Davids Harp, Part 1
¶ The fyrste verse.
I beleued / & therfore hauehave I spoken / but I was very sore troubled.
THis fyrst verse cōtayneth thre striges of dauids harpe, which are theyse, faythe, confession of the faythe, wherby are vnderstande al good workes, and persecucion. These thre therfore wyll I nowe, thorowe the healpe of Goddes spirite, set in tune by ryght order.
¶ The fyrst strynge.
I Beleued. Our fyrste …ayth is y• fyrst string of Dauids Harpe, and y• foundacion of y• chri sten religiō.yea and base strynge is fayth, & that not wyth oute an vrgente cause. For here se we, that as the base parte is the ground of the whole songe, so is fayth the founda cion of al the christen religion. And as without the base, the song is im perfecte, & nothynge worth, so lyke wyse without fayth all the workes that we do, are vnprofitable glister they neuer so pleasauntly before y• eies of carnall men, & what so euer we synge after that sorte, is cleane out of tune, as saynt Paule sayth, what so euer is not grounded on Rom. xiiii.faythe, is playne synne. Therfore sayth he in another place, it is not possible to please God wtout fayth. …eb. x…For he that commethe vntounto God, muste beleue that God is, & that he is a rewarder to thē that seke him. In these aforesayde textes of saynt Thre thyn ges to be no ted.Paule thre thiges are to be noted. One is that he sayth, al that is not grounded on fayth, is synne. Wher of we learne, that fayth is the foun dacion of all goodnes, the mother & nourse of all good workes. Another is, that withoute faythe it is not possible to plese god. The third that who so euer cōmeth vntounto god, muste beleue that God is, & that he is a rewarder to thē that seke hym. These thiges shew manifesteli how connyng & excellent Musicion our Mynstrel Dauid is, which fyrst set teth his base stryng in tune, before he medlethe wt ony of the other. He followeth not the manner of Antechrist, Antichrist turneth the rootes of trees vp ward.which turneth the rootes of trees vpwarde, neyther is he lyke to them, which begyn fyrst to bylde in the top of the house, & afterward layeth the foundacion, or y• woulde hauehave the fruytes good, before there be any goodnesse in the tree, but he doth all thynges orderly. For he be ynge enspired with the holy Ghost & doyng al thynges by the instinct therof, begynneth orderly of fayth, seynge yt what so euer is not groun Rom. xiiii. Heb. xi.ded on fayth, is synne, seynge also yt wtout fayth no mā can please God, be he neuer so glysteryng an Hypocrite before ye world, & put he on neuer so glorioꝰ a viser of godlyke holynes. Faythe must nedes be ye base stringe & foundacion of the Christē religion, seyng that infidelite & vn faythfulnes is the destruccion and vtter decaye therof. For so long as fayth remayneth, so longe doth the Christen religion continew & prosper Mark welwell, but let faythe be exiled, & vnfaythfulnes once inuade the har tes of Christen men, & thē goeth all to hauocke, as we maye se in oure fyrst parentes Adam & Eua, which so longe as they beleued the worde G…n. iii.of God & walked therafter, prospered & liued ryght wel, but wha they once gaue ouer yt, & fel vntounto incred… lite, beleuyng the wordes of ye crafty serpente, rather then the gentle admoniciōs of so boūteous a lorde, they became subiecte, bōde & thraul to all kynde of miserye & wretchednes, so that thorow theyr vnfaythfulnes cōioyned wt lyke disobediēce, Roma. v.not they them selues only fell into captiuite, but also all theyr posteri te. Nowe to be made free from this thrauldome, & to recouer the libertie, whiche before we loste thorowe disobedient vnfaythfulnes, ye next & moost redye waye is to beleue, as Dauid teachethe