Treatise on 1 Peter 4, To the Christian reader
To the Chriſtian Reader, Grace and peace from God the father by Ieſus Chriſt, ſealed by the ſpirite of adoption, till he hauehave aſſuraunce of euerlaſting life in him. Amen.
HOwe neceſſary bookes of ſuch like arguments, as this, (by the godly labour of our faithful and painful brother, now published to the profite of many) are, I need no… long to ſtand vponupon, and to declare: as well in reſpect of vsus▪ that profeſſe the goſpell, in theſe breathing dayes, muche forgetting our ſelues, though we lacke not diuers croſſes to put vsus in remembraunce, and to awaken vsus, as in reſpect of of oure enemies, who of late hauehave more threatned, and bluſtered out againſt vsus, then in many years before, crying out of perſecution when they ſuffer not for Chriſt, or for any his cauſes: but againſt him, laboring thēſelues to death to ouerthrow his kingdome, (which though they burſt, they shall neuer (I am ſure) be able to do) & vndermining his miniſters moſt diſloyally: whom he hath placed in that higheſt authoritie, to execute his owne iuſt iudgements againſt them. It is wonder to heare what complaints they make of perſecution & Tyranny, when for their iuſt deſerts they receiue the punishment due to their treaſons, conſpiracies, and rebellions. They laye vsus on, and yet they crye out againſt vsus, they complain of perſecution, & yet them ſelues are the perſecutours, that ſet themſelues agaynſt the ſeruauntes of the Lorde, in all ages, againſt his faithful minniſters & againſt al profeſſors, & which is moſt lamentable againſte the holy trueth of God, yea, againſte God himſelfe, to whome they owe all duetie and reuerence. But alacke this is a thing common together with them and all other heretikes, that when they hauehave no truth at all, yet they muſt pretend ſome, and though they can neuer iuſtifie their cauſe, they muſte at leaſt a…euer it, as though they poſſeſſed it, and face vsus out, to shroud their idolatrous abhominations and curſſed corruptions that they maynteine and ſtand for, to their vtter deſtruction. There cannot be a Traitor nowadayes executed according to his demerits, (but fauouring their ſuperſtition, which indeede is alwayes ioined with treaſon, to shake the ſeate of our gracious ſoueraigne,Auguſt. de Donatiſt. cap. 7. 8. and to ouerthrow any ſtate elſe whereſoeuer they liue) but by and by, they take him vp and make him a martir. So did the Donatiſts as Aug…ſtine witneſſeth: to whom we muſt make the ſame anſwere, that he did to them. They are true martyrs, of whome the Lord ſayth: Bleſſed are they that ſuffer perſecution for righteouſneſſe ſake. They muſt not ſu…fer for iniquity, & for the wicked rending of Chriſtian vnity: but they that ſuffer for righteouſnes, they are the true martyrs in deede. If therefore they endure any thing at our hands, they may thanke their owne vnquiet and hamering heads that like (Moules, are alwaies heauing in their dark pathes to marre the Lords vineyard) & to ouerthrow the gracious worke of the Goſpell, which God will hauehave to proceede, Maugre their heads, when they hauehave vſed all their treaſonable practiſes they can againſt it. Neither shall the perſecution of Agar, (if it may bee called a perſecution rather then a correction) be compared to that of Dauid, nor that of the theeues to our ſauiour Chriſtes, whom though the ſuffering made one, yet the cauſe did ſeperate. They crye out of perſecution, and fo…ſte out their traiterous bookes like wildfire, that they might ſet al on fire …make a h…rly burly, and ſo open ſome way to their further deuiſed miſchiefe:In their late booke of english perſecution. They alleadge examples of parti…ular iudgments, againſt particuler perſons, ſarced with as many vntruths, as their books are▪ no… with leaues, but almoſt with lines: when yet they will not ſee that if any offence hauehave bene committed on our partes it hath bene in this that they hauehave bene to much borne with. For we appeal to themſelues