriarch nor any other were he neuer so holy which came out of the loines of Adam were able to make satisfaction to God for that first trāsgression No Angel nor Archangel in heauen was fit to take this great taske in hand Because man had sinned Iustice required that man likewise should make satisfaction 4 Behold here then the infinite loue and mercie of God who for mans redemption sent his sonne from heauen Phil. 2. Luke 2. so far to bée abased as to take vppon him our flesh conceiued in the wombe of the holy virgin Marie by the holy Ghost Luke 2. that so of God man hée might be Emanuel that is one Christ in whome Mercie and Truth are met together Righteousnes Peace haue kissed each other 5 Of this great worke of wonder wherin God hath thus conioyned his mercie and his Iustice the Prophet long before prophesied thus Vnto vs a Childe is borne and vnto vs a Sonne is giuen and the gouernement is vppon his shoulder and hee shall call his name Wonderfull Isai 9. Counseller the mighty God the euerlasting Father the Prince of Peace 6 This childe our Emanuel and Iesus the Lords Christ approoued himselfe wonderfull in person in al his works Three things saith S Bernard are singularly wonderfull wonderfully singular that the Godheade and the Manhood should be vnited in one person that one should be both a Virgin and a Mother that faith should dwell in the heart of man things in nature and reason so contrarie 7 This wonderfull Christ is not to bée comprehended with corporal eyes alone and with a carnal heart but also with the eyes of a liuely faith whereby we haue remission of sinnes Iohn 3. For God so loued the world that he gaue his onely begottē Sonne that all that beleeue in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life 8 He then that will be saued must come to him Whosoeuer wil come to the father must come by him who not only is the way to life but is both the way and life For as ther was no come to be had in Aegipt but only by the handes of Ioseph who after long affliction was so highlie exalted so there is no grace nor life no remission no holie Ghost now to bée looked for but at the hands of our Crucified Ioseph Hée is the Brasen Serpent which onelie healeth the infernal serpents wounds Hée is that holy Temple where only God is to be worshipped and no where els without him ther is no hearing God no helping God no God for vs at all 9 Onely the Faith which is effectuall and auaileable to Iustifie vs before God is that whose obiect is the body and passion of Christ Iesus crucified Rom. 4. Act 16. whose frutes are the workes of charity Therfore saith the Apostle by faith cometh the inheritance as after grace bicause the promise might be firme and sure to al the seede 10 The meanes to haue this faith is the worde of God preached that hearing it wée may beléeue it to be the worde of life For so it is also manifest in the Acts of the Apostle Act. 10.44 Act. 4.4 where it is saide While Peter yet spake the Holie Ghoste fell downe vppon them which heard him Rom. 10.17 And Paule to the Romanes saith Faith commeth by hearing So as the Church preaching continually the worde of God by her ministers and offring reconciliation by Christ giueth remission of sinnes in that by the outwarde ministerie it pronounceth the same out of the word of the Scripture by the which through attentiue eares as through a Conduit both the grace and spirite of Christ do flowe in euen into our heart 11 As the word soundeth and is heard in the voice so in a visible and euident signe the sacraments do speake vnto the which we giuing credit obtaine in very deede that which they promise and signifie So that how often soeuer wée heare the worde or receiue the sacraments in faith remission of sinnes is assured vnto vs whereby no small faith is inwardly wrought in vs. 12 Thus then we sée that remission of sinnes is openly published by proclamation ratified by promise confirmed by will and testament stablished in blood and sealed with Sacraments And thus much concerning the first meane to get remission of sinnes 13 The second meane is Charitie in vs in pardoning and forgiuing the offences and 16 But they which haue the greatest iniuries done vnto them ought to be alwayes prepared and ready to forgiue according as we are taught in the Scriptures Eccle. 29 Haue the patience with him that humbleth himselfe and keepe not mercie from him Our Sauiour Christ commaundeth vs to forgiue our brother that offendeth seuentie times seuen times and which is more to loue our very enemies Also the Apostle Paul doth not only exhort vs to loue our enemies but also if they be hungry to féed them and if they thirst to giue them drinke Rom. 12. 17 Yet such is the corruption of our
the Prophets that did teach the trueth and the godly people that coÌ„fessed the same many years and yet all that time perswaded themselues that they had the true seruice of God and that their doings did much please God yea the face of Gods Church was so blemished and brought to such a small number of true professors that the Prophet Elyas complayneth that there was not one left but he himselfe alone whose life also they sought after Consider wil this historie and the working of God with his Church and true Religion The Prophet Samuel had taught the people the true seruice of God the worthie king Dauid maintained the same all his time but with great difficultie Salomon his sonne a Prince of most singular wisedom and knowledge perfectly instructed in the wayes of the Lord fel from God and corrupted Gods Religion with the false seruices inuented by man so that the Lord was so offended therwith that hée cut off from the rule of his posteritie the most part of the kingdome For the ten Tribes were neuer after him vnder the gouernance of his successioÌ„ neither