here, or els by no menes can we come vntounto God, nor yet please hym. For he yt cōmeth to godsayth s. Paule, must beleue. So Heb. xi.yt if we wyll come agen to God, we must beleue. But what shall we beleue? certes not only ye god is which thynge the dyuels also do, but that Iaco. ii. Marc. i. Ephe. ii.he is a rewarder & beneficial father to thē that seke hym, as the Apostle teachethe. For althoughe we were dead thorowe synne, & walked after the fashon of this world, euē as mē altogyther vngodly and whollye estraunged frō all goodnes, yet hath God, which is rytche in mercye, for his great charite, wherwithe he loued vsus, quickened & made vsus alyue agayne, yea & that thorowe Christ mat. iii. xvii Marc. i. xi. ii. Pet. i. Ioan. iii. Rom. viii. Heb. ix. x. Psal. cix.in whome he hath shewed the exce… dynge abundance & rytches of hys grace, for whose sake also he is well pleased with man, so that he spared not his owne soune, but gaue hym euen vntounto the very deathe for our sake, that by that one oblacion of his moost blyssed body, an omnisufficient & perpetuall sacrifice for euer to endure all alone sufficiente, shoulde be offred for them that are sāctified. These thynges to be true the holy scriptures shew euidently Therfore yf we wyll be of God, and come vntounto hym, we muste not only beleu… ye God is, but yt al these thyn ges are true, & shall vndoubtedlye chaunse vntounto vsus, as God hath promysed. For the true & christē fayth cleaueth faste to the worde of God only, & doubteth nothynge therof, as S. Paule sayth, fayth cōmethe Rom. x.by hearynge, & hearyng by ye word of God. Nowe as we ware loste before by beleuynge Satans deceatfull promises, so the only way to be saued is to beleue the swete cōfort a ble and infallible promises of God, which he hath made to vsus so plente ouslye in ye moost precious bloud of his derely beloued son o…re Lorde & sauiour Iesu Christ. For this fayth maketh vsus of the chyldren of the di uell, the sōnes of God, as S. Iohn̄ Ioan. i.testifie the, so many as receaued hī, he gaue thē power to be made ye son nes of God, in as muche as they be letted on his name. Also S. Paule Gala. iii.ye are all ye sonnes of God, bycause ye hauehave beleuedi Christ Iesu. Now yf by fayth, we be ye sonnes, of God than are we also heyres. Yea verely we are ye heyres of god, & fellow hey res with Christ. Agayne by faythe, Rom. viii. Gala. iiii. Oze. ii.are we maried vntounto god, as god hī selfe witnesseth by his Prophet say enge, I wyll marye the vntounto me in fayth. By fayth also are we iustified & made ryghteous, as S. Paule Roma. v.sayth, we brynge iustified by fayth hauehave peace with god thorowe oure Lorde Iesus Christ.
Thus se we what an excellēt tresure this true & christen fayth is, & howe by y• all good thynges chaūse vntounto vsus, & without yt, all that euer Roma. xiiii.we do, must nedes come to nought, & worke to vsus damnacion. But seynge that I hauehave spoken muche of faythe in all my workes almooste, which I hauehave hytherto set forth, I wyll nowe cease to speake ony more Searche the Christmas Ban…ket in ye thyrd dysh the Pathewaye vntounto Prayer in ye xvi. Chap. and ye Nosegaye in the Seconde floure. &c.of it at this presēt, & go forth with the residue of Dauids Harpe, only addynge this one thynge, that the fayth, which the scripture so hyghlyauaunceth, is no dead & vnfruit full fayth, but lyuysh & myghty in operacion, beyng alwaye bent and seakynge an occasion to do good, & whā tyme cōmeth, is no lesse ready to brynge forth good workes, than a womā bygge wt chylde is redy to brynge forth her chylde, whan her tyme of delyueraūce is once come, as it followeth.
¶ The seconde strynge.
And therfore hauehave I spoken.
