desire kindeleth of delaie and vnderstādinge encreaseth of desire We must aske we must seeke we muste knocke Our lorde hath saide Aske you and you shal receaue Seeke and you shal finde Knocke and the doore shal be opened Wee must perseauer eager and feruente in prayer not doubtinge but in tyme we shal receaue what we aske in tyme we shal finde what wee seeke and after wee haue knocked the doore wil be opened That sweete ladie of consolatiō and quene of comforte with al the heauenlie courte to whom you so often poure forthe your mourninge plaintes wyl not wante to make intercession for you before the throwne of his maiestie Theire praiers wyl not faile but gaine you comforte in your distresses And assure your selues that God wyl heare you and them for you for he is al wayes nighe to them that be afflicted Christe may seeme longe a sleepe to you that be afflicted to you it may seeme timelie that Christe take pitie of his churche so pitiouslie afflicted with heresie and tyrannie But it is not our parte to appointe him time he knoweth beste what is necessarie for vs To him wee muste humble our soules and praye for suche times as may be moste for his honor It was saide to them of Bethulia Vnderstande you that God vvil heare your prayers yf stil you perseuere in fastinge and prayer God almightie hath appointed tyme and knoweth when and how to deliuer the Godlie out of temptation After a storme he maketh fayre wether After weepinge and heuines he geueth mirthe and ioye The shippe hath ben shaken with no lesse stormes at other times then at this time Christe quieted those and Christe wil quiet thes Doubte you not but he wil bringe his trobeled freindes throughe the middes of thes tempestes and repose them in quiet hauen I conclude with thes considerations Christians are nowe put together as it were in apotte ouer the fire to be tried as goulde is tried from other metalles The fire flameth the pot seetheth the waters be thicke the scombe is caste awaye Catholikes are in the forge vnder the workemans hande to be refined They are in the forge not as coles that burne and turne to ashes but as golde that is tried The forge is the worlde you are the golde tribulation is the fire God is the worke man. The Christian catholike life consisteth in sufferinge wee must not therfore doo our owne wil but the wil of god And amonge men wee must eyther suffer the rulers wil or theire power their wil to order vs or theire power to punishe vs And then the consequēce is eyther to haue victorie in this worlde or to surrender this life to inherite the life euerlastinge The sureste waye to come into the peaceable porte of our countrie towarde which wee saile tossed in many tempestes is to remaine in the shippe and in the same to trace the true wayes of them that haue gon before to treade in their steppes and to become heires of their vertues Hard thinges may be mollified straite thinges may be loused and heauie thinges shal litle greue them that can beare them hansomlie Thoughe God suffer for a time the wicked to rage and the hypocrite to raigne yet the same hande that woundeth heyleth the same hande that presseth refresheth Godes pitiful grace wyl quenche the firebrandes asswage the rage and releue the innocentes The wisedome of the worlde maketh worldlie heades deffecte from god Good mens heartes be create of God and be resteles in the worlde but when they reste in God. As there is but one God one faithe and one baptisme so is there but one Christe one churche and one religion No faithe can profite but that one which is the catholike Romaine faithe confessed in the catholike Romaine churche that is but one vnder one heade The Lutheran the Caluinian and Puritan faithe is a newe no faithe a newe no religion founded vpon mannes fancie without Godes worde or authoritie It hath no churche no bishoppe no prieste no aulter no sacrifice and consequentlie no God. And they of this newe no faithe hauinge no grounde in Christe nor of his churche dissente in their owne groundes without vnitie from veritie You haue the groundes of Christe You haue the authoritie of Christes churche You haue the testimonies of Christes sainctes You haue the confirmations of general councelles With you is the vniforme consente of the people of god With you is the publike practise of the Christian worlde You should not be discomforted to suffer for such a cause as hath so manye greate so manye good and so sufficience groundes for suche a cause I saye as with which concurre so manye comfortes As that you sustaine the greateste cause under the cope of heauen the common cause of Christes catholike churche the cause of religion which is the supreme seruice and soueraigne honor that you can offer vnto god That God maketh you worthie geueth you grace to confesse and fortitude to suffer That you enioye in the vnitie of Christes churche the bountie of his blessinges That you be safe in this churche throughe the mightie power of your guides and rulers That you be pertakers