feare death nor to yeeld at all that faith may so be more effectually proued There issued forth of their mouth the vncorrupted and inuincible vigour of the holy ghost that we may see those thinges to be trew which our Lord saieth in the gospell Mat. 10 whan they shall apprehend you do not thinke what you may speake for there shall be geuen you euen in that houre what you may speake for it is not you which speake but the spiritt of your father which speaketh within you he sayed that from aboue there should euen at that time be geuen vs what to speake and answere and that they did not than speake but the spirit of God their father which not departing nor being separated from Confessours both speaketh is crowned within vs. So also Daniel whan he was compelled to adore the Idol Bel whom both the king and people did worship with full liberty of faith broke forth for the defence of Gods honour into these words I worship nothing but my Lord God which made heauen earth What I pray you the greeuous torments of the blessed Martyrs amongst the Machabeâ—s 2. Mach. 7 and variety of paines of the seauen brethren and the mother comforting her children in torments and dying her selfe also with her children are not these great examples of fortitude and faith and do not these persons by their passions excite vs to the triumph of martirdome The Prophetts whom the holy ghost did inhabite to teach them thinges to come the Apostles whom our Lord did choose the iust persons which are killed for iustice haue not all these taught vs to dye The natiuity of Christ presently beganne with the martirdomes of infants whan for his name all were killed from two yeeres of age douward the age not ready for the Skirmish was fitte for the crowne and that we may knowe that those are innocent which are killed for Christ innocent infancy was slaine for his name it was shewed that no man is free from daunger of persecution whan such as they receiued martirdome What shame were it than for a Christian if the seruant would not suffer whan his Lord first hath suffered and for vs to refuse for to suffer for our sinnes whan without sinne of his owne he suffered for vs The sonne of God suffered that he might make vs the sonnes of God will not the sonne of a man suffer that he may perseuer the sâ—nne of God if we sustaine the hatred of the world the same hatred of the world Christ suffered before vs if we aâ—â—de in this world reproches if flight if torments more greeuous things hath tasted the Lord maker of this world who saieth if you were of this world Io. 15. the worlde wold loue that which were his owne but because you are not of the world and I haue chosen you out of the world therfore doth the world hate you remember the word which I saied vnto you the seruant is not greater than his Lord if they haue persecuted you they will persecute you also Our Lord God whatsoeuer he taught he also did so that the disciple cannot be excused which learneth doeth not Let not yet any of you my bre threÌ„ be so terrified with the feare of persecution or with the coming of Antichrist at hand that he be not also armed against all things with the Euangelicall exhortations Antichrist cometh but Christ cometh after the enemy assaileth and rageth but Christ presently followth to reuenge our sufferings woundes the aduersary fretteth threatneth but there is one who is able to deliuer from his handes Mat. 10. he must be feared whose anger none can escape wheras be forewarneth vs saying feare not them which kill the body but cannot kill the soule but rather seare him w e can destroy both body and soule into bell Io. 12. And againe who loueth his life shall lose it and who hateth his life in this world Apoc. 14. To go to that Church is to adore the beast shall conserue it vnto euerlasting life And in the Apâ—calipse if any man adore the beast and his image taketh his marke in his forehead and in his hand be also shall drinke of the wine of the anger of God mingled in the cuppe of his anger and shall be punished with fire and brim slone before the eies of the holy Argells and before theeies of the lambe and the smoke shall ascend from their torments world without end and they shall haue no rest day night who soeuer do adore the beast and his image For worldly Skirmishes men are exercised and practised they repute it a great aduantage of their honour if they chaunce to be crowned in the sight of he people and in the presence of the Emperour Behould here a singuler and excellent Skirmishe and honoured with the reward of a heauenly crowne how God doth behould vs fighting and opening his eies vpon those whom he hath made his childreÌ„ is delighted with the vew of our Skirmish whilest we fight Skirmishe in this conflict of our faith God behouldeth vs his Angells behould vs Christ him selfe behouldeth vs. O what excellency of glory ô how great felicity it is to Skirmishe in the presence of God to be crowned by the iudgement of Christ Lett vs arme our selues deare brethren with all our force Lett vs be ready for the combate with a pure mind intiere faith and denoute courage Lett Gods army march to the field which is bidden vs. Let the constant be armed least they lose the benefitte of their late constant standing Lett the lapsed be armed that he may recouer the losse of his fall Let honour prouoke the constant and sorrow the lapsed vnto the combate The Apostle armeth and prepareth vs saying our wrestling is not against flesh and blood but against