VUe heard before that fayth is the foundacion of the Christē Faith brin geth forth good Wor kes.religion, the mother & nourse of all godly workes. Which thynge to be true, our Mynstrell prouethe here. For after he hath made mencion of faythe, he syngeth also of good workes. I beleued, sayth he, & therfore hauehave I spoken. Here se we, that the true & christen fayth worketh euer by charite, whiche extendeth bothe Gala. v.vntounto god & our neyghboure. What was ye cause that Dauid did speke? Uerely his fayth. I beleued, saythe Fayth is ye cause of all goodnes.he, & therfore hauehave I spokē. Faythe goeth before, & workes followe. For fyrst he beleued al thīges to be true, which god promised hym in the holy scriptures or otherwyse, as by ye mouthe of his holy Prophetes, and therof afterwarde ensewed a verye earnest & feruent louelove toward god, which made hym to louelove god agen, & to speake those thynges, wherby the glory of god was set forth, & the health of his neyghbour sought, so y• by this menes he shewed hymselfe perfectely faythful both before god and man. And this is it, that saynt Paule wryteth, it is beleued wyth Roma. x. Mark wel.the harte vntounto ryghteousnes, but with the mouth is confession made vntounto helth. A christen man setting before the eyes of his mynde the vn mesurable goodnes of God toward vsus thorowe his sonne Christe, & gyuynge earnest fayth therunto, can none otherwise but louelove God agen & seake all meanes possible to please hym, to worke his wyll, & to do that which he requireth of him. He is re dy at al tymes to bryng forth good workes after the exāple of Dauid, as to speke the misteries of God, to set forth ye glory of God, to publysh his moost holy worde, to brynge all men to the true knowledge of God & euen to engraffe thē in the bodye of Christ. All these thīges worketh y• quicke & lyuysh fayth in him thorowe the spirite of God. For fayth Behold the nature of true & christen fayth.wyl not suffer him to be idle, but al though thorowe fayth he be deliue red out of captiuite, made the sōne of God, iustified alredy in the sight of God, before he bryngeth forth ony outward good workes, yet doth thys true & christen faythe kyndle such a louelove in his hart toward god & the fulfyllynge of his commaundementes, that he hath a perpetual desyre in his mynde to worke that which is good, & whā occasion is gi uen, he falleth streytwayes to workynge, not his owne fantasy, but ye wyll of God. So that now he doth not only beleue in God, & louelove God in his herte, but also brynge for the those workes, which God hath appoynted him, as Dauid sayth, I be leued, & therfore hauehave I spoken: As though he should say, for as muche as I am fully perswaded of ye boū te & goodnes of God towarde me, & beleue that all thynges are true, & shall come to passe vndoubtedly according to his promyse, I can none otherwyse do but worke, & speake those thynges that pertayne vntounto his glorye, do what so euer shoulde make vntounto the magnifienge of his moost blyssed name, & the edifienge of my neyghbour, though an hundred deathes were im…inent & han gynge on my heade for so doynge. EueryEvery tree is knowē, sayth Christ, Math. xi…. Luke. vi.by his fruyte. For there is no good tree, that brīgeth forth euel fruite, neyther is ther any euell tree, that bryngeth forth good fruyt. A good man bryngethe for the good fruyte out of the good tresure of his hert, & an euell man out of the euell trea sure of his harte, bryngeth forth euell thynges. For of the abundāce of the harte, the mouthe speaketh.