did they afterward walke in the feare of God but in Idolatrie and false Religion till at the last God sent the Assyrians to inuade them in that wise that they ouercame them carried them forth of their owne countrey dispersed them in many countries among the heathen sent strangers to inhabite their land and so vtterly destroyed that kingdome 3 This was a fearefull iudgement of God where he had but one small kingdome in the whole world that bare the face of his Church where his true honour was maintained and that so dodainly of twelue tribes ten should fall from God to Idolatry and false Religion yea and the other also during all the time of Roboam and his sonne Abia after him so that during all this time there was not in the world any Church or people where the sincere Religion and pure word of God was receiued by publique authority and coÌ„mon order although God reserued alwaies some that priuatly serued him feared his name faithfully who were alwaies so hated and punished by the Idolaters that their liues were bitter vnto them 4 In those dayes did the Idolaters make the selfe same reasons arguments against the Prophets and their doctrine which Idolaters do make nowe against Gods people and his true Religion concerning generalitie The faithfull theÌ„ liued among those Idoters with no lesse perill and danger then the Christians haue done in Spaine and in other Countries where the Gospell hath not free passage The Prophets were then imprisoned and driuen out of their countrey like seditious heritiques the causers of all euill as the true preachers in some places of Christendome now are 5 After the death of the wicked Kinges of Iehuda God visited his people with some light of the truth by the meanes of Asa and King Iosaphat after him who restored although not perfectly the true Religion banished the false and destroyed the Altars of the Idolaters The which reformation was done not without great difficultie and trouble and continued but a small time in that same order For Ioram the sonne of King Iosaphat ouerthrew the true seruice of God condemned it and brought in the place therof the superstitions and Idolatries of the Kings of Israel and so the Church continued neuer perfectly reformed but alwayes afflicted till the time of Ezekias For although Aza Iosaphat Ioaz Amazias Vzzias Ioatham attempted a reformation and were indifferently good Kings yet was not the Church cleansed of all the Idolatries and false counterfait Religion as it appeareth by the Prophets Eâ—ia Amos Isai Osea Micha But the worthy King Ezechia in the first yeare of his raine began to reforme Religion brake downe and banished all Idols and Images hill Altars and what so euer was against Gods commandement restoring Gods true Religion after the rule of Gods word The which thing as he brought to passe not without great troubles and difficulties so it continued in puritie but a little time For his sonne wicked Manasses who raigned after him put away and did forsake the true way and brought in againe al manner of Idolatry false Religion did grieuously punish and persecute the faithful people and true Prophets Hée shed saith the Scripture innocent blood excéeding abundantly In like manner did his sonne Ammon also who raigned after him 6 This grieuous change remained thus vntill the good king Iosias made a newe and godly reformation which ought to be a glasse to all Princes to behold themselues in But this godly reformation of this good king did not continue for his sonne all the kings of Iuda after him forsooke the waies of God and restored againe the idolatrie and false religion of their fore-fathers and so continued till God sent the king of Babylon to destroy their Cittie Temple and countrey who also led them captiue into Babylon where they continued many yeares in great affliction as it appeareth by the Prophets Ieremie and Daniel so that in fiue hundred years and aboue in the dayes of all the kings of Iehuda Gods religion was set forth and receiued in publique order sincerely and perfectly and the contrary vtterly banished and abolished But in the times of Dauid Ezechias Iosias as Iesus the sonne of Syrach witnesseth All Kings except Dauid Ezechias and Iosias committed wickednesse For euen the Kings of Iehuda also forsake the lawes of God 7 With what difficultie and troubles Gods religion and true seruice was restored after the returne of Gods people from Babylon how short a time it coÌ„tinued in puritie what trobles grieuous persecutioÌ„s the true seruants of the Lord suffered it is partly set foorth in Esdras and Nehemiah after in Hester and then in Machabes And although vnto the comming of Christ there was an outward face and beautifull shewe of Gods religion among the Iewes yet was it so defaced and vtterly falsified with traditions of the Pharises who were at that time in estimation that Christ himselfe doth testifie that their seruice was but vain traditions of men Mat. 15. and the commandemnet of God was not obserued All that time there were no Prophets to instruct them in the right way for immediatly after the captiuitie al prophesying ceassed in Israel Nowe peruse the Historie of our Sauiour Christ in the foure Euangelists you shal perceiue in what state Christ found his true religion what paines and trauaile he tooke to restore the true sincere honouring of God with how great difficultie he brought it to passe and at the last how it cost him his life After whose death the crueltie of theÌ„ who would séeme to haue and maintaine the true honouring of God ceassed not but stirred most vehement persecution against the true Church of Christ and dispersed it thoughout all the worlde With what paines troubles and difficultie true Christianitie was planted and false Religion put awaye Saint Lucas partly