that hauehave any modeſty in them, whether euer prince or ſtate, where the Goſpell onelyonly is profeſſed and mainteined (as it ought to be) by the lawes of the lande, did euer ſuffer or beare ſo much with them, as our gracious prince and ſtate hath done, no doubt of a good purpoſe to winne them, & to reclaime them to the trueth howſoeuer nowe they maye learne at length by experi…nce to take better heede of them, ſeeing they are incorrigible and hate to be reformed. Howe long did shee keep… her royall ſword within her ſcabbard, vntouched with any bloud? Surely till they had like (if God of his gracious goodnes had not preſerued her maieſtye) to hauehave ſet her both beſide ſeate, ſwotd, ſcepter and all: and if their diuelish practiſes coulde hauehave taken place by rebellion at home, or treaſon abroade, to layd her full low, and to hauehave brought vsus againe vnderunder the…r cruel & vnſupportable yoke of their Egyptiacall bondage: From the which, the Lorde for his mercy ſake deliuer vsus. If they count it therfore any perſecution, it is a iuſt perſecution againſt the enemies of God, againſt the enemies of our ſtate and Country. It is alſo done in louelove, to draw them from iniquitie, to reduce them from errour, & for the ſafegard of the whole pollitique body. I will not ſpeake of their perſecutions, & horrible butcheries from time to time: God shall giuegive better opportunity one day and in another place. But I beſeeche thee (good Chriſtian reader) marke what is deliuered concerning perſecution in this booke, then thou shalt both… learne what it is, and vponupon whoſe backes it is like to light, if they will be like him who is entred by the ſame gate before vsus. Neither let vsus be diſcouraged, though it be in deed our portion. For it shalbe a token vntounto vsus of our ſaluation, but vntounto them who are perſecuters of perdition and deſtruction. The reaſon is becauſe Chriſt the Capitaine & finisher of our battell is with vsus, and hath troade the pathe before vsus, vvith vvhome as long as vvee ſuffer, let the yſſues be neuer ſo hard, vve can not quaile nor perish. Hee hath forevvarned vsus, to looke for them. They come not by chaunce but by his appointment. They are for our good and the cauſe being iuſt and Gods, according to his vvill and for the holding out of his excellent glory, though… vve d…e for it vve shal be moſt happy. Our aduerſaries vnderſtand not th…s, and therefore they ſmite they care not where nor whome, but a time shall come, they shall ſee whom they hauehave ſmitten, & tremble before him, for feare of his iudgements. Be therfore of good comfort, & reioice, O al the Saints of God, though we paſſe thorow this wretched vale, in contempt and miſery, in heauines, and ſorrow with mourning and teares, with lacke of liberty, & commodity, that many vſurpers enioy: yet a day shall come of an aboundant harueſt where we shall ſit vponupon the ſeates of glorie & be ſatisfied with it, when we shal be crowned with immortality, & shall ſee God, euen as he is. The troubles are short, though they be sharpe, and though they be many, yet they are light, in compariſon of that eternall waight of glory. And you that are perſecuters, whome the Lorde hath not giuen vtterly ouer. Take heede whom you ſtrike. Thinke not to ouercome him whoſe power is infinite. God vvill raigne in deſpite of his enemies in the middeſt of them. Looke vponupon your olde predeceſſours what became of them. VVhere is Decius and Diocleſian, where is Valerius, Maximinianus and Maximius, where is Lucius, Iulianus & Aurelius? But you will ſay: theſe were ethnikes and perſecuted Chriſtians, ſurely ſo do you. You are chriſtians in name, but you deny the power thereof. You boaſt of the fa…th of your anceſtours, but you deny the faith of Chriſte. You ſay you vvoulde not hauehave ſlaine the prophets, but your handes hauehave beene the firſt vppon thoſe vvhome God hath ſtyrred vp and ſente amongſte you? Are you not ashamed to boaſte of the Truethe, and yet to to