We read in the Actes of the Apo stles, that whē Peter & Iohn̄ were cōmaunded of the Bysshops & prestes, yt they shoulde speake no more to ony man, nor teache in the name of Iesus christ, they aūwered bold ly & sayd, whyther it be ryghteous in the syght of god to heare you ra ther than god, iudge ye. For we can Act. iiii.none otherwyse do but speke those thīges, that we hauehave sene or heard. Marke that they sayde, we can do none otherwyse but speake. Howe chaūsed it yt Peter (as I may speke nothyng of Iohn̄) was nowe bolde Math. x…vi Mar. xiiii. Luke. xxii. Ioan. xviii.to speake, and confesse the name of Christ without feare before the hed prestes & magistrates of ye Temple whiche not many monethes paste, was not only afearde to cōfesse him before a poore mayde, but also forsware Christ, denyed hym vtterly, & sayde playnely he neuer knewe ye man? Howe commethe it to passe, yt Peter is now become another mā? Before he had no commaundemēte of the Byshoppes to speke no more of Christ, and yet he vtterly denyed hym, & nowe whan he is cōmaūded Act. iiii.to holde his peace, he wyll not, but aunswereth boldly, we can none otherwyse do but speake those thynges, y• we hauehave sene & heard. Howe cōmeth this to passe? Uerely of the great efficacy, vertue, strength, and power of his fayth, which God had gyuen hym by his holy spirite. His Math. xvi.fayth was nowe so stedfast on God & his louelove so feruēte, that the gates of hell coulde not preuayle ageynst hym, nor driue him frō doyng those thynges, that shoulde make vntounto ye glory of God, and the healthe of his neyghbour, as we maye perceue by the History. For notwithstondyng the cōmaundement of the Bysshop …es, he went forthe & preached in y• name of Christe, & conuerted many vntounto the christen fayth, & whan the head prestes sayd vntounto hym & vntounto y• other Apostles, dyd not we streightly cōmaund you, that ye should not teach in this name? And behold ye hauehave fylled Ierusalē full of your doctrine, & ye wyll brynge ye bloud of this man vponupon vsus. Peter & the Act. v. Gene. xxvi. Exo. xv. Deu. xi. xxx Actum. v.other Apostles aunswered & sayde: We muste obey God rather thē mē. Afterwarde also when they were whypped, & so sent away, receauig a cōmaundement, that they should no more speke in ye name of Iesus, they went awaye from the syght of the councel, reioycynge and beyng glad, that they ware counted worthy to suffer rebuke for the name of Christ. And for al the cōmasidemēt of y• Bysshops they ceased not daye ly both in ye temple & in eueryevery house to teach and to shewe Iesus Christ.
Here se we both by our Mistrell dauid, & the apostles of Christ, how Note.myghty in power the true & christē fayth is & that it is neuer without yt cōsent of doyng good workes, and whan occasiō is offered, it worketh in dede, yea and that those workes, whiche are commaunded of God.
Let eueryevery man nowe consither his owne faythe, & take hede he be An admoni cion for Fayth.not deceaned. Many in these oure dayes glorye muche of the name of fayth, & contende maynly, that we are iustified only & frely by faythe, yea & that without workes. Let no man deceaue him selfe. Fayth, I cō fesse, is an excellente treasure, & the gyfte of God, wythoute the whiche no man can be saued, nor obtayne onye parte of Christes merites, butte yette for all that, if it be not accompanyedde withe a continuall purpose of doige good workes, yea & also brynge thē forth, whan occasiō is gyuē, surely it is but a vayne & dead fayth, as S. Iames wryghteth, Ia…ob. it Galla.. v.yea to saye the trueth, it is no fayth in dede, at the least no true, li uish & christen fayth, which is migh ty in operacion & worketh by chari te. We se manifeste fruytes followe the fayth of Dauid & the Apostles. Let vsus also bringe forth good workes, & so maye we be sure, that we hauehave in vsus the true & christē fayth, which is so precious a thyng in the syght of God.
Arte thou a magistrate & gouer Rulare.noure of the common weale? If yu wylte shewe thy selfe to hauehave true fayth in god, bryng forth good wor kes, & such as become thy office and callynge. Exercyse iustice. Do no wronge. Be mercifull. Spoyle not the poore man. Helpe the conforteles. Ponyshe vice, mayntayne vertue. So shalte thou be assured to hau the true & christē fayth in the.
Arte thou a Bysshop or Preste? preache the worde of God purelye. Byshop or Preste.Set forthe the glory of God aboue all thynges. Seake the saluacion of Christes flocke. Be an exāple to thy parishners of honest & godly cō uersacion. Exhorte vntounto vertue. Fraye awaye from vice. If yu doste this, than nedeste thou not doubte of thy fayth.
Arte thou a father or mother, Father or Mother. Master or Mastresmaster or mastres? Bryng than vp thy family in the nourtoure of the Lorde, & so arte yu truely faythfull.