of al praier of al sacrifice of al good workes and shal be pertakers of Christes deathe and merites That in sufferinge you be daylie crowned that you haue victorie and shal haue rewarde That in sufferinge your vertues be exercised and your merites encreased That you suffer directelie for iustice that you suffer but for a time That by suffering God maketh you lowe to bringe you to the highest maketh you ritche in faithe and turneth your temporal punishemēte to your spiritual benefite That you ouercome the worlde that you shal not be condemned with the worlde That you be open confessors That you haue secrete martyrdome that you haue al possible comfortes with which faithe is strengthened to make you opē Martyres Yf any of you take comforte in any of thes comfortes geue the praise to God and cal vpon him in al your pressures and sufferinges God wil be your helpe and God muste be your hope Yf there be remedie it wil once fal yf there be none thanke God of al. Beleue wel and liue wel Do wel and die wel that you may die to liue with god God the father of al mercies and the God of al comforte comforte you in al your tribulation with the same comforte wherwith our selues are comforted of God. Fare you wel At Louaine the last of September 1579. A Prayer Almightie God father of al mercies and God of al comforte haue mercie on vs the afflicted members of thy catholike churche Forgeue vs our synnes geue vs tyme to do penance grace to resiste synne and peace to serue thee in holynes Comforte vs that be thy prisoners reliue vs that be straingers in dispersion succour al that be afflicted for confessinge thy holie name Make vs worthie to suffer geue vs strengthe to beare and constancie to confesse Let no feare
to you that suffer for religion such cōfortes as I labored to gaine to my selfe in the greate trobles of thes countries wherin were vsed manye mischeuous meanes to deface religion Firste thē recognise you with me why and for what cause you suffer Yf you suffer for any horrible facte or enormious synne the name of God is blasphemed emong you Yf you suffer for murther thefte or sacrilege you suffer with dishonor shame and synne Yf you be felons there is an haulter yf you be traitors there is an axe yf you be heretikes there is a stake fagot and fire But the cause of your sufferinge is knowen and by your knowē actes testified to the maiestie of the christian worlde It is knowen that you suffer as christiās for Christes sake that you suffer as catholikes for the catholike faithe and that you suffer as open christians and cōfessant catholikes You stode in the firste fronte against the violent innouation of religion You were depriued of honors of lordeshippes of landes and liuelehood You haue sustained great and longe affliction you sustaine yet disgrace imprisonmet and banyshemēt And why is it a faute to be a christian Is it sinne to confesse the faithe of Christe or is it blame worthy to be a member of Christes catholike churche If you be christians yf you be catholikes yf you be afflicted christian catholikes for the catholike religion If I saye when you stande in thes termes there be no other cause why you suffer then surelie you suffer directlie for the catholike cause In the house of God there is no cause more honorable no cause more glorious thē the catholike cause This cause almightie God commended when he commaūded the worlde to heare his sonne Christe For this cause Christe came into the worlde and he suffered more tribulation then any creature is able to suffer Had there ben any cause more noble then this Christe wolde haue chosen it and suffered for it But there was no worne that made a more manifeste shewe of true vertue there was no trial so farre from al suspition as to suffer for religiō As Christe hath his sainctes in heauen that honour hym in quiet loue so hath he his sainctes in earthe that honour hym with troubled loue As there is in heauen nothinge more precious thē the glorious loue of his sainctes so is there in earthe no thing more acceptable then the afflicted loue of the iuste who for his loue suffer for his religion Yf there be no creature that serueth God in rule of religion but man onelie yf religion be a seruice propre to God and be so called because the soule of man fallinge frō God throughe synne rebindeth hir selfe againe to him by that seruice and man cā shewe to God no other supreme seruice nor soueraigne honor but religion then surelie it is religion that man hath bounde him selfe vnto and then is it religious that is to saye a matter of conscience to kepe that dōde and rather to suffer for it then to incurre Godes displeasure Nor shoulde any wel informed christiā doubte whether he might suffer for this cause iustice taketh awaye doubte and to doubte is lacke of faithe for faithe doubteth not but that we should suffer and Christiā fortitude chooseth rather to suffer thē to lese pietie Yf good mē haue suffered tormētes for concealinge the secrettes of their freindes should not