perſecute poore Chriſtians for it? You complayn of our harde lawes, of the ſeuerity of the punishment of treaſon, of the iniquitie of our miniſters, of the hard eſtate of your falſenamed Catholiques that liue amongſt vsus: of their infamye after their death, of the contumelies they ſuffer in their life, yea when they are taken at their Maſſe how they are brought forth in their Pageant apparrel, and what reuell is kept vvith your breaden Idoll: ye complayne of our priſons, and shevv the hardnes of our Iaylors, at London, at Yorke & in other places. Myſtreſſe Tomſon. Maſter Dimock and others are ſtill in your bookes, as though they had receiued great vvrongs Thus you kick & flyng as vntamed heifers ye care not where, ſparing neither noble nor vnnoble, that might once by any occurrent, come to your intelligence: but al this while you ſpeak not a vvord, to the proore of it, vvhereupon the proofe lieth. For in reſpect of the cauſe, yours is falſe & ours true, ours the cauſe of Chriſt & yours the cauſe of Antichriſte, vvee ſuffer for religion & you for treaſon. Agayne there is no compariſon betvvixt that pun…shment layd vponupon you, for your iuſt offences, and our perſecution, laide vppon vsus not for our ſinnes, but for righteouſnes ſake. If vve hauehave layd a finger vponupon you, you hauehave layd vponupon vsus an intollerable clog. If vve hauehave ſcourged you vvith father…y roddes for amendment:, you ha…e vvhipped vsus vvith ſcorpions, vtterly to deſtroy vsus: if vvee hauehave derided your ſuperſt…tion & brought out your prieſts, as they were playing their pageants, that the people might vvonder at their follies: you hauehave made vsus ſpectacles (as much as lay in you) both to men and angels, and laſtly vve hauehave vvith the trueth, purſued you, to bring you to the trueth, & ſo to God, but you vvith falſehoode hauehave perſecuted vsus to bring vsus from the trueth to error, and ſo to the Deuill. You talke of orderly proceeding vvith vsus, that we vvere tried in time paſt by order of Iuſtice, and diſputed vvithall, that vvee might if vve vvoulde, ſee our ovvne vveakneſſe &c I pray you in vvhoſe Courtes hath it bene moſt found, eyther in yours, vvhere all iuſtice vvas peruerted, or in ours, vvhere the trueth of Gods word guidingal; they hauehave beene taught the feare of God, and to doe as they vvould be done to: VVhere hath beene greater murthers, by diſordered dealings then amongſt you, vvithout all colour of lavv & iuſtice, killing them by vvhole multitudes, and ſometimes ſome of youre ovvne profeſſion for company, that you mighte enioy their ritches? vvhere hath priuate men beene more armed, to make diſpatch of princes that mighte ſtand in your vvay, then amongſt youre ſelues? Your pope diſpenſing vvith the ſinnes either they had already, or should aftervvardes commit: Example by that Caitife, that vppon his pardon vvoulde hauehave ſlaine the vvorthy Prince of Orange, had not God miraculouſly deliuered him? to hovv many ſuch treaſons, by poiſoning and killing hauehave ſundry beene ſturred vp vvithout all pittye amongſt you? Surely it is no maruell, that you shoulde novve pleade youre innocencie, vvhen all the vvorlde may knovve your vvicked & traiterous trecheries, that vvill not vvillingly shut their eyes. But it maye bee, You thinke by ſome popishe vvitchery, to goe in uiſible, by hauing ſome of the Popes trumpery aboute you. But you deceiue youre ſelues, and ſo doth he vvhom you ſerue. Therefore repent, and turne to him, vvho is able to ſaue your ſoules, Returne to Ieſus Chriſte that high paſtour, that ſuffering for trueth vvith him, you maye likevviſe bee glorified vvith him, othervviſe hovvſoeuer you byte his heele vvith the Serpent, hee vvill bruſe your head and in the end triumph ouer you. The Lorde Ieſus ſanctifie all that are his, euen thoroughout both body, ſoul, and ſpirite, that vvee may bee kept blameleſſe vntounto his holy comming. Amen. Amen. the 27. day of this third monethmonth.
Thine aſſured in Christe Iohn Field.