Arte thou a maryed man? Loke Maryed man.thou cleaue only to thy wyfe, louelove her as thyne owne flesh, & as christ loued the Congregacion. So shall thy fayth appeare to be vnfayned.
Arte thou a maried womā? Be obedient to thyne owne husbonde, Maryed wo man.& seake aboue all thynges to please hym, & so shalte thou shewe thy selfe to be truely faythfull.
Arte thou a subiecte or seruaūt? Subiecte or seruaunte.Obey than wythe a glad & humble harte thy superiours, rulers & masters. So shalte thou be found not vnfaythfull.
To be short, ī what so euer state God hathe set the, lyue accordynge A general admonicion for al estates.therunto, & in thy office & callynge seake euermore the glory of God, & the health of thy neyghboure. If yu doste this, thā shalte thou shew thy selfe to be no vayne man, but faythfull & true in thy profession. But if thou doste the cōtrarye, crake thou neuer so muche of thy faythe, yet te doth it profyt the nothynge at all, but rather encreaseth thy damnacion, seynge thou arte an Hypocrite & dissembler both before God & mā. Certes if thou hast the true faythe in the, thou shalte be so enflamed wt Behold… what. … true fay… worketh… Christ…n …an. Rom viii.the louelove of God, & disposed vntounto all goodnes that thou wylte not feare to saye wt S. Paule, who shall seperate vsus from the louelove of God: shall trouble do it? or anguysh? or persecucion? or hunger? or nakednes? or perrell? or sword? as it is wrytten, for thy sake are we kylled all y• day longe, y… we are counted as shepe appoynted to be slayn. Neuertheles Psal. …iii.in all these thynges we ouercōe far re, for his sake yt loued vsus For I am sure, yt neither deth nor life, nother Aungel, nor rule, nother power, no ther thynges present, nother thynges to come, nother height nor low eth, nor ony other creature shall be able to seperate vsus from the louelove of God, which is in Christe Iesu oure Lorde. Agayne he sayth, I am not Act. xxi.only redy to be bounde, but also to dye for ye name of the Lorde Iesus. So mighty a thyng is fayth, that it neyther feareth manacinge wordes, cruell threates, sharpe lookes, empresoning, fetters, chenes, fagot tes, fyre, nor what so euer tyranny all the tyrauntes of the worlde can inuent. It maketh ye parson, whose hert it occupieth, to be so… flamed & set on fyre wt the louelove of God, & the Persecuciō followeth y• confession of Gods worde.desyre of doynge his wyll. Wylte yu heare me? If thou beleue aright in God & workeste accordynge to thy fayth, cōfessyng Christ & his worde boldely and vnfaynedly before the world, thou mayst be sure to fynde lytle fauour at the hādes of carnal & worldly men, as thou shalte easly perceaue by that which followeth.
¶ The thyrde strynge.
But I was very sore troubled.