wee suffer for cōseruinge the sacramentes of our faithe Yf euil mē suffer for wrōges don to the common weale shal not good mē suffer for suche rightes as belōge to the churche of Christe Manye haue died in cōbattes whiles they aduētured to helpe their freindes maye we die for mennes sake and refuse to die for God what should I speake of the Gentiles who sustained greuous paines in doubtful affaires onelie for vaine glorie Should we christians refuse to suffer for veritie what they sought to suffer for vanitie I neede saye no more Christ the teacher of sufferaunce and humilitie suffered al that he suffered to make his churche glorious and he suffered firste to shewe example to vs to suffer after And after him so manye glorious Martyrs and membres of his churche suffered for the commō cause of the churche that now to suffer for the same it should not seeme impertinēt to the dutie of a christian Yf now then you afflicted catholikes you suffer for this cause as in dede you suffer doubteles in this name you glorifie god in this name you honor god And what thākes deserue you now whē you feare god liue in his lawes obey his churche and choose rather to endure greefes to beare wrōges for cōscience sake to God thē to folowe the gospel of the worlde It were no praise for you yf you suffered for your sinnes but when you suffer for that cause wich is iustifiable to al the christian worlde which is commended of al good men and approued of God him selfe as Godes owne proper and personal cause when now I saye you suffer for that cause doubtles this is thāke worthie of god This cause is so importante that none can suffer for it but by the gratious gifte of God and God geaueth this gifte to none but to his special freindes This ioyneth you neare vnto God causeth you to set lesse by the worlde diminisheth your paines in purgatorie and encreaseth your final rewarde in heauen This is such a cause as for the which who so hath not the gifte to suffer ought to seeke it by praier and penance So longe as you suffer for this cause you haue litle cause to feare the power of your mightie aduersaries VVhat is to them cause of perditiō God vvil turne to your saluation for vnto you it is geuen not onelie to beleue in Christe but to suffer also for his sake Marke the gifte and consider the grace God that is the geauer of giftes and graces God that hath called you to his eternal glorie by Christe Iesu wil make you perfecte wil strēgthen you and establishe you after you haue suffered a litle affliction In dede it is but litle Yet doth it prepare vnto you an excedinge and eternal vveight of glorie For what seke you in this sufferinge Not to folowe the lawes of men which be corrupte and crooked but to do the wil of God that is iust and righte And for what suffer you not for felonie or thefte not for murther or treason not for heresie or sacrilege but for truthe and iustice for vnitie and veritie for faithe and religion You suffer not for vice but for vertue you suffer not for the thinges that be temporal but for the thinges which be eternal Reioyse you constant christians reioyse you afflicted catholikes You that be novve pertakers of Christes passion shal reioyse muche more at the reuelation of his glorie What Christe suffered in the bitter passage of his deathe he suffered as head it remained that he was to suffer in his
sawe men and by and by to open the eyes of your soule to see your sauiour Christe Howsoeuer it pleaseth Godes holie wil to deale with you endure you vnder correction ▪ for God offereth him selfe therin vnto your as to his children There is not a childe of his vvhom he correcteth not vvhom he loueth he proueth In this endured correction you haue this comforte that God geueth you grace to confesse him and fortitude to suffer for him You haue this comforte that there cōmeth nothinge to you but what you may make your profite of Amonge manye profites this is not the leaste that it bringeth you to ioyne your selues near vnto God it moueth you to do more penance to make more prayer to receaue more often the holie sacramentes by meanes and vertue of whiche God assisteth you God strengtheneth you and wil make that perfecte in you which he hath begonne Aboue the reste of comfortes which you haue in this endured affliction the moste soueraigne comforte is to remember that what euer the iniquitie of time or malice of men shal worke againste you for your religion you can suffer no more then Christe him selfe suffered to make his churche glorious no more then Christes sainctes suffered when they cōfessed Christe and his religion euen to deathe Nor can you suffer for a better cause then for which Christe and his sainctes suffered And how muche better is it for you so to suffer then to liue in a false felicitie of the worlde and to die from God in schisme and heresie How lamētable should your losse be yf nowe you shoulde folowe the newe no faithe of the worlde and lacke God in the worlde to come because you lacked iustice of faithe