Princes Potestates Eph. 6. against the Rectours of the world of these darknes against the spiritualls of wickednes in the celestialls Therfore take the armour of God Spirituall armous that you may resist in the euell day and stand in all things perfect Stand therfore hauing your loines girded in truth and clothed with the breastplate of iustice and hauing your feete shodd to the preparation of the gospell of peate in all things taking the shield of faith wherwith you may extinguish all the fiery dartes of the most wicked one and take vnto you the helmet of saluation and the sword of the spirite which is the worde of God Let vs take these weapons with this spirituall and heauenly armour of proofe Lett vs safegarde our selues that in the euell day we may be able to withstand and resist the Deuills threatnings Lett vs putte on the brest-plate of iustice that our brest may be fensed and secure from the dartes of the enemy Lett our feet be shodd armed with the Euangelicall doctrine that when we begin to treade on and crush the serpent he be not able to
be our King yet by reason of that society through which he vouchsafed to be our brother he calleth his souldiers kinges and forewarned vs that euery one by setting forth ten thousand should be fitte for to sight with a King which hath twenty thousand but a little before he brought those forceable similitudes of the tower and the king marke what he saied If any one come vnto me and do not hate his father and mother and wife and children and brethren and sisters yea and also his owne soule * S. Augustin and other Fathers indifferently vnderstand this place of life of soule he cannot be my Disciple Than he addeth which of you desiring to build a tower doth not first sitte downe and reckon if he haue the cost for the finishing therof least whan he hath laide the foundation he be not able to builde it and all that go bie and see beginne to say this man beganne to build could not finish Or what King going to ioyne warre with another King doth not first sitte and consider if he be able with ten thousand to go against him which with twenty thousand cometh vnto him otherwise whilest he is yet farre of he sendeth an embassage praying peace But whitherto these similitudes should tend by the very conclusion he sufficiently opened for he saied So therfore euery one of you which renounceth not all thinges which he hath cannot be my Disciple Therfore as well the cost for the building of the tower as the ability of ten thousand against a King with twenty is nothing else but that euery one renounce all that he hath And the begining of his speach doth accord with the last conclusion For in this that euery one renouÌ„ce all things which he hath is that also conteined that he hate his father and mother wife and children and brethren and sisters yea and his owne soule For all these things are his owne which for the most parte doe entangle and hinder the obtaining not of these priuate temporall and transitory things but of that common good which shall remaine for euer For in what maner at this present a certaine woman is your mother in that maner surely she is not my mother this therfore is temporall and transitory Euen as you see already that to be passed away that she conceiued you that shee caried you in her wombe that she brought you fourth that she nourished you But in that she is a sister in Christ this she is vnto you and to me to all those vnto whom one heaueÌ„ly inheritance God as a Father Christ as a brother in one society of charity is promised These are eternall things these are not wasted with any consumptioÌ„ of time these things are hoped for so much more firmely to be possessed in how much the lesse by priuate but rather by common right they are to be obteined This may you very easely acknowledge in your owne mother For whence proceedeth it that she doth now incomber and intrappe you and wrest and pull you backe from your course begonne but of that that she is your priuate and proper mother for in that she is the sister of all those whose father is God and whose mother is the Church she hindereth no more you than me and than all our brethren which loue her not so as you in your owne house with priuate loue but with publicke charity in the house of God This veyr thing therfor that you are lincked vnto her with carnall alliance ought for to worke this benefitte that you may with more familiarity talke vnto her Affection to a mother and with greater coÌ„modity counsaile her that this her priuate loue vnto you may be destroied in her least she make greater account that she hath brought you fourth of her wombe than that her selfe togither with you was brought forth out of the wombeof the Church And this which I haue saide of your mother must you also vnderstand of all your other kinred Yea let euery man so esteeeme of his owne soule To any kinred To our owne soule that euen in it he hate all priuate affection which out of all doubt is but temporall but that he loue in it that communion and society of which it is saied they had towards God one soule one harte for thus your soule is not your owne priuate soule Act. 4. but of all your brethren whose soules also are yours or rather whose soules togither with yours are not diuers soules but one onely soule of Christ of which it is soung in the Psalmes Psal 21. that it may be deliuered out of the hand of the dogge From hence may you very easely attaine to the contempt of death Contempt of