AFter that our Mynstrel hath made menciō of fayth & of spe kynge the worde of God (whereby are to be vnderstande all good workes that procede & come forth oute of faythe) he nowe syngethe of the Crosse, & sheweth that he was very sore troubled, greuously thretened, vncharitably blasphemed, euell reported, maliciously persecuted, cru elly handled, & suffered al kyndes of tormētes for vtteryng & declaring ye word of God. I beleued, sayth he & therfore hauehave I spokē, but I was very sore troubled. Here se we that as good workes followe faythe, so doth persecucion follow the confession of Gods worde. For this cause doth S. Paule caull the gospell of i. Cor. i.Christe, the worde of the Crosse, bycause it bryngeth persecucion, trou ble, blasphemies, slaunders, euell re portes, empresonmēt, hōger, thirst, cold, nakednes, pouerte, losse of fren des, yea & at the last very death oftentimes to so many as cleaue vntounto it valeauntly. Christes worde & the Crosse are cōpagnions insepera Note.ble. As the shadowe followethe the body, so doth the Crosse followe the worde of Christ. And as fyre & heat can not be seperated, so can not the Gospel of Christ & the crosse be pluc ked asunde…. Let vsus call to remembraunce so many as from the fyrste age of the world fauoured god and his word, & howmanye shal we fid y• escaped wtoute the Crosse one waye or other? as I may leaue of to speke of all the other olde and aunciente Patriarches, & at this tyme onlye take ryghteous Abell for an example, whiche of all men shewed ye first example of pure innocencye and of a thankefull harte toward God for his benefites, was not he shortely Gene. iiii.slayne of his bloudy brother cruell Cain, yea & that onlye bycause his owne workes were noughte, & hys i. Ioan. iii.brothers good, as ye scripture testi fieth As fyre & water put togyther The good & the euell. can … agree.fighte, stryue & are euer at debate, tyl one hath swallowed vp another deuoured one another, ouercome one another, so lykewyse so long as good & euell dwell togyther in this worlde, there shall be a perpetuall discension betwene them. The euel wyll euer hate the good, & neuer be at reste tyl the innocent be had out of the way, not that the good doth Note thys well.ony displeasures vntounto the euel, but that the euell can not awaye with the good, no more thē the rauening wolfe canne awaye with the poore harmeles shepe, or the hōgry hauke wt the simple doue, as Christ sayth, The Prince of this worlde cōmeth, Ioan. xiiii& yet hath he nothyng agaynst me Howe lytell fauoure also dyd Moses & Aaron fynde amonge the diso bedient Iewes after they brought Exo. xvi. and. xvii.them out of captiuite from ye londe of Egipte? Were not they many ty mes in daunger of theyr lyues for all theyr labour & payne that they toke for theyr healthe & saluacion? How ware the Prophetes handled, Math. v. Luke. xiii. iiii. Esd. i. Mat. xxiii. Heb. xi. ii. P… xxiiiiwhiche preached in the name of the Lord? Were not sōe stoned to deth? Sōe slayn wt swerd? Some sawne in peces? As I mayepasse ouer ma ny holy mē, Iacob, Ioseph, Dauid Helias, Ananias, Azarias, Misael Tobias, Eleazarus, the mother among …. Ma…. vii. Exo xii. Ioan. i. i. Petre. ii. …say. liii. i. Ioan. iii. ii. Cor. v Math. xi. Luke. vii. Ioan. viii. x Mat. xvii. Marke. xv. Luke. …xii. Ioan. ix. Mat ix. xii Marc. i.the Machabites, & her seuen sonnes, wythe other innumerable, whiche ether suffered deathe, or els great trouble & persecucion for the glorye of God: Howe was Christe yt lambe of God wtout spot which dyd neuer no syn, in whose mouth there was neuer ony gyle & deceat found handled in this worlde? How was he rayled vponupon so sone as he began to speake & preache the worde of his celestiall father? Was he not called a glotton? A wyne bybber? A frend to Publicās, harlottes & synners? A deceyuer of the people? A madde person? A Samaritan? A breaker of the Sabboth day? A Heretyke? A destroyer of the Temple? An ene my to our mother the holy chyrch? A Traytoure? A forbydder to paye tribute vntounto Cesar? And such a one as woulde marre altogyther, yf he were suffred longe? Was he not reported to worke his miracles & to cast out diuels by the helpe of Beel zebub prince of the dyuelles? Was not his doctrine counted new lear nynge? What dyd he at ony tyme, althoughe neuer so good & godly, yt