Treatise on 1 Peter 4, Title page – Dedication
A comfortable treatiſe vponupon the latter part of the fourth chapiter of the firſt Epiſtle of Saint PETER, from the twelfe verſe to the ende. By O. PIGGE.
1. Cor. 49.
¶I thinke that God hath ſet foorth vsus the laſt Apoſtles, as men appointed to death: for we are made a gaſing ſtock vntounto the world and to Angels, and to men.
1. Peter. 4. 15.
Let none of you ſuffer as a murtherer, or as a thiefe, or an euill doer, or as a buſibodie in other mens matters.
Seene and alowed.
AT LONDON. Printed by Robert Walde-graue, fot Iohn Hariſon the yonger, and Thomas Man. 1582.
TO THE RELIGIOVS AND VERY worſhipful knightes, Sir ROBERT IERMYN of Rushbrooke, and Sir IOHN HEIGHAM of Baroe, in the countie of Suffolke: Grace and peace be multiplied from God our heauenly Father, and from our Lord and Sauiour Ieſus Chriſte.
YOVR worſhips remember, that at the beginning of the laſt newe yere, I preſented to you in wrighting, that which the Lorde a little before, had giuen me to ſpeake, in two ſhort Sermons at BURI…, adding not muche to that which was then vttered, as the diligent hearer of me can teſtifie. The reaſon of my ſo doing I alledged (as the trueth was:) that I might hauehave ſomevvhat (according to the maner of that time) vvherewith to teſtifie the good affection vvhichwhich of duty I owe vntounto you both: as vvel for the manifold bleſſings, vvhichwhich the church of God and the common wealth in theſe partes of Suffolke, enioyeth by your meanes: as for your care for my particuler ſafetie, and for the great comfort which by you, from time to time, I hauehave had ſithence my comming into this countrie. The Lord regiſter them in his booke, that they may come into your good accounts in the day of his ſonne. And becauſe it pleaſed you then, to giuegive ſuch liking of the treatiſe, that both of you deſired to reteine the coppie, and requeſted the ſame at my hands, vvherof alſo I made promiſe: the beſt vvay for the performance of this, I ſuppoſed vvas the putting of it in print: which I was the rather contented to do, becauſe the matter deliuered in it, beeing neceſ…arie to be taught & beleeued, I hoped might be profitable and comfortable to others: vvhichwhich alſo vvas the iudgement of ſome godlie and learned men that reade it ouer. My purpoſe when I preached of the text, was to ſturre vp my ſelf and the hearers, to beare patiently, comfortablie, and profitablie al afflictions that might fal out for a good conſcience ſake: my purpoſe in ſending it a broade, and in making it more common to the churche of God, is the ſame. The doctrine is neceſſarie to prepare vsus for thoſe times of trouble, which the abuſing of our peace, the contempt of the goſpell, the euill handling of the miniſters, & the infinite abhominations of the land, hauehave moſt iuſtly deſerued. according alſo as vve hauehave theſe many yeares beene vvarned and threatned, not only by our prophets & teachers, but alſo by fearefnll ſignes in heauen & earth, that fortesl vntounto vsus further euils, vnleſſe in time from the higheſt to the lovveſt vve repent, take a better courſe, and turne from our diſobedience. Yea, in reſpect of the time preſent, this argument is not altogeather vnneceſſary: for although we hauehave iuſt cauſe dayly vponupon our knees, to praiſe God for her maieſty, the moſt honourable of her counſell, and the reſt of the gouerners in the Churche & common wealth: by whoſe gracious meanes wee hauehave good lawes eſtabliſhed & executed, for the liberty of true religion, & for the comfort and incouragement of ſuch as meane well: yet wee ſee howe in euerye place where the worde is taught: cold proteſtantes, earthly minded men, papiſtes and Athieſts, ſeeke & deuiſe all poſſible meanes they can, to hinder the courſe of the goſpell, and to diſquiet the preachers & profeſſours, which oppoſe them ſelues againſte their corruptions, and refuſe to ioyne with them in their diſorders. A matter too to vſual in theſe euil dayes, as the faythfull ſeruants of God knowe, and in many places finde true by miſerable experience If the preachers in any towne be carefull to do their duty, what quarrelles doe wicked men pick, to ſtop their mouths, weary them, and to driue them away? and if any of the flocke take part with their teachers, and profeſſe obedience to the trueth, they want no euill words, frovvning lookes, and hard practiſes againſte them, from popiſh, vvorldly, & irreligious men. The practiſes of our country of Suffolke, (to let paſ…e other parts of the lande) witnes this to be true, & cry alowde for vengeance in the eares of the Lorde of hoſtes, as your vvorſhips very vvell know. VVe hauehave many godly, learned, wiſe, faithful, & painful paſtors, I ſuppoſe that diuers Counties of the Realme being put together, can ſcarſe afforde ſo greate a numbe…. They teache the trueth of God, vvith all manner ſo dutifulnes and holy loialty to her maieſty and the ſtate, they be carefull to liue vvell to the vttermoſte of their povver: and the Lorde be thanked, that hath giuen them ſome