death And lett not parents be offended that our Lord commandeth vs to hate them wheras the very same is also commanded vs of our owne soule Hatred of Parents For euen as in this place of scripture concerning our soule we are commanded to hate it with our parents euen so that which in another place the same Lord speaketh of the soule may most fitly be applied euen vnto our parents also Io. 12. Who loueth his soule saieth he shall destroy it I will say also confidently Who loueth hisparents shall destroy theÌ„ For of the soule that which he called it in the other place hating here he calleth destroying it For euen as this precept by the which we are commanded to destroy our soule what it is to destroy our soule is not so to be vnderstood that euery one may kill him selfe which is a most hainous sinne and vet it tendeth hereunto that euery one kill in him selfe the carnall affection of his soule wherby this present life is delight full with the â—inderance of the life to come For this is that which was saied let him hate his soule lett him destroy hissoule which notwithstanding is donne by louing it wheras â—ost plainly he laieth before vs the benefitte of getting the same soule saying Who hath destroyed it in this world shall finde itto life euerlasting Euen so in like maner of our parents it is most iustly sayed that who loueth them must destroy them not by killing them in parricidiall maner but that deuoutly and couragiously with the spirituall sword of the loue of God he striking killing that carnal affection of theirs wherwith they endeuour toentangle both themselues and those also whom they haue begotten w e the inticements of this world may cause that to liue in them wherby they are our brethren and wherby togither with their teÌ„porall children they acknowledge their euerlasting parents God and the Church Behâ—ldethe desire of knowing the truth God and the Church our Parents and vnderstanding the will of God in his holy scriptures doth draw thee the office of the Euangelical preaching doth draw thee Our Lord geueth a signe that we watch in his tentes that we builde the tower out of the which
a Sacrifice and Christ really present in it Of the hating of car nall kinred for perfection In our time a certaine maiden once noble in the world now more noble vnto God when she was vrged to marâ—age by her parents and kinsefolkes tooke her refuâ—â—e to the holy altar for whither better could a Virgin flye than where the sanctuary of Virginity is offered vp But here was not the end of her boldnes There stood before the altar of God the boast of purity the sacrifice of chastitie sometimes laying the Bishops hand vpon her head demaunding consecration other whiles impatient of that iust delay laying her head vnder the aultar Canst thou saieth she o mother As well in marriage as in consecation are giuen veiles the one beinge a marriage to the world the other to God veale me better than the aultar can veale me which sanctifieth the veiles them selues more comely is that veâ—le in which Christ the head of all men is daily consecrated What meane you my Cosins why do you yet still turmoile my mind by soliciting my mariage I haue it long since prouided Do you offer me a spouse I haue found a better Reckon vp neuer so great riches boast of nobility vaunt of autoritie I haue him to whom none may be coÌ„pared riche with the wholle world authorized with absolute empyre noble with heauen it selfe If such a one you haue I refuse not your choise if you cannot finde the like you prouide not for me but you enuye me Than the rest being silent one onely saied very abruptly what if thy father liued would he suffer thee to remaine vnwedded But she with greate religion and modest piety and therfore happely he died that there might be none to hinder me Which answere concerning the father A daungetous thinge to hinder vertew that person by his speedy death shewed to be a prophesie of him selfe By that meanes the rest euery one fearing his owne case beganne to fauour her whom they sought to hinder Neither did the Virgin suffer any losse of her riches but rather receiued the increase of her integrity You haue heard o maidens the reward of deuotion beware o parents the example of offending Greg. lib. 7. mor. c. 17. 18. §. 3. THose which with earnest study and not with disordered steppes do follow the reward of euerlasting promise euen as they despise them selues for the loue of God euen so do they sette at nought all thinges by which they feele them selues hindered and wheras for Goditis necessary they serue to whosoeuer they are able for God they deny euen vnto their kinsmen their priuate seruices Hence is it that whan one saied sufferme first to go and bury my father Mat. 8. he presently heard froÌ„ the mouth of truth suffer that the dead bury the dead but thou go and preach the Kingdome of God wherin is to be noted that whilest that chosen Disciple is restrained from the buriall of his father no deuoute man may of carnall affection perfourme that to his father which for the loue of our lord he is bound to do eueÌ„ for others Hence againe saith the truth if any man come vnto me Luc. 14. and hate not his father and mother and wife and sonnes and brethren and sisters yea and also his owne soule he cannot be my Disciple in which place whereas the hate of our owne soule is ioyned with the hate of our kinsefolke it is manifestly shewed vs that so we are commanded to hate out kinsefolkes as we are coÌ„manded