the worlde dyd not discōmend and condempne? Dyd not theyr malice at the last growe vntounto suche fury, that they neuer ceased, vntyll they Phil. ii. Mark.had put hym vntounto deth, yea & that the moost spitefull deathe, yt coulde be inuented, euen the deathe of the crosse, hangynge hym betwene two theues, as ye principal malefactour & chefe captayne of all wickednes? Agayne howe were the Apostles of Christe entreated? Uerely euen as theyr mayster was before thē. How ofte were they slaūdered, layd watche Act. iiii v. xiii. xiiii. Act. xii. Act. vii.for thretened, beaten, whypped scourged, put in preson, caste out of cities, stonned, & dragged out of the townes for dead? Howe many also of them were slayne? Some withe stones, some wt sweard, some other wyse? How were both they & theyr doctrine blaspemed & euell spoken of? Were not they reported & accused Ac. xvi. xvii.before the magistrates, princes & rulers, that they were suche pesti ferous fellowes, as troubled the cō mon weale, yea al the worlde, made insurreccions, raysed vp sedicions, gathered togyther vnlawful assem blies, wrought cōtrary to the decre es of Cesar, makyng another kyng euen Christe? Were not they called vayne bablers? Tydynges bearers of newe dyuels? Sowers of straūg & newe doctrine? It is therfore no newe thyng for the prechers of god des worde & the earnest louers of ye holye Scripture to be thus rayled vponupon, slaundered, euell spokē of, per secuted, & put to death euen for the glory of God & shewyng of ye trueth What nede I rehearse the innume rable cōpanies of ye holy martyres, Martyrs.which syns the Apostles tyme for ye testimony & witnes of Gods worde hauehave suffered great persecuciō, and at the last cruell death? Read ye Hystories, who yt lysteth, & he shal sone perceaue, that persecuciō hath euer Persecuciō maketh Gods word & the chyrch of Christ to floryshe.followed the true preachyng of god des word, & that ye chyrche of Christ hath thā moost floryshed in all kind of vertue, & the christen fayth bene moost strong, whā there was moost extreme persecucion. For the bloud of the holye martyrs is the water, wherwith ye gospell of Christ is wa tered & made to grow. So that per secucion hyndreth not the glory of the gospell, as the Nerolyke Tyraū Beholde.tes iudge, but furdereth it greatly And where mooste persecucion is, there doth Gods worde moost of al florysh. Nothyng hyndreth ye fayth of Christ so much, as carnall securite & flesshly quietnes. For where all thynges are accordyng to the appe ☞tite & desyre of ye fleshe, ther raygne beastlyke māners, there is no care of God, no inuocacion of the LORDES name, no study of diuine religi on, no meditacion in the holy scriptures, no regarde of the poore people, no desyre of innocent lyfe. But whan persecucion once cōmeth for the worde of God, than is God called vponupon with moost harty & feruē prayers, than are the holy scriptures searched, than do men study for the amedment of lyfe, than do they seke ye accōplishment of gods moost holy wyll, than are they altogither desyrous of celestiall thynges, and vtterly contemne & set at noughte We ought to reiose in the tyme of persecution.what so euer pleseth the eies of carnall men in this worlde. Therfore whan persecucion cōmeth for righteousnes sake, let vsus not despayre, but make oure selues conformable to the wyll of God, reioyce & be me ry. Let vsus set before our eies the ex amples of Christ & of all his chyrch, euen from the begynnynge of the worlde, Abel, Abraham, Isaac, Iacob, the people of Israel in Egipte, Dauid, Iosias, the Prophetes and apostles. We must, sayth S. Paule Rom. viii.be made lyke vntounto the ymage of the sonne of God. If our elder brother Christ possessed not the eternall enheretaunce, but by the Crosse, shall we that are of a meaner sorte thike to enioye it after a more easy sorte? To whome is this sayenge vnknowē. By many tribulaciōs we must Act. xiiii.enter into the kyngdome of God. Christ bare the crosse, but he bare it not awaye wt hym, but lefte it here behynd hym to be borne of vsus also, yf we wyll be hys Disciples, as he sayth, yf any man cōmeth vntounto me, & hatethe not his father & mother, Luke. xiiii.wyfe, chyldren & systers, yea & hys owne lyfe, he cā not be my disciple. And who so euer bearethe not hys Math. x. Luke. vi. Ioan. xiii. xv.crosse & comme the after me, he can not be me disciple. The disciple is not aboue the mayster, nor the seruaūt aboue his Lord. It is inough that the disciple be lyke his master, & the seruaunte lyke his Lorde. If they hauehave called ye father of ye house holde Beelzebu…, howe much more shall they so call them, that be of his houshold? If the world hate you, ye knowe that it hated me before you. Because ye are not of ye worlde, but I hauehave chosen you out of ye worlde, therfore doth the worlde hate you. Remember the worde that I sayde vntounto you, the seruaunt is not greater thē his Lorde. If they hauehave per secuted me, they shall also persecute you. If they hauehave kepte my worde, they shall also kepe yours. But all theise thynges shall they do to you for my names sake, bycause they hauehave not knowen hym, that hathe sente me. Uerely verely I saye vntounto you, ye shall wepe & lamente, but Ioan. xvi.the worlde shall reioyce. Ye shall be sad, but your sadnes shalbe turned into ioye. In the world ye shal hauehave affliccion and trouble, but be on a good cōforte, for I hauehave ouercome the world. Blessed are they yt suffer persecucion for righteousnes sake, for vntounto them belongeth the kynge dome of heauē. Blyssed are ye, whē mē shal reuile you & persecute you, Math. v.& speake eueryevery euell worde agaynst you, lyenge for my sake. Reioyce & be mery, for great is your rewarde in heauē. S. Peter also sayth, dere i. Pet. iiii.lye beloued meruayle not, whan ye be proued by fyre, whiche thynge is done to trye you, as thoughe some straunge & newe thynge chaunsed vntounto you, but rather reioyse ī that ye are partakers of the passiōs and troubles of Christe, that whan his glory shall appeare, ye maye also be mery & reioyse. If ye be reuyled for the name of Christe, blyssed are ye, for the spirite, whiche is the spirite of glory & of God, resteth vponupon you Hereto pertaynethe the sayenge of ii. Tim. ii.S. Paule, this is a true fayenge, if we be dead with hym, we shall lyue with him also. If we suffer togither we shall also reygne withe hym. If we deny hym, he also shall deny vsus. If we be vnfaythfull, yet abydethe he faythfull, he can not denye hym selfe.
Of all theise scriptures it is euident, Persecuciō is a token of Gods louelove toward vsus.that it is no sorowful, but ioy full thynge to suffer persecuciō for ryghteousnes sake, for the glorye of God, & the promocion of his moost blyssed worde. Neither is it a token of gods wrath, but rather of his sin gulare beneuolence and hygh good wyll towarde thē, whiche are troubled for his sake. For yf they be hap pye, to whome it is gyuen to beleue in Christe, howe moche more happy & fortunate are they, to whom it is not onlye gyuen to beleue in hym, but also to suffer for him. S Paule Phil. i.reioyced greatly in the Philippiās because it was gyuen them, not on ly to beleue in Christ, but also to suf fer for his sake. For hereby are they assured to be Christes disciples, and are abundantly certified that God loueth them, carethe for them, and hathe prepared for them a glorious & celestiall mansion. Rede the. xii. chapter to the Heb. for thy cōforte.
Therfore as Dauid techethe vsus here, let vsus fyrst beleue stedfastly in God, & afterward cōfesse that open ly before the worlde, whiche we beleue Math. x. Marc. viii. Luke. ix. and. xii.in oure hartes, remembrynge these wordes of Christ, who so euer shall confesse me before men, I wyll confesse hym also before my father, which is in heauē. But who so euer shall deny me before men, I shall deny him also before my father, which is in heauen. And if it be the wyl of oure heauenlye father, that we be persecuted, troubled, & greuouslye vexed for y• confession of his trueth, let vsus not therfore feare to confesse the Lorde Christ, but as good souldiours ii. Tim. ii.of Iesus Christ, valeauntly suffer afflicciō, yea very deth, yf the glory of God so requirethe, beynge assuredlye perswaded, that by this meanes not only God shal be great ly glorified, & his holy gospell large ly promoted, but also yt we for thys shorte trouble shal receaue perpetu all reste, for this corruptible life, im mortall glory, for the vayne pleasu res of thys worlde eternall felicite and euerlastyng ioye worldes with oute ende. Amen.
But lette vsus heare what Dauid spake, that he was so sore troubled.