You se how the storme endureth the sea is trobeled the shippe is tēpested and how Christe sleapeth in the shippe What now muste you doo but goo to Christe as his disciples did awake him as they did say vnto him as they did O lord saue vs Feare you not so to do for you haue Christe in the shippe with you he is the gouernor of the shippe he gouerneth you in the waye And your faithe I doubte not is nowe stronger then the faithe of Christes disciples was when they were in the shippe with him for they had not yet sene the crosse the deathe the resurrection and ascension of Christe They coulde not but be waueringe as men that were not yet confirmed nor comforted with the holie ghoste Your faithe is strengthened by the frutes of thes your faithe is confirmed by the doctrine of the Apostles by the preachinges of the Confessors by the deathe of the martyres by the vniforme consente of your forefathers finallie by the general practise of the whole christian worlde You that be so manye wayes cōfirmed in your faithe can not but goo vnto Christe with good currage and boldelie awake him and frelie saye vnto him Domine salua nos And to him muste you become humble suppliātes that he vouchesafe to quiet the tempestes of the sea as he did at the prayers of his disciples As Christe then in raysinge that tempeste did prepare the mindes of his disciples to beare trobles and enforme their vnderstanding to make theire refuge vnto him that he mighte shewe the mightenes of his power Euenso doth he stil dispose that greate trobles come vpon his faitheful seruantes which yet he quieteth in good time after they haue prayed vnto him And that we shoulde praye it is his holie wil. This hath he saide Thou shalt cal vpon me in the daye of tribulation and I vvil heare thee He shewed vs an example hereof when he went in to the monute Oliuet before his passion to praye And certain it is that prayer is of valour eyther to take awaye tribulation or to geue strenghte to beare it Holie writers affirme that to geue strengthe is a farre greater grace then to take it awaye and that our lorde doth more benefite vs when he geueth strengthe to sustaine persecution then when he taketh persecutiō from vs. No doubte but Christes disciples which be nowe in the shippe windeshaken and sore beaten with the cruel tempestes of the sea cal vpon him make theire contineual praier that he vouchesafe to arise to rebuke the windes and to make calme the tempeste No doubte but they saye and daylie saie Arise o lorde saue vs and helpe vs oute of tribulatiō But for that Christe heareth not theire praiers by and bie for that Christe releueth not their miseries presentlie Christe semeth to them asleepe wheras in dede it is his merciful dispensation and diuine power not to recomforte the afflicted so sone as they cal but firste to exercise and to proue theire vertues to proue theire faithe theire hope theire charitie to proue theire humilitie pacience and constancie It is written Our lorde God tempteth you to knovve vvhether you loue hym or no. that is God maketh you to knowe whether you loue him He knoweth you you knowe not your selues he maketh you to knowe your selues by iuste trialles and proufes And yet doth he not tēpte you to knowe you but permitteth you to be tempted to make you to be knowen to your selues and to othes how muche you haue profited in his loue which doubteles men can not vnderstande but when God trieth you And Christe our lorde is saide to sleape when of his mercie he prolongeth iustice when of his mercie he suffereth synners vncorrected and iuste liuers to be punished when he suffereth the euil to be exalted and the good to be deiected thē to haue prosperitie and peace of the worlde thes to finde aduersitie and trobbles in the worlde But the holie scripture muste nedes be true He that kepeth Israel doth not slumber nor vvil sleape And therfore muste not the afflicted leaue of to praye thoughe God protract his mercie for a time to trie the constancie of theire faithe and to exercise their vertues Some thinges be not denied thoughe for a time deferred And God deferreth for a time to geue them in more conuenient time God deferreth that the yl affection of our heartes might be better purged and that the thinges which wee longe for might be better welcome when they be obtained Thinges that be obtayned easelie be lesse regarded God kepeth for vs in store what he wyl not geue by and bye that we may learne to longe for greate thinges with longe and greate desire I crye saith Iob and thou hearest me not I stande and thou lokest not on mee In tyme of persecution the holie churche standeth in faithe and crieth in desire But God almightie such is his hidden iudgement and secret coūsel vseth to defer the praiers of them that be persecuted to the entente their merites might encrease and they be heard rather to their merite then to their desire And it helpeth to encrease the vnderstandinge of godlie mē whē their desires be not accōplished but after a tyme For