to hate our selues that drawing them vnto euerlasting things neglecting their carnall frendship whan it hindereth vs we may learne with the temperate Skill of discretion both to loue them conueniently to hate them holesomely that our hatred may so arise through loue that we may be able by hating theÌ„ more sincerely to loue them Hence also is it saied by Moises Deut. 33 Who saieth to his father and his mother I know you not and to his brethren I do not know them neither haue knowen their children these haue obserued thy word thy bargaine haue kept thy iudgements For that man doth desire to know our Lord more familiarly who for desire of piety desireth not to know whom he knew carnally For with great losse is the knowledge of God diminished if therwith there be any parte for fleshly knowledge Euery one therfore must be seuered from his kinsemen and frendes if he will the more truely be ioyned vnto the father of all that so much the more soundly he may loue those whom valiantly he neglecteth for God by how much the more he forgetteth the fading affection of carnall society We must truely euen temporally do more good to those vnto whom we are nearer because euen the fire burneth that which is applied vnto it but first it consumeth that wherof it was kinled We must acknowledge the nearenes of earthly alliance and yet whan it letteth the course of the mind not so much as know it that so the faithfull mind inflamed with godly deuotion may neither despise those things which are so neare it here below and yet setting the same in coÌ„uenient order within him selfe he may surmount them for the loue of those things aboue With diligent care therfore must we prouide least the loue of the flesh creepe vpon vs and diuerte the gate of our harte from the true way and hinder the force of the supernall loue and with the laying on of a heauy burden presse downewarde our arising mind For so must euery one haue compassion of his kinreds necessitye that through compassion he suffer not the force of his intention to be hindered that the affectioÌ„ of his mind may fill his bowells and yet not auerte him from his spirituall purpose Neither truely do not holy men loue their kinred to helpe their necessities but this very loue do they ouercome with the loue of spirituall things that so they may temper it with the measure of discretion that they may not therby swarue from the direct way neuer so little Whom therfore those Kye do very well signifie vnto vs Affection to children which going vnder the arke of our Lord vnto the mountaines do shew at once both their affection and rigour as it is written They tooke two Kye which did suckle their calues 1. Reg. 6. and yoaked them to the carte and shutte vp their calues at home and laide the arke of God vpon the carte And presently there followeth the Kye went directly by the way w e leadeth vnto Bethsames and they went with eqnall pace still going forward and bellowing and declining neither on the right hand nor on the lefte For beholde the calues being shutte vp at home those Kye which are tied to the carte vnder the arke of our Lord do groane and go forward froÌ„ within they send forth bellowings and yet from the way they change not their freppes through compassion they feele
The abrenunciation in baptisme because whaÌ„ be builded the same tower in his owne faith he reckoned the cost with which it might be made that is with that resolution be came vnto faith that he might renouÌ„ce the world not in wordes onely because if he bought any thing he was as one which possessed it not and if he vsed this world he was as iâ— he vsed it not not hoping in that vncertainty of riches but in the liuing God For wheras euery one which renounceth this world vndoubtedly renounceth all that which he hath that he may be the Disciple of Christ for Christ whan he had expounded the parrables of the charges necessary to the building of the tower and of the preparation of warre against another King adioined this Luc. 14. Who doth not renounce all things which he hath cannot be my Disciple Two manner of renouncing of riches actually and in preparation of mind he truely renounceth also his riches if he haue any either so that not louing them at all he distribute them wholly to the poore and disburden him selfe of superfluous carriages or so that louing Christ more than them he transporte his hope froÌ„ them vnto him and so vse them that geuing and bestowing easely he may lay vp treasure for him selfe in heauen and be ready prepared to leaue euen as his parents sonnes brethren and wife euen so these also if such condition be laid before him that vnlesse he forsake Christ he cannot haue them for if in any other sorâ—e he renounce the world Abrenunciation in baptisme whan he commeth to the sacrament of faith he doth that which blessed Cyprian lamenteth of the lapsed saying that they renounced the world in words onely and not in deeds For of this man it is saied Luc. 14. Some fall from God before they be vrged Whan tentation coÌ„ming he feareth rather the losse of these things than to deny Christ Behould the man which beganne to build could not finish He it is also which whan his aduersary was as yet a faire of that is tentatioÌ„ not as yet afflicting him but hanging ouer him and threatning him to the intent that he may not want these things which he loueth more than Christ consenteth to forsake deny Christ Yea there are also many who perswade theÌ„ selues that euen Christian