An Exhortation to the Carrying of Christs Cross, Title page
An exhortacion to the carienge of Chryſtes croſſe, wyth a true and brefe confutacion of falſe and papiſticall doctryne.
☞ 2. Timo. 3.
☞ All, that wyll lyue godly in Chryſte Ieſu, muſt ſuffer perſecucyon.
¶ The holye ſprite of God▪ whiche is his earneſte pledge, 2. Cor. ….geuen to hys people for their cō fort and conſolacion, bee poured into our heartes, by the mightye power and merites of our alone ſauiour Ieſus Chriſt, nowe and for euer. Amen
BEcauſe I perceaue playnly, that vntounto the euils fallē vponupon vsus, whiche profeſſe Chryſtes goſpel, greater ar moſt lyke to enſue, and after them greater, tyll y• meaſure Gene. 15of iniquitie be vpheaped (except we ſhrynke, and hauyng put our Luke. … ▪hand to ye plough, doe loke back, and ſo, with Loths wyfe, fal into Gene. 19.gods heauy diſpleaſure incurably, al whiche god forbid) and becauſe I am perſuaded of you, my dearly beloued brethren and ſiſters, through out the Realme of Englande, which hauehave profeſſed vnfeinedly the goſpel of our lord and ſauyoure Ieſus Chriſt (for vntounto ſuch doe I wryte thys Epyſtle or boke) howe yt, as you hauehave begonne to take part wyth gods goſpell & truth, ſo thrōugh hys grace ye wyll perſener and goe on forwardes, notwythſtā dyng the ſtormes ryſen and to a ryſe: I can not but wryte ſome thing vntounto you, to encourage you to goe on luſtelye in the waye of the lord, and not to become faint harted or feareful perſōs, whoſe place S. Iohn appoynteth with Apoca. 21.…nbeleuers, murtherers and idolatours in eternall perdiciō, but cherfully to take the Lordes cup Pſal. 75.and drynke of it, afore it drawe towardes the dregges and botō. Wherof at lēgth they ſhal drink wyth the wycked to eternall deſtruccion, which wil not receaue it at the firſt with gods childrē, wyth whom god begynneth his 1. Peter. 4▪iudgemente: that as the wycked worlde reioyſeth whan they lamente, Iohn. 16.ſo they may reioyce whā the wycked world ſhal mourne, and wythoute ende fele woo intolerable.