good meaſnre of grace, in that behalfe. They lacke not countenance, comfort, and reliefe, from the honorable and worſhipful in the commiſſion of peace for the ſhire, ſo farre as they maye with a good conſcience, and according to the lawes of our moſt gracious ſouereigne. VVee prayſe God therefore, and thinke our ſelues bound to pray daily for you all. But I pray you, what impes hath Sathan ſturred vp amongſt vsus, almoſt in eueryevery Towne vvhere the vvorde is preached, to hinder this vvorke of the Lorde? hath there bene any vvay vnattempted, to ſhake ſome of the preachers, and in them, no dout al the reſt? They vvhichwhich ſeeme to make any account of the teachers, and to profeſſe more holineſſe then others, (though alas not ſo much as they ſhould doe) eſcape not the vennom of poiſoned tongues. The pore people here and there in the country, that be more carefull then the reſt, to reſort to ſermons, to heare the vvoorde, learne their dutie, and vvith a good conſcience to diſcharge ſuch duties as by oth, are layd vponupon them, bee not vvithout their croſſes. Some (by the malice of naughty inſufficient miniſters, & other vntovvarde men), to redeeme peace, glad to leaue the tovvn vvhere they dvvelled: Others frovvned vponupon, for doing othervviſe, then their ſuperſtitious landlordes doe, & vvould hauehave them: Others maliced for indicting, and complaining of papiſts & other vvicked men, for not reſorting to the church, not comming to the Communion, and for miſuſing of the prechers, & ſome moleſted one way, and ſome another. And this I ſpeak not of any thing done, by any magiſtrate or gouernour in the church or common vveale: let no man take me ſo: but by vvicked papiſtes and godleſſe perſons that be ſcattered abroade in the counrry, as Goates among the ſheepe, and darnell among good corne. VVho contrary to the lavves, peace, Crovvne, & dignity of her highneſſe and the kingdome, purpoſe and practiſe mi…chife and violence, ſometime couertly, and ſomtimes openly, againſt ſuche as mean moſt faythfully to God, and their Counrrye, and deſire to take that courſe in euersy thing, that might bee acceptable to him, that ſhall iudge the quick & the dead. VVe hauehave good cauſe to pray continually for the long preſeruation of our renouned princes Elizabeth our gratious Mother and N…ſſe, vnderunder the ſhadow of vvhoſe vvinges (as of the Lorde… annointed) by the meanes of her good lavves and Lie…etenauntes, in her ovvne courte and in the country, there is reliefe for all the good people of the land, againſt ſuch vexations of the vvicked. Othervviſe aſſuredly it ſhould go hard, vvith them, that of all others ought moſt to be made off: becauſe the deuill vvill not ceaſe to ſturre vp enemies againſt them. For the inſtruction & comfort of ſuch as be any vvay troubled for vvel doings, I confeſſe that I labour ſomvvhat in this litle booke. Praying the Chriſtian reader, if hee reape any ſmall good thereby, to giuegive the praiſe vntounto God to whom only it is due: and to pray for me, that my ſelfe, (according to my need, either preſent or to come) may be partaker of the doctrine & comforts herein mentioned. Concerning your good worſhips to vvhom I am ſo muche beholden: euen as openly and to the view of the country, you hauehave declared your readines to further me, in my good and lavvfull cauſes, & (ſo much as in you hauehave liē) to reſtrain thē that hauehave ſoght to vex me vniuſtly & intēded my hurt: ſo hauehave I thought my ſelf in duty bound, to giuegive forth ſome publike teſtimony of thankfulues to you. In regarde vvhereof, if it may pleaſe you to accept this my pore trauell, it is an eſpeciall thing that I deſire. I am bold to ioine you both in one: becauſe the Lord hath knit you faſt together, not only by the bond of kindred & perfect friendſhip: but alſo in care of my good eſtate, & that vvhichwhich is principall, in an holy deſire to further true religiō, & to procure the peace, vvelfare, and proſperity of the prince, and the country vvhere you dvvel. The Lorde increaſe in you all his graces, that being zealous according to knovveledge, you may become yet more glorious inſtruments for the furthering of his kingdom, & may go forvvard in the profeſſion of his goſpell euen vntounto the ende, to his immortall prayſe, the ſturring vp of manye other knightes and gentlemen, to be of this your chriſtian order, in the true obedience of Gods vvord: & to the euerlaſting ſaluatiō of your ſouls in the life to come: vvhichwhich graces in like manner I praye him to povvre dovvne from heauen, vponupon the right vvorſhipful the Ladies of both your houſes, vponupon your children, and all your company for Ieſus Chriſtes ſake, our only & omnipotent Sauiour. Amen.
At London this ſixt day of April. 1582. the day vvherein the great & fearfull Earthquake vvas tvvo yeares before: a day to bee called to oure remembraunce, becauſe, of the greateſt number, ſo rare and terrible a thing is quite forgotten, and ſo certeine a forerunner of other iudgements, is not regarded.
Your worships in the Lord OLIVER PIGGE.