religion ought to further them to increase their wealth and multiply their earthly pleasures A description of a Christian Gentleman But Christian riche men are not such who although they posesse these things yet are they not so possessed by their goods that they preferre them before Christ for with a sincere hart they haue renounced the world so that they repose in such things no hope at all These men instruct with sound doctrine theire wiues sonnes and wholle families to maintaine Christian religion Receiuing of Priestes recusants These mens houses excelling in hospitallity do receiue the iust in name of a iust that they may receaue the reward of a iust They breake vnto the hungry their bread they cloath the naked they redeeme the captiue they hourd vp to them selues a good foundation for the time to come that they may attainc to the true life and if happely for the faith of Christ they must suffer pecuniary mulctes Pecuniary mulctes according to the proclamation they hate their riches if the world threaten them for Christ to be bereued and seuered from their frendes they hate parents brethreÌ„ children wiues Finally if they must bargaine with the aduersary for the very life of this body they hate euen their owne life For of all these thinges haue they receiued a commaundment that otherwise they cannot be the Disciples of Christ Neither yet because it was commanded them to hate for Christ euen their liues haue they power to sell their liues A differeÌ„ce betweene selling and loosing or to depriue them selues therof with their owne handes but they are ready to lose them by dying for Christ least they may liue dying by denying Christ So also their riches which they were not ready to sell by the counsell of Christ yet must they be ready to lose for Christ least with them they perish by losing Christ Martyrs haue sprâ—â— of renunciation Hence haue we of both sexes most riche and noble personages honoured with the glory of martyrdome So also many which were before loath to become perfect by selling their goods by imitating Christ his passion were on a suddaine made perfect and these which with their richeâ—coÌ„mined some infirmity of fleshe and blood vpon a suddaine against sinne did fight for their faith eueÌ„ vnto blood I which write this S. Augustine was a religious man haue earnestly loued not by my owne strength but by the assistance of Gods grace haue fulfilled that counsell of perfection which our Lord spake of whan he saied to the rich young man Go sell all that thou hast and geue vnto the poore and thou shalt haue a treasure in heauen and come and followe me Neither surely because I was not riche therfore shall it be accounted the lesse Mat. 19. For the very Apostles which first did the same were riche But he forsaketh the wholle world which forsaketh both that which he hath and that which he desireth to haue But how much I haue profited in this way of perfection I my selfe in deed do know more than any other man but God knoweth better than I. And vnto this purpose with as much vehemency as I can I exhorte others S. Augustine liued in a reguler life and in the name of our Lord I haue companions which haue bene by my meanes perswaded to the same yet so that aboue all things found doctrine be holden and that we iudge not with vaine stubbornes those which do not the like as though it could pro fitte them nothing that they gouerne their houses and families Christian like that by workes of mercy they hourd them selues vp treasure for the time to come least by such disputation we be found to be not expounders but accusers of the holy scriptures S. Aug. ser 6. de Ver. Do. c. 5. § 2 Speaking of those which went to the idolles feastes in the temple although not to sacrifice but onely to bankett yet came to the Christians Church whom he saieth therfore not to receaue health in the Church as the woman which had the fluxe of blood Luc. 8. and so not to touch Christ as shee but rather to presse him as those multitudes Thou wilt say I feare least I should offend my Superiour Of obedience to superiours And dost thou feare least thou offend thy Superiours and arte thou not afraide to offend God Why arte thou afraide least thou offend thy Superiours See I pray thee least perhaps there be a greater Superiour whom thou searest not to offend there is surely a greater do not offend him This rule is geuen thee is
grace and confirme vs and strengthen vs with the might of his power and like a good Captaine bring forth at the last vnto the battaile his souldiers which as yet he hath exercised and proued within the tentes of the prison and that he deliuer vnto vs diuine armour Spirituall armour for Confessors Eph. 6. those weapons which cannot be ouercome the brestplate of iustice which vseth neuer to breake the shield of faith which cannot be pearced the sword of the spiritt which cannot be brused for of whom may we rather desire that he pray for these things than of so gloriouse a Bishop that those which are appointed to the sacrifice may aske helpe and succour at the handes of the Priest S. Cypr. libro de exhortatione Martyrij cap. 6. §. 3. That we being redeemed and restored to life by Christ his blood Christ his blood is to be esteemed aboue all things Mat. 10. ought to preferre nothing before Christ in the gospell our Lord teacheth and saith Who loueth his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me And who loueth his sonne or daughter more than me is not worthy of me and who taketh not his Crosse and followeth me is not worthy of me So also in Deuteronomy Deut. 33. who say to their father and mother I know you not and haue not acknowledged their sonnes they haue kept they precepts and obserued thy testament Also the Apostle Paule Ro. 8. who shall separate vs from the charity of Christ tribulation or distresse or persecution or hunger or nakednes or daunger or the sword as it is written for we are killed for thy sake all the day we are esteemed as sheepe of slaughter but in all these things we ouercome because of him that loued vs. And againe 1. Cor. 6. We are not our owne 1. Cor. 5. you are not your owne for you were bought with a great price Do you glorify and carry God in your body Againe he died for all that those also which liue do not now liue to them selues but to him who died for them and arose againe S. Ambrose vpon the 118 Psalme octō 21. vpon that verse Princes haue persecuted me my harte did trēbie at thy wordes §. 4. If we considere the auncient history How to behaue a mans selfe in torments both Saule Absalon and many forren Princes persecuted holy Dauid but none could preuaile against him There be also Princes of the world and rulers of darkenes which go about in thy owne brest to oppresse thee raise cruell persecutions within thee promising earthly kingdomes honour and riches if with a base mind thou wilt yeeld vnto them and determine to obey their commaundements These Princes sometimes with a cause do persecute sometimes without a cause without a cause they persecute him in whom they finde nothing of their owne and yet they go about to suddue him not without a cause they persecute him who yeeldeth him selfe to their power and wholly entreth into the possession of the world for ouer their owne they worthely challenge deminion of such they exacte reward of their iniquity Well doth the Martyr say that vniustly he suffereth the torments of persecutions who hath stollen nothing hath violently oppressed no man hath shedd the blood of no man hath defiled the bedd of no man who oweth nothing vnto the lawes and yet suffereth more greenous punishments than theeues who speaketh iustly and is not heard who speaketh wordes full of saluation and is impugned so that he may say Psal 119. whan I speake vnto them they impugned me without a cause Without a cause than doth he suffer persecution which is impugned without any faulte he is impugned as an offendour whan he is in such confession to be commēded he is impugned as an inchaunter which glorieth in the name of our Lord piety being the soūdation of all vertew Verely without cause is he impugned who before wicked men and infidells is accused of impiety he being a master of faith But he which is impugned without a cause must be valiant and constant how than doth he adde and my harte did tremble at thy wordes To trēble is a token of infirmity of dread and feare But there is an infirmity vnto saluation there is also a feare of Sainctes Feare you our Lord Psal 33. Psal 111. all his Sainctes and. blessed is the man which feareth our Lord. wherfore is he blessed because in his cōmaundments he hath all his delight Imagine than a Martyr A meditation for one which is tortured standing in the middest of daungers whan on one side most fierce beasts do rore to cause him terrour on another side the hissing of hote glowing plates of iron and the flame of a fiery fornace doth cast forth heate on another side the drailing of heauy chaines doth rattle on another the begoared butcher stādeth by imagine him I say seeing all about him nothing but torments and than afterward thinking of the cōmaundments of God of that euerlasting fire of that endlesse burning of the perfidiouse of that misery of a reuiuing paine to tremble in his harte least whan he yeeldeth vnto the present miserie he addict him selfe to eternall torments to be troubled in mind whilest he doth as it were with his very eies behould that terrible sword of the future iudgemēt In this trembling of a constant person do not two equall things seeme to concurre togither the confidence of one which desireth eternall things and trembleth at diuine things yet be of good courage thou which hopest be of good courage thou which arte confident I would to God I might deserue to be such a one that if happely the persecutour come vpon me I do not consider the sharpnes of my tortures I regard not my torments and paines I thinke not of the horriblenes of any greife but account all these things as light and feare Christ least Christ deny me least Christ exclude me least he thrust me out of the congregation of his Priestes if he iudge me vnworthy of that college but rather he see me although moued with the terrour of corporall paine yet trembling more at his future iudgements Mat. 14. And if he say vnto me ô thou of little faith why didst thou doubt he will yet reach me his hand and after the boisterous trouble of the raging billowes of this world establish me in the safe hauē of a secure mind S Augustin ser 6. de verb. Do. cap. 9. §. 5. But perhaps some Ruler laieth waite against thee and seeketh to impugne thee The benefitte of imprisonment for religion Psal 51. he whetteth his razour wherw t he may shaue thy heares not wherwith he may cut thy head That which I say you haue euen now heard in the psalme as a sharpe razour thou hast made deceite Why did he compare the deceite of the Ruler vnto an euell razour because he is not admitted but to our superfluities